WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:03.920 - Being a military spouse is exciting, 00:03.920 --> 00:05.543 and frustrating, 00:07.557 --> 00:11.380 and really challenging at times, but it's really rewarding. 00:11.380 --> 00:13.480 - It is a huge privilege to be able 00:13.480 --> 00:15.210 to travel around the world, 00:15.210 --> 00:16.990 be educated in many different ways, 00:16.990 --> 00:17.823 meet so many people, 00:17.823 --> 00:20.610 have my children grow up in so many different 00:20.610 --> 00:22.080 diverse cultures where they're gonna be able 00:22.080 --> 00:24.950 to really appreciate other people 00:24.950 --> 00:28.310 and have seen the world before they're even teenagers. 00:28.310 --> 00:29.552 - It's not for everybody. 00:29.552 --> 00:32.606 You gotta stay hungry, you gotta stay motivated. 00:32.606 --> 00:37.606 Making the most of your situation is key, very key. 00:37.800 --> 00:39.090 - Is it worth it? 00:39.090 --> 00:40.510 That's all in your mind. 00:40.510 --> 00:43.585 It was worth it for me, because I got three degrees from it. 00:43.585 --> 00:45.133 (laughter) 00:45.133 --> 00:46.630 - I definitely think there are stigmas 00:46.630 --> 00:49.670 that come with being a military spouse. 00:49.670 --> 00:53.520 I had some of them myself, when I was brand new into it. 00:53.520 --> 00:55.760 I had my own ideas of what a military spouse was, 00:55.760 --> 00:59.810 what they should be, how I did or did not fit into that. 00:59.810 --> 01:02.130 - Some of the stigmas come from our own community, 01:02.130 --> 01:04.520 because there can be a very one-dimensional view 01:04.520 --> 01:05.640 of who we are. 01:05.640 --> 01:09.350 - They just want the Tri-Care, that's the only reason 01:09.350 --> 01:10.673 that they're there for it, 01:12.450 --> 01:16.110 they don't want to get a job or an education. 01:16.110 --> 01:18.830 - Now, according to Hire of Heroes, 01:18.830 --> 01:22.720 over 50% of the military spouses 01:22.720 --> 01:25.140 have some type of formal education. 01:25.140 --> 01:28.040 - My education is in engineering and like things, ya know, 01:28.040 --> 01:29.500 I'm the bullet list maker, 01:29.500 --> 01:31.200 and I like everything to go that way, 01:31.200 --> 01:33.540 so just take that and crumple it up, 01:33.540 --> 01:35.830 and throw it out the window and start another one. 01:35.830 --> 01:38.250 Because the military lifestyle 01:38.250 --> 01:40.120 never goes according to plan. 01:40.120 --> 01:41.930 - One of the main obstacles is, 01:41.930 --> 01:44.250 of course, the long hours and the deployments 01:44.250 --> 01:45.870 that come along with being married 01:45.870 --> 01:46.890 to someone in the military. 01:46.890 --> 01:49.860 And so, that leaves a bit of loneliness. 01:49.860 --> 01:51.950 - You really have to be flexible. 01:51.950 --> 01:53.190 You really have to be strong. 01:53.190 --> 01:54.750 You have to understand. 01:54.750 --> 01:57.370 Just being mentally healthy. 01:57.370 --> 02:01.170 - Yeah, it's incredibly hard to succeed here. 02:01.170 --> 02:04.793 The job market is not for every single spouse. 02:05.680 --> 02:07.390 But, it's what you make of it, 02:07.390 --> 02:08.740 and you try to take advantage 02:08.740 --> 02:10.520 of every opportunity that the military 02:10.520 --> 02:12.000 will give a spouse. 02:12.000 --> 02:14.520 - A lot of people think that readiness 02:14.520 --> 02:16.200 is just about putting the uniform on 02:16.200 --> 02:17.170 and getting to training, 02:17.170 --> 02:18.560 when you're active duty. 02:18.560 --> 02:20.250 But, military spouses support 02:20.250 --> 02:21.970 their service members at home. 02:21.970 --> 02:24.570 That's the ultimate wing person or wing man, 02:24.570 --> 02:27.350 and they also support the community as a whole. 02:27.350 --> 02:30.023 - I think it's important to say to them, 02:31.237 --> 02:33.640 "we see you, and you're doing a great job". 02:33.640 --> 02:37.360 And I understand, I've seen a couple times now, 02:37.360 --> 02:39.410 like bases in, kind of, crisis mode. 02:39.410 --> 02:41.720 And without the spouse community 02:41.720 --> 02:42.670 it would fall apart. 02:42.670 --> 02:45.080 The spouse community really helps 02:45.080 --> 02:47.160 keep things together. 02:47.160 --> 02:49.370 - We don't get recognized, 02:49.370 --> 02:51.110 and it's nice to be recognized 02:51.110 --> 02:52.740 and feel appreciated 02:53.610 --> 02:56.100 from the Armed Forces and stuff like that. 02:56.100 --> 02:59.080 - I think you should just inherently do it. 02:59.080 --> 03:00.460 Every day. 03:00.460 --> 03:02.840 Just appreciate the people that support you. 03:02.840 --> 03:05.370 - So we're able to lift each other up, as spouses, 03:05.370 --> 03:06.980 and then the military members are lifting 03:06.980 --> 03:08.500 the spouses up as well. 03:08.500 --> 03:10.690 That's going to help us all feel supported, 03:10.690 --> 03:12.870 and in turn, it just has a ripple effect 03:12.870 --> 03:14.630 to help everyone around. 03:14.630 --> 03:17.520 - I couldn't do this without my other military spouses, 03:17.520 --> 03:19.090 I can't be a lone military spouse. 03:19.090 --> 03:20.320 I need everybody else. 03:20.320 --> 03:24.170 And it's a great, wonderful community 03:24.170 --> 03:25.520 that I'm honored and proud 03:25.520 --> 03:27.817 to be considered a military spouse.