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Military spouses, military lifestyle, and the concept of thriving

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Military spouses, military lifestyle, and the concept of thriving

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Military Spouses, Military Lifestyle, and the Concept of Thriving
By
Renee Yvonne Bostick

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education

December 2022

© Copyright by Renee Yvonne Bostick 2022
All Rights Reserved

The Committee for Renee Yvonne Bostick certifies the approval of this Dissertation

Jennifer L. Phillips

Kathy Stowe

Courtney L. Malloy, Committee Chair

Rossier School of Education

University of Southern California

2022

iv
Abstract
A military spouse’s ability to thrive has a significant impact on their well-being. The purpose of
this study was to understand what thriving means to military spouses, what thriving does and
does not look and feel like in response to opportunity and adversity, the challenges and benefits
of being a military spouse, strategies and practices military spouses employ to mitigate stress and
thrive, and the environmental factors that influence their abilities to thrive. The conceptual
framework that guided this study was Brofenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which explains
how the influence of social environments affect an individual’s relationships with others, the
community, and wider society. The methodological design for the study was qualitative. The
specific strategy of inquiry was narrative analysis. Twenty military spouses of active-duty
service members participated in the study, representing the five branches of the U.S. Armed
Forces (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force). Participants’ age range was 23 to
46; 18 identified female and two as males. Participants represented enlisted, noncommissioned,
and officer ranks and were diverse in race and ethnicity (i.e., Asian, Black, Latino-a, and White).
Instrumentation used to collect data involved a semi structured interview protocol composed of
16 open-ended and closed-ended questions, four of which were demographic questions asked at
the end of the interview protocol. Six findings were revealed by the study: (a) military spouses
largely defined thriving as being happy, fulfilled, and healthy; (b) military spouses face several
core challenges to thriving, but some benefits were present; (c) for military spouses, the decision
of the active-duty service member to remain or leave the military is influenced by the impact of
the military lifestyle on family stability; (d) military spouses establish and maintain relationships
by building social support networks within their military community and local community; (e)
military spouses implement personal strategies and practices to support their ability to thrive; and

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(f) Military spouses seek employment that is meaningful and related to their profession;
however, spouses will choose underemployment rather than unemployment. In conclusion,
military spouses serve beside their active-duty spouse and seek stability as a family. They thrive
in response to opportunity and adversity. Consequently, the ability to thrive influences the
decision of the active-duty service member to remain in or leave the military, impacts retention,
and ultimately affects the country’s national security and defense.

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Acknowledgements
Someday. As I write this acknowledgements page, the word someday tugs at my heart.
For me, personally, someday finally arrived in the form of commencement and the hooding
ceremony that we—my husband, Tom, our son, Joshua, and I—celebrated May 11, 2022, on
campus at USC under sunny, cloudless, blue skies and cool Santa Ana winds. Tom and Joshua
are my heart and also my heroes, in their own unique ways. I am ever grateful for their love and
for understanding how important arriving at my someday was. From reading and offering
recommended edits of papers to providing tech support to experiencing the dissertation process
to manuscript upload, Tom and Joshua were unwavering in their support and encouragement;
together they are my North Star. I dedicate my dissertation to them.
Fortune smiled when I was assigned to Dr. Courtney Malloy, my dissertation chair. To
Dr. Malloy, two small words but no less heartfelt: Thank you. Thank you for your thorough and
comprehensive edits of my dissertation, your thoughtful reflections, spot on guidance, and
understanding how important the topic is to me. You perfectly understood someday.
To my dissertation committee, Dr. Kathy Stowe and Dr. Jennifer Phillips, thank you for
your support and for your very helpful recommendations for my dissertation at the proposal
defense and final defense meetings.
To the Rossier OCL EdD program faculty, I offer a bouquet of sincere appreciation for
providing a high-quality learning experience that was transformational. Every instructor from the
first term through the last term of the program contributed to making the journey an exceptional
one.

