Military spouses have unique challenges that come with their lifestyle, but with a few helpful tips, they can make the most of their experience.
When I was a brand-new military spouse, I felt like my head was spinning! So much information was thrown at me, acronyms I didn’t understand, and a new “lifestyle” I wasn’t familiar with. It’s frickin’ hard.
However, I am so grateful for the military community! I feel this community is very supportive and has been a great place to gain advice from others that are going through it, too.
If I could go back in time with what I know now, these are the top 5 tips I would give to a new military spouse.
- Find a Hobby
- Communication is Key
- Know Your Resources
- Bloom Where You’re Planted
- Learn as You Go
Find a Hobby
Finding a hobby will probably be your most suggest piece of advice as a new military spouse. You may already have hobbies going into this lifestyle, but you may not as you are in a new area and season of life. Find something that brings you joy and fits with this new lifestyle. Think about if you want to find a hobby from home or outdoors, the time investment, and if it will be a monetary investment.
Hobby ideas:
- Working out
- Reading
- Furniture flipping
- Hiking
- Cross Stitch
- Painting
- Baking
- Writing/Blogging
- Photography
- Dancing
- Video games
- Creating vinyl tumblers or shirts
- Garden
Communication is Key
You’ll soon learn that military life has its own world to navigate. Because of this, you may feel confused and left out of how things are supposed to be. Communication is key to figuring out how things go! This might sound crazy because oftentimes there will be a lack of communication due to deployments, training, or work requirements. But knowing how to communicate with your spouse is absolutely essential.
Before a deployment, talk through how it will be for both ends. Learn about blackouts that may happen with their internet access. If they are in basic training be ready for that first phone call to write down their address, and talk through it as much as possible so when communication is slim you are ready.
Know Your Resources
Gosh, this could be an entire blog post in itself! There are so many resources available to military families, a lot are often missed.
Insurance
When your spouse joins the military, insurance is provided through Tricare. It is great to know the difference between prime and select early on, otherwise, you will have to wait for open season.
Along with health insurance, it is important to know dental and vision are also offered but you will have to sign up for them. Dental is through United Concordia and Vision is through Benefeds (FedVip).
Education
For servicemembers, they have a few options when it comes to their education (GI Bill or Tuition Assistance). For you as a military spouse, it’s great to know what resources are available for your education. This is a very important topic to me as I worked in college admissions for several years helping military families! Your college may offer a military tuition discount, and if you move to another state you can usually get the in-state tuition rate as a military spouse.
Outside of discounts, there are scholarships that I highly recommend you take advantage of if you can. Many spouses are unaware of scholarships, which means fewer are applying. You can click here to see the current scholarships available by branch.
You may also quickly learn about MyCAA (My Career Advancement Account). This is a wonderful opportunity for spouses that are looking to get into a career quickly with a trade-school program. I will emphasize greatly that this is a one-time scholarship so do your research.
Ensure you choose a program that you will actually want to have a career in, and ensure you choose the right school for you. There are many institutions out there that accept this scholarship, and many don’t count for college credits that can transfer. Last tip on this, if you google MyCAA ensure it’s the actual site and not a sponsored ad by one of the schools. I personally took advantage of this program and I had a wonderful experience!
Counseling
Tricare does also provide counseling for mental health and other counseling needs you may have. In addition, Military One Source has free counseling that you can check out here.
Bloom Where You’re Planted
If you are reading this and you’re like “yep this is for me”, I feel you! When we moved, I was nervous to explore new places since most of the time I was solo. It can be hard in those early days when you move and don’t have a friend group established yet to go out and explore. I highly recommend putting yourself out there and just peeling that bandaid off.
Join local military Facebook groups and find places recommended, or even make connections with others. It can feel lonely, but I ensure you are not alone and there are many other military spouses ready to meet you!
You can also look at what’s in your area and make a list of places you’d love to visit. This can be especially helpful, because, by the time it’s PCS season, you may realize you still have more you wanted to see!
Moving to a new area can be overwhelming, especially if you are hearing negative feedback on the area. Bloom where you are planted and make the most of your time there! Sometimes the “worst” duty stations will turn out to be your favorite due to the friendships and memories you make.
You’ll Learn as You Go
My last piece of advice is you don’t have to know everything right away. No one is expecting you to be an expert. But, you will continue to learn and grow as time goes on and someday be that resource to another person in your life. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Asking questions is how you learn more, whether it’s asking your spouse or a friend.
Being a new military spouse can be a challenging and daunting experience, but with the right mindset and approach, it can also be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling one. By following the tips outlined in this blog post, such as building a support network, staying flexible, and maintaining a positive attitude, new military spouses can navigate the unique challenges of military life with confidence and grace. Remember to take things one day at a time, prioritize self-care and communication, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. With time, patience, and perseverance, new military spouses can thrive in their new role and make the most of the incredible opportunities that military life has to offer.