January 26th is National Spouse's Day. A day specifically set aside to celebrate your spouse or significant other.
The National Resource Directory (NRD) within the Defense Health Agency’s Warrior Care Program wants service members to recognize and celebrate their military spouses. These military spouses are the backbone of their military families. They make the continuous sacrifices and commitments to help keep our country safe.
To support our spouses, the NRD provides them with many resources, to include the 10 listed below.
- Military Spouses Advocacy Network- is a nonprofit organization with a mission to create stronger military families through education, empowerment, and support.
- Military OneSource- Military Spouse Employment Partnership - connects military spouses seeking career opportunities with employers who are actively recruiting. The Military Spouse Employment Partnership is a targeted recruitment and employment solution for spouses and companies.
- Military.com Spouse Buzz- offers a trusted source of military spouse and family news and expert analysis. From military benefits to lifestyle, Military.com's Spouse Buzz is a blog of many voices telling the military spouse and family story on what it's really like to be a spouse or family member in today's military world.
- Military Spouse Corporate Career Network- offers employment and readiness training programs, job placement solutions, and no-cost services to all military-affiliated spouses, retired military spouses and caregivers to war wounded heroes. The Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN) is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to provide unparalleled service in employment so that every military spouse, caregiver, and military family member can have a pathway to a portable career within their chosen career paths.
- U.S. Small Business Administration - provides access to capital and preparation for small business opportunities, connecting Veteran small business owners with federal procurement and commercial supply chains. The Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has centers across the country offering several programs and services to assist aspiring and existing Veteran entrepreneurs and military spouses.
- Military Spouse magazine - offers a resource on all things military life, marriage, military spouse jobs and education, pcs moves, military discounts, and more. Military Spouse magazine is published monthly (12 issues per year).
- My Career Advancement Account Scholarship Program - Offers up to $4,000 in financial assistance to military spouses who are pursuing a license, a certification, or an associate’s degree offered by an institute aligned with the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship (MyCAA) Program. The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Program (MyCAA) is a career development and employment assistance program sponsored by the DoD Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program.
- Military Spouse Employment Preference - offers military spouses a non-competitive hiring process to fill positions on either a temporary or permanent basis. Military Spouse Preference (MSP) is a Department of Defense program created to lessen career interruption for spouses who have to relocate via permanent change of station, or PCS.
- Military Spouse Residency Relief Act - provides federal legislation letting both Service Member and their spouse keep the same state of residency, even after relocating to a new state (so long as they had to move under military orders). The Military Spouse Residency Relief Act (MSRRA) amends the Service Member Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to include the same privileges to a military spouse providing spouses protection related to residency, voting, and taxes.
- Unemployment Compensation Due to a permanent change of station (PCS) - provides information on unemployment compensation due to PCS, including determination of eligibility and receiving these benefits while seeking full-time employment. Forty-six states have laws or regulations that qualify military spouses for unemployment insurance when they quit a job because of a new assignment of the Service Member.
For more military spouses resources, visit NRD.