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Study Reveals Huge Economic Loss Due to Unemployment of Military Spouses

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By Debbie Gregory.

Military spouses have been and continue to be the backbone of military families. Unemployment and underemployment of military spouses not only affects individual families, but it’s costing the U.S. economy — to the tune of about $710 million to $1 billion a year, according to a new report

The cost is calculated by adding up lost federal income tax, unemployment benefits, and health care costs.

Military spouses face hurdles in their job search that their civilian counterparts do not.

There are those who think that military spouses don’t need to work. Some do. Some want to. But that should be their decision.

They move. A lot. The average military spouse will move 8-12 times over the span of a 20 year career. This could easily be seen as a problem when an employer looks at a resume.

Often times, military bases are in the middle of nowhere, making jobs scarce. Remote military locations have limited types of jobs, not all of which are suited for military spouses.

Military spouses are often filling the role of both parents.

It doesn’t get much easier post-transition. As the drawdown continues, transitioning military families need new incomes. In some cases, transitioning military families need dual incomes to replace the pay and benefits from the military service, and in others, the service member may not be able to work, due to school attendance, disability, addiction or PTSD.

The answer to this problem? For starters, employers need to be educated on the qualities that military spouses and veteran spouses have, and the skills they bring to prospective employers.

Employees who are part of the Military Spouse Employment Program understand the added benefits that military spouses can bring to the table.

If you are in a hiring position, we hope that when military spouses and veteran spouses come across your radar, you give them a fair chance.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Military Spouses Rock!

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By Debbie Gregory.

In all the years I have worked with the military and veteran communities, the one thing I am really sure of is that those who serve rock. They answer our country’s call, and put their lives on the line for our freedoms.

But they aren’t the only one who serve and sacrifice. Military spouses not only keep the home fires burning, they are often times forced to leave family, friends and careers behind as they follow their servicemember around the country, and sometimes, around the world.

They are truly the force behind the force. Give a military spouse an impossible set of circumstances, very little resources or time, and absolutely no choice in the matter, and they will figure it out.

These are some of the reasons why military spouses make the best employees. They are pros at adapting to ever-changing schedules, climates, careers, peer groups and housing. They will make new friends. Adapt. Overcome They will ace dreaded job interviews pretty much every time they move, unless they are lucky enough to have a portable career or work from home opportunities.

Military spouses are a unique mix of men and women who silently serve in the shadows…waiting patiently for their spouses. They are mothers, fathers, full-time workers or caretakers, the cooks, nurses, cleaners, car-poolers.They are jacks and jills of all trades, and many of them are entrepreneurs.

They roll up their sleeves, and get thing done because they have to. And they are part of a community that values loyalty.

So if you are an employer, remember that hiring veterans and military spouses is the right thing to do. Showing your support for those who serve by supporting their spouses provides you with an employee that has a work ethic second to none, as well as many of the aforementioned traits.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Military Connection: Stefanie Sanders for Military Spouse of the Year

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Stefanie Sanders

By Debbie Gregory.

More than one million military spouses support and maintain the home front while members of our armed forces defend this great nation. Since 2008, the Military Spouse of the Year (MSOY) has been awarded to honor military spouses, all ranks, all branches of service, for their unwavering commitment to the military community.

On January 23, 2015, the base winners were announced, and the next round of voting is scheduled for January 30th.

One of the candidates for MSOY was nominated by Navy Captain Brad Cooper, Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Gettysburg (CG-64) and longtime friend and supporter of MilitaryConnection.com. Capt. Cooper nominated his Command Ombudsman, Stefanie Sanders. Mrs. Sanders won the base vote for Naval Station Mayport Florida, which she now represents in the branch voting tier.

As Command Ombudsman, Stefanie is the go-between for the families of the Gettysburg’s crew and the ship’s leadership. When a ship is in port, most Navy families utilize their service member to connect to the resources and support they need. But when the ships are underway, the spouses and families utilize people like Stefanie to obtain the support and resources they need. As the Command Ombudsman for the U.S.S. Gettysburg, Stefanie has her hands full, as the ship has the distinction of having the highest operational tempo and most time away from homeport than any other ship in the U.S. Navy for the last 2+ years.

In his nomination letter, Capt. Cooper called Stefanie an “military spouse ‘superwoman’ and an extraordinary American.” As high a compliment as those praises may sound, they may not do Stefanie justice.

Stefanie, herself, is a Navy Veteran, having served as an enlisted sailor for four years. Because of her service, Stefanie brings a unique and vitally effective point of view to her position as Ombudsman.

Stefanie’s advice to younger military spouses is spot on: “Find a hobby, get a job, do something to keep busy while your spouse is deployed. Because if you just sit at home and miss your sailor, deployments seem like they take forever.”

Besides being the Gettysburg’s Ombudsman since 2012, Stefanie is also the wife of a Senior Chief Petty Officer, and mother to three children and a puppy. She is also the PTA President at Finnegan Elementary School, and has just completed her bachelor’s degree in Human Services and Management from the University of Phoenix. Stefanie’s work with military families has prompted her plan to return to school to secure a Family and Child Services Certificate. She wants to make a career out of supporting and assisting military families, beyond her tenure as Ombudsman.