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To the Rossier OCL EdD Program office staff, Lucia Monzon, academic advisor, and
Noemy Bushey, student success advisor, thank you for your ever-present support and unfailing
encouragement from the beginning to the end of the OCL program.
To my Cohort 16 classmates, I learned from each of you, for you enriched our OCL
journey with your stories, insights, reflections, and discussions—I now have an extended family
and a kaleidoscope of singular memories. To my study group–Junida Spahija, Rudy Lunasin,
Dave Kelley, Julie White, Gavin Kostoglian, and Karolyn Rubin–a wonderfully talented,
collaborative, and supportive group who became good friends.
To three treasured and dear friends--Urath Gibson (gifted educator), Dr. Ricardo Paiva
(talented author), and Patty Shinseki (leader and role model)--for your willingness and
enthusiasm to write a recommendation for USC’s OCL doctoral program, I am grateful.
To Leigh Warner, cherished friend and advocate throughout the dissertation process, I
offer my heartfelt appreciation for your wise counsel, lively, thought provoking discussions, and
unwavering support. Thank you, Leigh.
To Megan Krone, my editor, I offer my sincere appreciation for her meticulous editing,
professionalism, and “can do” spirit. Thank you, Megan.
To the military spouses who participated in this study, I admire and respect your abilities
to thrive in the face of opportunity and adversity, of your talent for creating a home for your
family wherever you live whether stateside or overseas, of your stories that tug on heartstrings,
and of your capacity for supporting your active-duty spouse through frequent moves and
multiple deployments. May each of you one day experience your someday. Thank you for your
service.

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Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi
List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. x
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi
Chapter One: Introduction to the Study .......................................................................................... 1
Context and Background of the Problem ............................................................................ 2
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions .................................................................. 5
Importance of the Study ...................................................................................................... 5
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology .................................................... 6
Definitions........................................................................................................................... 7
Organization of the Dissertation ......................................................................................... 9
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature ........................................................................................ 11
Thriving............................................................................................................................. 11
Military Spouses and Thriving.......................................................................................... 15
Policies and Programs in Support of Military Spouse Well-Being .................................. 24
Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................... 39
Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................................ 44
Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 44
Overview of Design .......................................................................................................... 44
Research Setting................................................................................................................ 45
The Researcher.................................................................................................................. 45
Data Sources ..................................................................................................................... 46
Participants ........................................................................................................................ 47
Instrumentation: Interviews .............................................................................................. 48

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Data Collection Procedures ............................................................................................... 48
Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 48
Validity and Reliability ..................................................................................................... 50
Ethics................................................................................................................................. 51
Chapter Four: Findings ................................................................................................................. 52
Participants ........................................................................................................................ 52
Findings............................................................................................................................. 55
Chapter Five: Recommendations ................................................................................................ 103
Discussion of Findings .................................................................................................... 105
Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 108
Limitations and Delimitations ......................................................................................... 112
Recommendations for Future Research .......................................................................... 113
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 114
References ................................................................................................................................... 115
Appendix A: Interview Protocol ................................................................................................. 126
Demographic Questions .................................................................................................. 127

x
List of Tables
Table 1: Military Spouse Participants Narrative Table ................................................................. 54
Table 2: Summary of Findings ..................................................................................................... 55
Table 3: Military Spouses’ Reported Barriers to Thriving ........................................................... 65
Table 4: Military Spouses’ Reported Benefits to Thriving ........................................................... 73
Table 5: Military Spouse Strategies and Practices to Support Thriving ....................................... 88
Table 6: Bronfenbrenner Ecological Systems Theory: Relationship to Research Questions
and Findings ................................................................................................................................ 104
Table 7: Participant Responses to “Thriving” and “Not Thriving” in Response to Opportunity
and Adversity: Six Recurring Themes ........................................................................................ 107

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Application of Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory to Military Spouse
and Thriving ................................................................................................................................. 41

