Marriage itself can be difficult at times.
It is twice as hard when one or both of the partners are in the military.
So how do army spouses do it?
How do military spouse’s shoulder the enormous responsibility and sacrifices that come with being a military spouse?
The army is not a job, it’s a lifestyle.
A lifestyle a spouse agrees too the moment they say “I do.”
After graduating high school, Adilene Lewis who is a military wife married her high school sweetheart. But not only did she marry Joshua Lewis, she married the army as well.
“My husband’s dream has always been to join the Army and knew I’d support him every step of the way,” said Lewis.
One of the most effective ways of coping with a deployed spouse is to keep busy.
“You’ll spend a lot of time alone because of the Army’s working hours, training, and deployments,” said Lewis.
Military have clubs that you can pursue as a hob- by of interest, like sewing, golfing or hiking.
There is also classes about cooking, painting, or snorkeling. There is also a club for chess, volleyball or motorcycles.
If clubs are not your cup of tea, there are tons of support groups dedicated solely to military spouses.
These support groups are made up of other army spouses who come together to provide emotional, and psychological support for each other.
“Being an Army spouse will be stressful at times especially when your spouse is away but there’s always other Army spouses that are going through what you’re going through, and stick together and keep each other strong when our spouses are away,” said Lewis.
The last piece of advice military spouses should take is to be proud, and remember the promise they made to their partners.
“I remember that he is gone not because he wants to be away from me, but because he is a terrific per- son and is dedicating his life to serving his country,” said Victoria Almanza, who is also an army wife.