Monday, July 6, 2015

Myths About Military Spouses


As a former military spouse, and a current veteran’s wife, I know that there are myths about military spouses that a lot of people think are true. I am here to tell you that that is not the case. Let’s clear a few things up here!

Myth #1: Military marriages never last.
Well, this is just plain stupid. I have been married to my husband for 12 years this year. We went through hell and back in the military, and afterwards. I have stayed by his side, as well as he by mine. But if 12 years is not long enough for proof that military marriages can last, then I can give you a long line of military marriages in my family, including my grandparents who were married over 60 years before my grandfather passed away.

Myth #2: Military spouses are lazy.
This pisses me off. Sometimes military spouses are the hardest working people in the world, especially when their spouses are deployed. Who is the one to take care of everything at home? The spouse. And this ties in to myths #3 and #4.

Myth #3: Military spouses don’t have any bills to pay, and Myth #4: Military spouses don’t work.
I am assuming that a lot of civilians think that active duty military personnel and their families don’t have to pay rent, or any bills. Well, housing is not free. We paid rent monthly like everyone else in the world. Yes, we got a housing allowance, but it was taken directly out of our pay, and paid to the housing companies. We never saw a dime of that money. And as far as not working – well, I may not have had a job outside the home that paid me money, but I worked my ass off taking care of house and home so my husband would not have to worry about anything on the home front while he was away.

Myth #5: Military spouses can’t further their education.
Who says? I know at one point I myself believed this myth, but this is just not true. There are so many great programs out there these days for military families, and education benefits for spouses are one of them!
 Take the benefits at Martinsburg College for example!

• Students attending Martinsburg College have access to a sophisticated learning management system (LMS) which provides an interactive and rich educational experience and makes it simple to progress logically through your program.
• Depending on the program, students are provided with digital access to one or more textbooks related to their areas of study. These resources are very expensive ranging from $100 to more than $300 per program if a student were required to purchase them.
• The textbooks are made available within the learning management system or students can choose to utilize a tablet which the college provides on loan for more comfortable and portable access. The college also provides a resource library of thousands of textbooks which are available online at no cost.
• In addition, if a student requires one-on-one and direct telephone or digital tutoring sessions the college provides those resources.
• The college has been working with the military community since 2004. They understand the needs of service members and their families and have adapted their institutional policies to ensure that they take into consideration the unique challenges faced by this student group.
• While the college strongly encourages each student to adhere to their learning plan and their schedule, it recognizes the need for flexibility when the demands of service interfere. They work with students for as long as it takes in order to achieve success. The instructional methodology accommodates a wide variety of learning styles as well as providing for flexibility of time and place for engaging in coursework.

There is even a group that Martinsburg College has created on Facebook to provided resources to Military spouses about their benefits. Check it out!

Don’t believe all the myths you hear, because the majority of the time, they are just that – myths!
 
This post is sponsored by Martinsburg College. I received compensation for this post through my relationship with the Quality Blue Community. All opinions are my own.

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Happy Palm Sunday

~Hayley