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Chapter One: Introduction to the Study
A military spouse’s ability to thrive has significant impact on their well-being. The U.S.
Department of Defense (DoD) Survey of Active-Duty Spouses (2019) reported 54% of active-
duty military spouses rated the current level of stress in their personal lives as more than usual,
and 98% of active-duty military spouses reported feeling nervous, anxious, on edge, depressed,
or hopeless. In addition, a RAND study (2019), which included a survey of more than 8,500 U.S.
Army spouses, reported 56% of U.S. Army spouses feel stressed, overwhelmed, and tired. In
addition, 39% of U.S. Army spouses reported experiencing loneliness, and 24% reported their
own well-being as the top problem. These statistics reflect the challenges of thriving for active-
duty military spouses. For this research study, thriving is defined as the experience of living life
with meaning, purpose, and a sense of accomplishment, in response to opportunity or adversity
(Brown et al., 2017).
Blue Star Families (BSF, 2020), Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military
Families (IVMF, 2019), the U.S. DoD (2020), Air Force Five and Thrive (Brown, 2021),
Schreiner et al. (2020), and Brown et al. (2017) indicated a military spouse’s ability to thrive is
directly related to well-being and environmental factors. The findings of these agencies and
organizations align and indicate childcare, spouse employment, well-being, and stability (i.e.,
home, work, financial) are the top issues that concern military spouses.
As reported by BSF (2020), the U.S. DoD (2020), and the Air Force Five and Thrive
(2021), military spouses’ abilities to thrive are affected by the active-duty spouse’s long and
unpredictable work schedules, fear of spouse death or injury in combat, the hidden challenges of
stress (e.g., a series of events that never seem to end), base locations not optimal for
employment, resume gaps, state-to-state credentialing differences, and a lack of mentors (Lowe,
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2022; Manciagli, 2019). Military families are more likely to move across state lines than
nonmilitary families are (Bogen, 2019). Relocations can be across states, from stateside to
overseas, or from one overseas location to another. Adding to the list of factors that affect
military spouses’ abilities to thrive was the impact of COVID-19, which caused millions of
deaths, significant health and healthcare issues, and economic hardship worldwide (Onyeaka et
al., 2021). COVID-19 continues to affect the global community, including stateside and overseas
communities, where military spouses reside. One or combinations of these factors can influence
the military spouse’s ability to thrive, have adverse effects on the military spouse’s well-being,
cause loss of income, negatively impact family well-being, and result in high rates of
unemployment, underemployment, and reduced labor force participation among U.S. military
spouses, ranging from $710 million to $1.07 billion in loss of income (BSF, 2016). The high cost
hurts the military because it adversely impacts retention, which ultimately affects the nation and
its security.
This dissertation is focused on what thriving means to military spouses and the factors in
the environment that impact a military spouse’s ability to thrive. This study sought to uncover
factors that impact thriving and the strategies and practices that enable military spouses to thrive.
For a military spouse, the ability to thrive, the experience of living life with meaning, purpose,
and a sense of accomplishment underpin their capacity for feeling good about themselves and
their military lifestyle.
Context and Background of the Problem
The Armed Forces of the United States (the U.S. military) comprises five branches of
service: (a) Army, (b) Navy, (c) Marines, (d) Air Force, and Space Force (USSF). Each branch
includes active-duty, Reserve, and Guard components. There are approximately 2,000,000
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people (including Reserve and Guard) who serve in the United States military, both stateside and
overseas (U.S. DoD, 2021). Currently, 51.5% of the active-duty force of 1.35 million is married
(Military Spouse Network, 2022). Approximately half of the nearly 700,000 active-duty military
spouses are 30 years of age or younger and women (88%; U.S. Government Accountability
Office [GAO], 2021; Military OneSource, 2021). Top among the attributes that support military
spouses’ well-being, as they live the military lifestyle, is the ability to thrive. Thriving is
important to understand because it contributes to positive health and allows individuals to gauge
whether what they are doing and how they are doing it is helping them move in a positive
direction. Post-September 11 interest in factors that contribute to military spouses’ abilities to
thrive or not has garnered the attention and support of local, state, and federal governments,
agencies, and for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
To understand how well-being is linked to thriving, it is important to begin with a clear
definition of thriving. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2019) has defined thriving as
flourishing, prospering, progressing toward or realizing a goal despite or because of
circumstances. Feeney and Collins (2015) researched definitions of thriving from the literature
and framed a working definition: “Theoretical perspectives on thriving agree that thriving
connotes growth, development, and prosperity, although differences emerge in the specification
of what this growth and prosperity looks like” (p. 114). Spreitzer et al. (2005) defined thriving as
the intersection of vitality and learning; “more specifically, if individuals see themselves as
learning, but depleted, they are not thriving” (p. 538). Shriver (2014) defined thriving through
the lens of student success in higher education: “Thriving is conceptualized as optimal
functioning in three key areas–academic engagement, interpersonal relationships, and
psychological well-being” (p. 19). For this study, thriving is defined as the experience of living
4

