5 Things Every Military Spouse Should Know

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The idea of marrying your significant other who is in the military can be exciting! After all, you are marrying the cream of the crop, the nation’s hero… Why, who many can say that they are married to a real-life hero? But, before you say “I Do,”…

...here are 5 things that you should be aware of first.

  1. The Rate of Successful Military Marriages

You may have heard things from people who will warn you that military marriages tend to not work out. Don’t listen to them! Military marriages can work out and sometimes they are even stronger than civilian marriages. Why? Your spouse will be deployed for many months at a time, so communication is going to be crucial.

  1. Respect and Support is Important

Of course respect and support is important in any marriage, but it is especially important for a military marriage to work. Any role your spouse plays in the military will leave them emotionally taxed and they’ll be under a lot of pressure. Your spouse will need you to understand that in order for their spouse to do their job well, they will have to dedicate a lot of time and energy and therefore may not have a whole lot of time for them.

  1. Understand your career may be put on hold

When you decide to take that leap and become the spouse to a military person, your own career may have to be put on hold for a while. This can be a big problem for some, especially if they are working toward an end goal and they cannot take a detour. However, if you aren’t committed to your current career but you still want to work, pick a career that you can travel with and is flexible. Many choose to work online, either by blogging, selling items like Scentsy, Avon, and the like, or they do freelance work.

  1. Deployment 411

When your spouse gets the word that they are being deployed, sometimes they don’t give you much notice. The lack of notice, how long they will be gone, and the idea that you will be alone, it can be overwhelming for anyone to deal with. Fortunately, it isn’t nearly as bad as some people may think. Yes, it will take getting used to, but you will have other military spouses, your friends, and family to help keep you occupied.

  1. Homecoming

So your military spouse’s deployment is over and they are finally coming home to you! Romance movies and shows love showing us how wonderful it is in the airport when the military person comes home to their loving family. What they don’t show you is how difficult the transition can be once they get home. It’s not just difficult for the spouse to get reacquainted with living at home in a normal life, but the rest of the household has to get used to them as well. Your schedules may conflict, they may have nightmares and short fuses when they are awake, why you may even miss all the alone time you had before. In order to make your marriage work, you have to give yourself and them enough time to acclimate to their surroundings.