If you’ve recently married into the military or your spouse has just joined, you may feel nervous and excited about the future. As you take on this new role, the adjustment period can feel daunting. Spouses take on responsibilities, adapt to new schedules and learn various ways of handling life’s obstacles. Luckily, you don’t have to do any of it alone. Here are several resources you can utilize to help you:
For Your Family
As you prepare for deployment, there are a few resources you can access to give you a better understanding of the process. First and foremost, one of the best places to find guidance during a deployment is with your local Military and Family Support Center. This center, located close to just about every military base, is part of a more extensive network of agencies, programs, services, partnerships and individuals supporting your personal and family readiness. They offer everything from relocation assistance and career opportunities to parenting and financial management classes. Other helpful tools:
- MilitaryOneSource’s transcript, “These Boots: A Spouse’s Guide to Stepping Up and Standing Tall During Deployment,” is a document that advises spouses on the best ways to cope with the deployment process. It can be found on the organization’s official website alongside other deployment resources.
- For younger children, Sesame Street’s “Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes” is a multimedia program that helps children between the ages of two and five communicate feelings and concerns they may have during different deployment phases.
Relocation
For military families, you may uproot your home and relocate every two to three years. The following programs can help you throughout the moving process:
- MilitaryOneSource’s Spouse Relocation & Transition Consultations: Specialty consultants that can provide personalized moving support for your PCS and transitioning needs.
- militaryonesource.mil: An internet-based relocation tool that provides information, resources and checklists to help plan your move.
- militaryonesource.mil: Provides information about services and programs available to you on your new installation.
- HOMES.mil: A networking service designed to connect service members and their families with community housing rental listings located near U.S. military bases.
- Militarychildcare.com: An explorative list of Defense Department-supported childcare options in any location.
- TRICARE: Provides options for approved healthcare in your location.
Careers
Family members may have to place their careers on hold or change careers completely when they relocate to a new area. These resources can help you manage career change challenges:
- The Spouse Education and Career Opportunity Program: Provides expert education and career guidance to military spouses worldwide.
- The Defense-State Liaison Office: Works with state legislators to modify licensure requirements for military spouses who want to maintain their licenses as they move from state to state.
- The Military Spouse Employment Partnership: Connects spouses with more than 700 employers who pledge to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses in portable careers.
Additional Resources
From funding to therapy and everything in between, the following supports may also be helpful to you during the deployment period:
- The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP): If you have a family member with special needs, EFMP Family Support can help you locate community resources, services and programs for your family member’s medical, educational, relocation, advocacy and other needs.
- The Military and Family Life Counseling Program and Military OneSource provide non-medical counseling for families struggling with any aspect of military life.
- The Military Spouse Relocation Resource Guide – VA for Vets is committed to reducing military spouse underemployment and unemployment rates by increasing employment opportunities and agencybenefits that support the military spouses and their
families.
Military life can be hectic and complex, but you can handle it and never have to face the challenges alone.
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