life with meaning, purpose, and a sense of accomplishment in response to opportunity or
adversity (Brown et al., 2017).
During the last 20 years, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. DoD, the National Military Family
Association (NMFA), BSF, the IVMF at Syracuse University, the RAND Corporation, American
Corporate Partners (ACP) Military Spouse Mentor Program, and the United Service
Organizations (USO) have conducted research documenting the voices and stories of military
spouses. These government and nonprofit organizations have advocated for military spouse well-
being, childcare, healthcare, funding education, credentialing, and the mitigation of military
spouse employment issues through research (e.g., U.S. DoD/RAND Corporation), corporate
partnerships (hiring military spouses as the goal), policy (U.S. Congress: Military Spouse Hiring
Act), and funding (Post-9/11 GI Bill to pay for military spouses’ and military children’s
education). These organizations understand that issues that directly affect military spouses also
impact their abilities to thrive and influence how spouses regard themselves, their identities, and
their well-being.
COVID-19 has adversely impacted military spouses’ abilities to thrive. During the
pandemic, they, like their civilian counterparts, faced layoffs and furloughs, difficulty in working
from home, children’s educational support, lack of childcare options, food insecurity, and fear of
exposure to COVID-19 for themselves or their families (BSF, 2020). Thirty-four percent of
military spouses reported they lost their jobs; 25% reported while their job was not lost, their
hours were reduced; and 53% said their families experienced decreases in income (NMFA,
2021). Twenty-four percent of the over 8,500 military spouses surveyed in the Army Spouse
Survey (Trail et al., 2019) indicated well-being as one the top three of nine problem domains,
covering 96 issues. In its Five and Thrive initiative and guide, the U.S. Air Force (2021)
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published that well-being was one of the Top 5 issues reported by U.S. Air Force spouses. In
addition, as indicated by over 65,000 military spouses in the U.S. Department of Defense (2020)
survey of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, spouse well-being was one of the Top 5 issues.
From 2017–2021, surveys of military spouses report the high importance of well-being,
which is the positive outcome of the ability to thrive. Thriving is marked by a sense of learning
(i.e., greater understanding and knowledge) and a sense of vitality (i.e., aliveness; Spreitzer et al.,
2005). Furthermore, thriving can result from adversity and opportunity (Brown et al., 2017),
which a military spouse experiences, while living the military lifestyle.
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions
The purpose of this project is to understand what thriving means to military spouses and
how the military lifestyle impacts their well-being and abilities to thrive. This study was
designed to give voice to the experiences of military spouses, as related to thriving and its
subsequent effects on the well-being of the military spouse and their family. The research
questions that will guide the study are
1. What personal and environmental factors influence a military spouse’s ability to
thrive?
2. What strategies and practices do military spouses employ to mitigate stress and
thrive?
Importance of the Study
Military spouses’ well-being and their abilities to thrive are linked and affected by
environmental factors that impact their responses to the challenges of military life. The
importance of this study is threefold: (a) awareness: to advance the understanding of thriving,
what it means, what looks like, what feels like and its relationship to well-being and its impact
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on retention and operational readiness, (b) education: to share through data-informed storytelling
of the findings of the study with military spouses, military spouse organizations, military
leadership, and policymakers, and (c) advocacy: to advocate for programs that support military
spouse well-being.
Military spouses are essential to the success of active-duty service members. Their well-
being and abilities to thrive are key to active-duty service member retention. The Office of
People Analytics (2019) reported most (67%) active-duty spouses rated their health and well-
being as excellent or very good; however, according to the BSF (2020) Military Life Survey,
fewer than half (42%) of active-duty spouse respondents agreed their health and well-being was
excellent, and those who were separated from service members reported higher mean stress
scores than those who were not. As a result, unhappy spouses can adversely affect the retention
of active-duty service members (Harrell et al., 2004; BSF, 2017).
With every permanent change of station (PCS) move, the military spouse is in a new
house; children are in a new school; new routines are required; and there is new geography to
learn. One of the hardest resources for a military spouse to find in a new location is a new
network/support group (Manciagli, 2019). These factors affect military spouses’ well-being and
abilities to thrive. The military spouse’s well-being, in turn, can influence a family’s decision to
stay in or leave the military—factors that ultimately hurt the U.S. Armed Forces military
readiness, retention, and recruiting.
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology
This study was guided by Brofenbrenner’s (1992) ecological theory. Bronfenbrenner
suggested individuals’ relationships in communities and society are influenced by their
interactions with aspects and spheres of their environment. Brofenbrenner’s provided a
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framework of five system levels: (a) microsystem: the individual and their immediate
environment, (b) mesosystem: relationships and connections, (c) exosystem: the indirect
environment, (d) macrosystem: social and cultural values, (e) chronosystem: time. Military
spouses are examples of the individual level, and their experiences related to thriving are
examples of their relationship with the community in which they live and society. The
relationships are bilateral, affecting both sides, and impacted by both the community with and
the impact of both the community (e.g., post or base) and society (e.g., attitudes, culture).
The methodology for this study was qualitative. The researcher interviewed 20 military
spouses of active-duty service members of the U.S. Armed Forces to learn about the experiences
of military spouses and the influence of their environment on thriving.
Definitions
The terms and acronyms listed and defined in this study are related to the U.S. Armed
Forces, the U.S. DoD, and the concept of thriving.
Blue Star Families (BSF): A national nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening
U.S. military families through community building. A BSF consists of the immediate family
members of a service member, during a time of conflict.
Hiring Our Heroes: A nationwide initiative launched in 2011 and founded and supported
by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military
spouses find meaningful employment opportunities; connects the military community with
civilian companies (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2022).
Military lifestyle: In the span of an active-duty service member’s career in the Army,
Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, a soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, or Coast
8