Stefanie was gracious enough to grant MilitaryConnection.com an interview. She admitted to feeling overwhelmed at her nomination, and winning Mayport’s Spouse of the Year. Through her modesty and her drive to help military families, Stefanie only reaffirms why she should win Military Spouse of the Year.

“I have a great group of spouses on the Gettysburg, without them, I never would have been nominated. I also want to thank my husband, Eric, and our kids for their support and for sharing me and my time with the other families at the command. I would also like to thank Captain Cooper and the leadership and crew of the Gettysburg,” Stefanie told MilitaryConnection.com.

The list of Top 18 MSOY candidates is scheduled to be posted on January 30th. We fully expect to See Stefanie Sanders on that list. When that happens, be sure to VOTE for Stefanie for Military Spouse of the Year during the 24-hour voting period on February 4th. Stefanie is expected to be in contention for one of the six branch winners, and advancing to the National Vote. While every military spouse nominated is worthy of recognition, we have our fingers crossed for Stefanie Sanders.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Military Family Month: By Debbie Gregory

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Military familyNovember 11th is Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor and recognize the sacrifices made by the men and women who have served in our military. While the citizens of this country could never do enough to show their gratitude to Veterans, over the last several years, government projects, corporate events and individual personal initiatives have made honoring military Veterans a 365 day a year occasion. But often, the sacrifices made by the families that support our men and women in uniform get overlooked. That is why, since 1993, November has been declared Military Family Month.

In a statement issued on October 31st, President Obama proclaimed November 2014 as Military Family Month to acknowledge the tremendous contributions military families make in support of our service members and our nation. The proclamation said:

“During Military Family Month, we recognize every spouse, parent, sibling, child, and loved one who stands with our service members, and we reaffirm our solemn vow to serve these families as well as they serve us.”

Military families contribute more to the war effort that they will ever know. Their letters, emails, care packages and love help service members through the hardest times. Often, even the memory of time spent with loved ones can boost a service member’s morale. But what most Americans don’t always see are the sacrifices made by the military family members who don’t wear a uniform.

While all of today’s service members have volunteered to serve, their families, especially their children, did not. And they sacrifice a great deal too. Spouses single-handedly manage their households while their loved ones are deployed. Children of service members often go months without their military parent being able to attend school functions, sporting events, holidays and birthdays, not to mention just being physically present in their lives. Often times, parents and other family members help their service member pay bills, raise children, care for their pets, and maintain vehicles and property while their hero is deployed.

Being a military family member is a tough job, one that is often thankless and full of hardships. Please do all that you can to honor, recognize and thank military families in your community.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Military Family Month: By Debbie Gregory

Bringing the War Home – How Spouses and Children Serve, Too

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Recently, I received an email urging me to discuss something that I think holds a keen relevance to the current situation our country is in. The battle that the families of deployed soldiers fight daily while the world continues to move on around them is an under-appreciated topic. I think we often overlook the amount of energy the wives, husbands, children and families of active duty soldiers spend supporting their loved ones’ efforts, let alone just trying to get along each day. While the cameras of news stations are constantly rolling in the Middle East, bringing us visions of destruction and turmoil, the families of those soldiers are left to fill in the blanks and pick up the pieces of their own lives, while pushing forward for their loved ones.

There are no camera vans parked outside their homes, no front-page headlines and no recurring top stories on the evening news covering their efforts. And yet they are doing so much to serve their country here, while their family members serve thousands of miles away.

The extent to which spouses and children lend their creativity and skill to supporting their country is astounding, especially in a time when the waters are anything but still. These home front soldiers organize charity walks and events, hold informational meetings, provide support and comfort to others in similar situations and reach out to their communities in ways the average American wouldn’t even consider. They are full-time American patriots…and that’s just their side job.

They live two lives: a “normal” life and a soldier’s family life. The “normal” life consists of school, work, having lunch with friends, taking the dog for a walk, making dinner and standing in line at the grocery store among a plethora of other mundane details.

The other life is engulfed in planning, budgeting for events, making phone calls, creating flyers, email blasts and invitations, talking to vendors and finding loans all while raising children as a single parent or battling loneliness in a large and empty house. The war these families face may not be on a battlefield, but the turmoil they harbor is likely similar on some scale.

Whether or not this is news to you, there are things you can do to help support these struggling Americans:

  • Participate in events that support our troops’ return home, or that support them while they are away from their families.
  • Donate your time or available resources to a local spouse support organization, either by helping distribute flyers or volunteering at a local walk or event.
  • Donate your skills to organizations supporting the efforts of military families, i.e. offer free accounting services or financial advice, or volunteer your graphic design talents to help create posters and other advertising materials.
  • If you have the means, the next time you see a soldier out to dinner with his or her family, pick up the tab. It is an easy way to show your support for the efforts of the family as a whole.

No matter what you do, remember that the spouses, children and families of active American soldiers are fighting a battle of their own, one that goes unnoticed by most. They are the remnants of a war many Americans don’t see or feel, but they feel it every day.

Take notice. Lend a helping hand. It makes a world of a difference.

Sincerely,
Katy Cryns
MilitaryConnection.com Staff Writer


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