We know you aren’t “just like everyone else.” We here at Mission: Milspouse see you and support you right alongside our active-duty component!
There may not be an installation nearby, and your unit might not have hosted a family “readiness” meeting since 1992. However, you are still a part of the military community, no matter what season of service your National Guard/Reserve member is navigating.
From annual training (that may or may not actually be “two weeks in the summer”) to weekend training each month, or units recently activated, we are here to get you connected and to empower you with the knowledge you need to succeed.
Here you will find a list of blogs to speak to your experience, and hopefully offer some encouragement and insight along the way.
I see you now. I didn’t really see you or your pain before—I just saw a friend who was sad and hurt, but I didn’t fully understand. Now, my vision is no longer blurred, and I see all of it: the pain, the loneliness, and the anxiety.
Trudging through medical complications with a spouse in the military brings a whole new twist to this crazy ride.
Living in Alaska has been an amazing experience for me, but soon it will be time to say goodbye. If I’m being honest, I am heartbroken. I never imagined that I’d love living here, but I do, because Alaska is breathtakingly beautiful, even at -20 degrees in the dead of winter.
I joined the Army Reserve nearly four years ago, and I’m grateful for all the lessons learned and experiences that being a Reservist has brought me. I definitely would not be the person that I am today had I not made the decision to join right out of high school.
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way:
This year, I’m making it my goal to find more balance between my civilian and military life. You see, I’m a civilian, but I’m also in the Army Reserves. It’s something I have to explain to people a lot when they ask me why I’m not available at certain times of the year.
My life changed the moment I agreed to go on a date with a man I “met” online; our first date was 10 hours long, and it was effortless to be around him—we talked about everything and nothing all at once. After he left that first night, I knew he would change me regardless if we stayed together; I am thankful he has been an integral part of my life every day since.
Deployments are tough—there is no way to sugar coat it. Being the spouse of a National Guard member, deployments are something that I never really thought about. I always assumed that they were something that happened to other people—people who were much better equipped to handle them.
But sure enough, I was wrong.
I feel like I blinked and found myself fist deep in a tub of cookie dough, crying, because my husband was being deployed. I read countless books and articles, and I played out thousands of scenarios in my head as to what it would be like. I thought about things, like missing out on celebrating holidays and special events, and the fact that I now would have to take out the trash and take the dog out late at night (my two least favorite chores).
Mission: Milspouse is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EIN Number: 88-1604492
hello@missionmilspouse.org
P.O. Box 641341
El Paso, TX 79904