Guardsman experiences frequent relocations, possible deployments, a 24/7 job, living stateside
or overseas, and repeatedly starting over in a new home, neighborhood, and community.
Military OneSource: the U.S. DoD-sponsored website and 24/7 gateway to trusted
information, resources, and confidential help. The site provides tools to military service members
and military families to stay well and thrive (Clark et al., 2013; U.S. Department of Defense,
2022).
Military spouse: A person whose spouse serves or served as a member of the U.S. Armed
Forces, including the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and USSF. Service
members can be active-duty, Guard, Reserve, retired, or deceased.
National Military Family Association (NMFA): The NMFA was established 50 years ago
and supports the 2.8 million family members of military service members. The NMFA is the “go
to” source for administration officials, members of congress, and key decision makers, when
they want to understand the issues facing military families. The NMFA works with the U.S. DoD
and the Veterans Administration to support the families who stand behind the uniform and for
those who serve (NMFA, 2021).
Permanent change of station (PCS): the action of moving from one base or post to a new
assignment at another base or post (U.S. DoD, 2021).
Status of forces agreement (SOFA): an agreement between a host country and a foreign
nation hosting military forces. It establishes the rights and privileges of foreign personnel present
in a host country in support of the larger security arrangement (Bradbard et al., 2019).
Temporary duty travel (TDY): A temporary assignment at a location other than a service
member’s permanent duty station. The time for TDY is usually up to 179 days.
9

Thrive and Five: an initiative created by the U.S. Air Force, introduced to the public in
December 2022 and aimed at helping military families in the areas where they are hurting most.
The initiative addresses military families’ top five concerns: (a) childcare, (b) education, (c)
health care, (d) housing and (e) spouse employment.
Thrive mode: refers to an individual experiencing positive emotions, engagement and
flow, positive relationships, meaning, and accomplishment (Seligman, 2012).
Thriving: The experience of living life with meaning, purpose, and a sense of
accomplishment in response to opportunity or adversity. It includes the joint experience of
development and success, which can be realized through effective holistic functioning and
observed through the experience of a high-level of well-being and a perceived high-level of
performance (Brown et al., 2017). Thriving is associated with positive health and marked by
both a sense of learning (greater understanding and knowledge) and a sense of vitality (aliveness;
Spreitzer et al., 2005).
U.S. Department of Defense (DoD): the largest government agency in the United States.
It is charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government
directly related to national security and the U.S. Armed Forces (U.S. DoD, 2021).
U.S. Space Force (USSF): the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and
currently the world’s only independent space force. It was founded December 20, 2019, and is
part of the U.S. Department of the Air Force.
Organization of the Dissertation
Chapter 1 of this study provided an overview of the problem of practice underlying this
study and included an overview of thriving and its relation to well-being, with a focus on
environmental factors that impact a military spouse’s ability to thrive and their well-being. The
10

purpose of the study and research questions were introduced with a brief description of the
theoretical framework that underpins the study. Chapter 2 provides a literature review focused on
thriving (e.g., a definition and related research) and the military spouse’s ability to thrive, as a
result of the impact of factors, such as frequent moves, changing support networks, the
unpredictability of the active-duty service members work/deployments, stress, and COVID-19.
Also included in the literature review are topics that directly link childcare and employment
challenges to economic stability, and to programs, policies, and funding that support military
spouses and their well-being and abilities to thrive. The chapter concludes with an overview of
the conceptual framework guiding the study. Chapter 3 offers an overview of the methods for
this qualitative study including data collection procedures and data analysis. Chapter 4 presents
the findings of the study, including the perspectives and experiences of military spouses about
the ability to thrive, the military lifestyle’s challenges and benefits, and the environmental factors
that affect thriving. Chapter 5 provides a summary of the study, the meaning of the findings, the
importance of the findings, and recommendations for further research.

