Top Issues Affecting The Dreams Of Military Spouses
With my newfound commitment to focusing on the community that I want to serve, let's talk about the issues actively impacting military families, how those problems affect dreams, and how we can overcome those obstacles. Today, I want to discuss the top issues affecting active- duty military spouses. These ranked as issues for the national guard, reserve, and veteran families as well, but I will primarily focus on active-duty spouses since that is what I am living in right now.
This is based on the 2022 survey completed by the Department of Applied Research at Blue Star Families and Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Since 2014 they have done this survey annually to monitor the struggles surrounding military families to help manage those concerns so the country maintains its all-volunteer military force. Our military community feels big to us since roughly 1.5 million members serve active duty, but we only make up half of 1% of the U.S. population. We face many of the same struggles as our civilian counterparts, with the added issues that come from military life. This means our answers to chasing dreams must go beyond the ones for a civilian family.
According to this survey, here are the top issues affecting active-duty military families according to the 3,173 spouses that responded
1. Spouse Employment
This issue is a tale as old as time. With the constant move cycle, spousal employment has always been a struggle for the military community. This is also made difficult when we juggle children with the rising cost of childcare and often absent spouses. But this space is where dreams happen. For some, a job is just a job, but working outside the home is a dream for many spouses. Whether they are working in their dream job or not, having a job can be a dream in itself. Jobs don't just provide more financial flexibility. They can be essential for finding more fulfillment and fullness in life for many people.
2. Time Away From Family
Always a high-ranking issue as well. No matter how short or long the separation is, this is always a struggle for families. Time apart can strain relationships, increase stress, and cause a great deal of frustration. Healthy relationships can be a huge leg up when chasing a dream. And finding time to pursue what we love can be so difficult when our primary support system is constantly in and out.
3. BAH/Off-Base Housing Concerns
Some people love living on base, while others love living off base. Whichever side you fall on, though, both are becoming harder to do. Military bases almost always have long waits for housing, and so much of military housing is outdated or needs major repairs. I know our base has had some big issues with black mold that keep popping up. If you choose to live off base, though, increased housing and rental prices have made it harder for families to find a good place to live while staying within their BAH. A specific kind of house, or life, is often a dream for many people. Whether you are trying to live in your dream house or just your dream house for now, this is becoming a more complex dream to achieve.
4. Military Pay
Many families struggle with military pay not being enough. Couple that with difficulty finding spousal employment, and families can quickly find themselves in financial hot water. As many of our civilian counterparts are discovering, inflation is outpacing our pay, and even in the best-case scenarios, people are struggling with the rising cost of everything. As with almost everything else in our lives, dreams often cost money. We may have to invest in a business or pay for tickets to go somewhere. When the cost of living exceeds our salaries, dreams can quickly move into a seemingly unachievable position.
5. Relocation/PCS Issues
I know that I am ready to move. I want the excitement of a new base, and my husband wants a change of scenery with his job. PCSs can come when we most want them and when we least want them. It is hard to uproot and lose a community that we have built. It is also hard to be stuck in an area when we feel there are greener pastures to explore. PCSs can be financially draining for many people when things are not reimbursed like we thought they would be or when a reimbursement takes an incredibly long time to arrive. I'm sure we all have dream places where we would like to live, and while we may not get there during our spouse's time of service, we might be able to get close. I know for my family, we are unlikely to get stationed in North Carolina, but an assignment in Georgia would be a dream come true since it would put us so much closer to extended family.
6. Impact Of Deployment On Family
For our service members, deployments are a mixed bag. It is so hard to leave their family behind, but it is also a dream come true to do their job in service of the cause they believe in. As spouses, we wrestle with the same feelings, wanting our spouse's home while simultaneously wanting to support their dream. So often, though, our dreams can get pushed to the wayside as we begin the juggling process of deployments. The increased responsibility and decreased support can leave our dreams in the dust, at least until our spouses return. But the stop and start of a dream can be really draining. And for many dreams, this constant cycle can make them harder to achieve when consistency is the key to success.
7. Concerns About Transition From Military To Civilian Life
I think we have all seen people struggle with their identity when leaving military service. It can be a hard transition for those that make a full career and commit 20+ years of their life. It can also be hard for those who are forced to leave the military early. Or for those who know they don't want to continue this path but aren't sure where to go next. The time comes to find a new dream, and if we aren't prepared for that process, the journey can be much more difficult. Military members and spouses alike can go through this struggle, and we all need to be prepared to find new dreams and support one another in the process.
8. Access To Military/VA Health Care System(s)
Healthcare is often touted as one of the biggest benefits of being in a military family, but access can sometimes be hard to come by. We may move to an area with limited resources or be diagnosed with something that requires things that are harder to access. I know that many of us have spent hours on the phone with Tricare trying to get a referral sent to the specific doctor we need to receive it. For many, health is a dream. Whether the dream is managing a disease, conquering an illness, or reaching physical goals, having access to the right medical professional will be essential.
9. Military benefits
We need these benefits to survive and thrive when we are in the service. The same is true when we leave. Often, we will discover that there are programs in place that can help us achieve our dreams. We also depend on these programs in many instances. For example, the dream of homeownership is pretty common. Many military families can accomplish this dream with the help of the VA loan, and many of those people would not be able to achieve that dream without the help of the loan, at least for right now. We can wait as long as we need to for our dreams to come true. Staying the course will bring them to fruition eventually, but with the support of military benefits, we can see them come true sooner. We just have to know what those benefits are and ensure those resources are still there when we need them.
Each of these issues relates directly to our success in achieving our dreams. Our dreams don't come true in a bubble. They will require the cooperation of every aspect of our lives. While our dreams may vary, the issues we face as military families often overlap. I hope we can tackle these problems together as we work to make all our dreams come true.