Resources for Military Couples
Hello and welcome back! This is the third and final blog is a 3-part series focused on military couples. This last blog is designed to be a collection of various resources available to military members and their spouses. Military life inherently comes with unique circumstances that necessitate specific kinds of support. Below is a (non-exhaustive) list of valuable, educational and/or helpful resources tailormade for military couples and families.
Support Organizations
- mil. This is a great “one-stop shop” that has a wide variety of information and resources related to topics such as deployment support, legal aid, financial literacy, education, employment, mental health counseling, and much more. They even offer a 24/7 live-chat service. This is a great place to start any search for resources and support.
- National Military Family Association (NMFA). This nonprofit organization seeks to “[fill] the gaps to strengthen and empower military families” through education support (including military spouse scholarships), advocacy, and employment resources.
- Blue Star Families. Started in 2009, Blue Star Families is an organization that focuses on family care and community building. They also conduct and publish research related to military life. (Blue Star Families has also created a social media app called Blue Star Neighborhood which enables military members and their partners to connect with other military couples, learn about upcoming events, discover employment opportunities, access research, and much more.)
Couples Resources
- Military and Family Life Counseling Program (MFLC). This program offers free short-term mental health therapy for individuals, couples, and families. What a needed, awesome resource!
- Apps for Couples. There are several apps available that help military couples stay connected, share information, and manage schedules. Some are WhatsApp, Between, Google Duo, and FamilyAlbum. These apps contain different features, but all seek to strengthen and enrich relationships.
- Military Marriage Enrichment Programs. Each branch of the military endorses and offers marriage/relationship education and enrichment courses based on the most researched program in the world (e.g., Army: “Building Strong and Ready Teams,” Marine Corps: “Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program,” etc.). Ask your Soldier Family Readiness Coordinator, or other resource/support person within your unit, to get more information about these programs.
- OurRelationship e-Course. This highly rated, research-based online course is available to military members and their partners for free! Its purpose is to help military couples work through issues and improve their relationship quality.
Health and Financial Wellness
- Operation Homefront. This is a nonprofit organization whose aim is to provide “short-term financial relief and recurring family support programs to ensure the long-term empowerment, self-sufficiency, and resiliency” for military members and their loved ones.
- TRICARE. Tricare is the “global, comprehensive, [and] integrated” healthcare program offered to military members, veterans, and their families. It’s run by the Defense Health Agency and offers medical and dental coverage. The program incorporates medical care in military hospitals/clinics as well as authorized civilian providers.
(On a personal note, our family has been so grateful for TRICARE medical coverage. In our experience, the monthly premiums are extremely reasonable, and the coverage is outstanding. My daughter needed a couple surgeries in 2020 and racked up almost $100,000 in medical bills; our out-of-pocket responsibility was almost nothing. Phew! What a lifesaver! If you are not covered by TRICARE, I highly recommend that you look into this.)
Signing Out
As a parting message to all the military members and spouses within the reach of this blog, I want to express gratitude for your service to our country. I know intimately well the struggles military couples face—financial, relational, and social. I hope this blog series has in some small way helped you feel less alone and more empowered in your military journey. Because you are NOT alone, and you CAN affect positive change in your relationship.
I encourage you to take that (sometimes reluctant) first step in seeking support—a resource, a friend, a community. There is no shame in reaching out for help or to reach out to someone who is struggling. Doing this will create a community where you can improve the quality of military life for yourself and others.
This blog was written by Krista Alletto, an Army wife, mother of four, and social sciences enthusiast. She graduated from Brigham Young University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Family Studies & Human Development and a minor in Sociology.