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Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
This study focuses on military spouses’ abilities to thrive and impacts of their situation on
their well-being. The ability to thrive—the experience of living life with meaning, purpose, and a
sense of accomplishment—underpins military spouses’ capacities for feeling good about
themselves and their military lifestyles. This literature review begins with a description of
thriving, seen from different perspectives, and its relationship to well-being. An overview of the
post-9/11 programs sponsored by organizations (i.e., government, corporate and nonprofit) that
have positively impacted and supported military spouses’ well-being and their abilities to thrive
follows. Next is an overview of the environmental factors (i.e., COVID-19, childcare,
employment, well-being, and military lifestyle) that affect military spouses’ abilities to thrive.
The literature review concludes with environmental factors’ effects on military spouse well-
being, the subsequent impact on military spouse well-being/ability to thrive, and the conceptual
framework guiding the study.
Thriving
Throughout the academic literature, there exist many definitions of thriving. O’Leary and
Ickovics (1995) defined thriving as “the effective mobilization of individual and social resources
in response to risk or threat (or challenge)” (p. 238). Park (1998) described thriving as “a higher
level of functioning in some life domain following a stressful encounter” (p. 269). Spreitzer et al.
(2005) stated thriving is “the psychological state in which individuals experience both a sense of
vitality and a sense of learning” (p. 538). Mahoney et al. (2014) defined thriving as “growth
through daily lived experiences” (p. 6). Su et al. (2014) explained thriving as “the state of
positive functioning at its fullest range—mentally, physically, and socially” (p. 252). Schreiner et
al. (2020) depicted thriving as holistic: “It offers a unified construct that incorporates both
12

cognitive and psychosocial components; community and environment are major contributors” (p.
17). Throughout the literature, thriving occurs in several contexts, including domains (Brown et
al., 2017), opportunity and adversity (Feeney & Collins, 2015), transition (Schreiner et al.,
2020), and life span theory (Haight et al., 2002).
The Importance of Thriving
Thriving is important for several reasons. Thriving serves an adaptive function that helps
military spouses navigate their military lifestyles and promote their own development and
success. Thriving is important to understand because it can contribute to military spouses’ well-
being. Thriving allows military spouses to determine whether what they are doing and how they
are doing it helps them move in a positive direction; spouses know what thriving looks like and
what it does not look like: “The fact that an individual senses positive energy is common to
thriving” (Spreitzer et al., 2005, p. 540). When military spouses thrive, their identities are their
own, separate from their active-duty service members. As a result, a military spouse feels a
positive self-esteem, a sense of purpose, and meaning. When a military spouse is thriving, it
positively affects their family. Consequently, a thriving military spouse influences the active-
duty service member’s decision to remain in the military or to leave (Mailey et al., 2018).
Domains
Throughout the literature, the term thriving has been defined in the context of domains
(e.g., development and performance, environment and service). An example of a developmental
domain is adolescence/positive youth development. An example of the performance domain is
business, which has been based on success, wealth, a sense of accomplishment. As a result of the
variety of definitions of the term thriving, researchers identified commonalities in existing
definitions: development and success. Thriving is recognized as being multifaceted in nature
13

(Spreitzer et al, 2005), with development and success experienced in tandem, rather than in
isolation (Su et al, 2014). Consequently, thriving can be broadly defined as “the joint experience
of development and success” (Brown et al., 2017, p. 175).
Opportunity and Adversity
Thriving can be experienced following life adversity and life opportunity (Feeney &
Collins, 2015). Following an adverse event (e.g., COVID-19, the death of a family member or
friend, a loss of a job, a serious accident) an individual can thrive because of stress-related
growth and post-traumatic growth, which establish elevated levels of functioning (Park, 1998).
Opportunity (e.g., applying for or accepting a promotion, relocating across country or overseas,
volunteering to serve the community, or pursuing a credential or college degree) can lead to
adaptability and flexibility; the outcome is thriving in a time of unprecedented change and
uncertainty (Rinne, 2021)
Transition
Thriving can be experienced during transition. All transitions involve change from the
familiar to the unknown. Change triggers a stress reaction and not all individuals respond in the
same way to stress (Schreiner et al., 2020). Five elements of successful transitions that foster
thriving include individuals (a) perceiving the transition positively as opportunities for growth,
(b) using healthy coping skills, (c) believing they have the support they need to be successful, (d)
accessing resources, and (e) experiencing personal growth (Schreiner et al., 2020).
Life Span Theory
Haight et al. (2002)’s life span theory grew into their creation of the theory of thriving.
From a holistic life span perspective, they studied people over time. The authors explained
thriving is achieved when an individual and the environment (human and nonhuman) are “in
14

