MILSO - good and bad

Now that I am an official Navy Officer's Wife, I figured it was time to make a blog post about some of the benefits and challenges I face being a military significant other (MILSO).  

Benefits:

Support system - The military, affiliations and many companies are very good to service members, especially their families. It's nice to see companies like SimpliSafe Security working with the Jackson In Action 83 Foundation to help military families feel safe and connect with each other. SimpliSafe created a wireless security system you can see here; and it's perfect for military families because there's no binding contract and it can be easily picked up and moved to another home. It is nice to know that if we have to be away from our house for awhile, it will be secure. There are also significant other clubs that are there to support each other. I'm personally affiliated with a spouse group in my current town and the ladies are the best. We meet once a month for coffee, volunteer in the community and have a page where we can connect. I know that no matter where I am with the military there is a group, company or association somewhere around me. 

Locations - There are Navy bases all over the world so we could get to live over seas if we want. Also, most bases are on the water so no matter where we go, we will be by the water!

Draw backs:

Married vs Not Married - While we made it work, it's very challenging not being married and living in the military. When you aren't married, you don't get any of the insurance benefits so make sure you have insurance on your own. You can't live in base housing (unless the housing is off base like ours is) which means that you might be living in a less safe area. When we looked at houses, they weren't too bad but I am so glad we were able to get base housing. Also, when you aren't married, you can't go on base or buy anything from the commissary without your sponsor. This was probably the most frustrating part as I couldn't go grocery shopping at the commissary or even go on base to pick my pilot up from work.

Deployment - While we haven't been through a deployment, it is looming on the horizon. I am not looking forward to having to say goodbye to my man for 6-8 months at a time. It is very challenging to be away from your loved one for that long. We don't have children yet so deployment won't be bad in that perspective but I can't imagine how it is for families with children. This is where Jackson in Action 83 comes in.. Their mission is to provide support to military families, focusing on the children, whose parents are deployed. If you want to learn more about their mission, click here.

Careers - Like everything else, having a career as a MILSO can be a challenge. However, I found that a few national companies are willing to work with you and get you a job as you move around.The company I work for, Navy Federal, is a wonderful company if you want an occupation that can follow you, no matter where you go.  There are also companies that allow you to work from home and thus move around. A few spouses have brought up the difficulty of finding a job for military spouses who move every few years and are working on getting a panel set up to answer different questions. I will update this post if I get more info on the panel.


Overall, I enjoy the military life. While it has drawbacks, it is great at the same time! I wouldn't trade my lifestyle for anything. I will be posting more, now that I'm finished with college and the wedding, so stay tuned for more posts on life!