concordance, that is, mutually engaged, supportive, and harmonious” (Haight et al, 2002, p. 16).
In addition, thriving occurs on a continuum, from perfect thriving (e.g., perfect harmony) to
complete failure to thrive (e.g., complete disharmony; Haight et al. 2002). As described in life
span theory, critical attributes include social connectedness, the ability to find meaning in one’s
life, attachment to one’s environment, and adaptation to physical, positive cognitive/affective
functions.
Personal Enablers and Contextual Enablers
For this research study, thriving is defined as the experience of living life with meaning,
purpose, and a sense of accomplishment in response to opportunity or adversity (Brown et al.,
2017). In addition to defining the concept of thriving, describing contexts in which thriving
exists, and creating a theory of thriving, researchers have identified psychosocial variables that
may facilitate thriving. These variables can be broadly separated into two groups: (a) personal
enablers and (b) contextual enablers (Spreitzer et al., 2005).
Personal Enablers
The first group of variables that facilitate thriving is personal enablers, which are the
attitudes, cognitions, and behaviors of an individual that help them thrive (Park, 1998). In the
thriving literature, examples include a positive perspective (optimism and self-efficacy),
religiosity and spirituality (religious, social support network), proactive personality (actively
seeking out opportunities for challenge), motivation (individual’s core passions, as “sparks”),
knowledge and learning (desire and commitment to learn), psychological resilience (flexibility
and adaptability), and possessing social competencies (forming bonds and sustaining
connections; Brown et al., 2017).
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Contextual Enablers
The second group of variables that facilitate thriving are contextual enablers, which are
the characteristics of an environment that can foster continued task management and subsequent
thriving (Carver, 1998). Examples of contextual enablers include a challenge environment (e.g.,
appropriate balance of challenge and difficulty, setting boundaries and expectations), attachment
and trust (i.e., relationships, security, and safe havens), family support (e.g., spouses, partners,
parents, and children and the nature of interactions), and colleagues and employee support
(Brown et al., 2017; Feeney & Collins, 2015; Porath et al., 2012).
Military Spouses and Thriving
Common descriptors of the concept of thriving throughout the academic literature stated
that physical health, a sense of purpose, feeling connected with others, and feeling safe all play
key roles in the ability to thrive (Sandoiu, 2017). In addition, thriving is frequently depicted as an
individual experiencing a sense of development, getting better at something, and succeeding at
mastering something (Carver, 1998; Porath et al., 2012; Seligman, 2012). Most often and in the
simplest terms, what underpins thriving is feeling good about life and one’s self and being good
at something (Brown et al., 2017; Schreiner et al., 2020). For this research study, thriving is
defined as the experience of living life with meaning, purpose, and a sense of accomplishment in
response to opportunity or adversity (Brown et al., 2017).
Understanding the military spouse living the military lifestyle provides context for the
focus of the study and the environmental factors that impact their ability to thrive. Of the
1,350,000 military spouses, 700,000 are spouses of active-duty service members (U.S. GAO,
2021). Of the almost three-quarter million military spouses, 88% are female and 12% are male
(U.S. DoD, 2020). An active-duty military spouse whose service member has served since
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September 11, 2001, has experienced 20 years of war and multiple deployments. Spouses of
deployed military service members face unique challenges, including assuming the role of single
parent learning new skills, being a sole decision maker, being unable to communicate with a
spouse, and fearing for the deployed spouse’s safety (Skomorovsky, 2014). These challenges are
examples of elements of the environmental factors that affect whether military spouses thrive.
The environmental factors that informed this study and affect the military spouse’s ability to
thrive include the military lifestyle, well-being, employment, childcare, and COVID-19.
Military Lifestyle
The military lifestyle can be very demanding on military families. Booth et al. (2009)
described the military as a greedy institution because of factors such as the high-risk nature of a
military career, frequent relocations, and extended family separations, due to deployment or
military training. Deployments, along with TDY, are barriers to military spouses obtaining
employment because of fulfilling employment and family obligations without the support of their
spouse (BSF, 2017, 2020). Deployments and TDY are also barriers to a military spouse’s
education and attaining degrees, credentials, or certifications (Bradbard, 2019). The greatest
barrier to advancing education or sustaining a military spouse’s employment are the
responsibilities at home, while the active-duty service member is deployed or on TDY (Thayer,
2021). Over half of unemployed military spouses said their servicemember’s day-to-day job
demands were a barrier to employment, and another 18% said their servicemember’s deployment
schedule made working nearly impossible (BSF, 2020). Furthermore, approximately one-quarter
of active-duty military spouses in the workforce that required credentials (e.g., state licenses or
certifications) were unemployed. Many are teachers, nurses, counselors, doctors, and lawyers,
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and these licenses and certificates often need to be renewed after each move to a new state
(Williams et al., 2020).
Compounding those issues are assumptions that continue to reflect the military’s
perceptions of family life, including the military spouse always being available to support
service-related needs, one stream of income being enough for a family to thrive, and that the
modern military family resembles those of former generations (Military OneSource, n.d.). These
assumptions can create challenges for the military spouse’s personal growth because they are at
odds with support for military readiness, which can affect their ability to thrive.
About 70% of military spouses are parents (Bommarito, et al., 2017). Subsequently,
deployments require the military spouse to become a single parent for 6 to 12 months, sometimes
for a longer period. Children in military families say goodbye to a parent who deploys and, since
2001, have experience moving between five and nine times, between kindergarten and high
school (NMFA, 2020).
Military spouses are 10 times more likely to have moved across state lines in the prior
year than civilian counterparts are (Bonura & Lovald, 2015). The frequent moves mean a new
house, new school, new friends, new neighbors, new community, no network, and saying
goodbye to old friends and sometimes family.
The military lifestyle presents unique stressors due to the military’s “mission first”
culture (Military OneSource, n.d.). This culture conditions spouses to set aside their own needs,
balance multiple roles and responsibilities, and potentially lose their abilities to thrive and their
well-being as they put their career on hold to support their active-duty spouses.

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Well-Being
According to Prilleltensky et al. (2015), well-being is “one of the ultimate goods—with
both intrinsic and extrinsic value. It is associated with many positive outcomes, such as fewer
physical and mental health problems, more meaningful relationships, increased lifespan and
work productivity” (p. 123). Aligning with Prilleltensky et al., the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) researched the mental well-being of military
spouses. The study found military spouses
● feel a lack of control and the inability to plan their lives and futures
● feel that they do not have identities beyond their spouses
● feel they do not have their own senses of purpose because of the demands they face as
military spouses
● report they do not have support systems or social networks because of frequent moves
● find seeking and maintaining employment a challenge.
Employment challenges affect a military spouse’s well-being/ability to thrive and are
reported throughout the literature on military spouse well-being. The Military Spouse in the
Workplace (2020) project, sponsored by the nonprofit organization Hiring Our Heroes and the
Institute of Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, showed employment
positively impacts well-being; the duration of unemployment impacts well-being; employed
respondents report higher aspects of self-esteem and thriving; the type of employment matters;
maintaining steady employment is difficult; employment enhances family relationships and
quality of life.
Employment positively impacts military spouses’ well-being (Sinclair et al., 2019;
Skomorovsky, 2014). Furthermore, sustained employment, attaining career goals, and
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completing certifications or degrees are challenges with every move, as the military spouse
adapts and adjusts to a new location (stateside or overseas), a new house, new school, a new
community, no network, and changes in employment. The frequent moves result in career
disruption, adversely affecting military spouse well-being and results in emotional upheaval,
personal loss, anxiety, undermined identity, and grief (Jervis, 2011).
Military Spouse Employment
For military spouses, finding stable, well-paid jobs is difficult. Military families are more
likely to have moved across state lines than nonmilitary families are (Bonura & Lovald, 2015).
Moving around can lead to gaps in and inconsistencies on a resume, signaling to hiring managers
that the candidate could relocate without much notice, which might discourage companies from
hiring military spouses (Bogen, 2019).
In a study conducted by the Syracuse University IVMF (2018), respondents reported
being underemployed with respect to education (33%), experience (10%), or both (47%). In
2012, 18- to 24-year-old Armed Forces female spouses had the highest unemployment rate
(30%), almost 3 times higher than their civilian counterparts’ rate (11%). U.S. Armed Forces
females ages 25 to 44 had the second highest unemployment rate (15%), almost 3 times higher
than their civilian counterparts’ rate (6%; Maury & Stone, 2014).
According to the BSF (2020) Military Lifestyle Survey, military spouses’
unemployment rate for Black and Latinx spouses (27%) is much higher than the rate for White,
non-Hispanic respondents (17%). This data aligns with the U.S. DoD finding that military
spouses of color are unemployed at significantly higher rates than their White peers are. Black
and Latinx military spouses experience dual challenges: (a) a much higher unemployment rate
due to their marital status to an active-duty service member and (b) being a person of color.
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A NMFA study found 25% of spouses reported frequent moves or service member
deployments being reasons for delaying their education. Frequent relocations prohibited 7% of
spouses from finishing their education, required 2% of spouses to switch schools during
relocation, and required 1% of military spouses to retake courses because of relocation.
Underemployment impacts 35% of military spouses, who have reported they are
overqualified for the job they have (National Military Spouse Network [NMSN], 2022). Over
half of unemployed spouses without children said the top barrier they faced in finding
meaningful employment was being overqualified for work near their servicemember’s duty
station. Furthermore, about one-quarter of spouses who were employed in credentialed career
fields were working outside their area of expertise, and about one in seven were working part-
time, due to a lack of full-time opportunities—two indicators of underemployment (U.S. GAO
Office, 2021)
Military spouses are more likely to be involuntarily working part-time or
underemployed: working at a job requiring less education or skills than they possess (Lim &
Schulker, 2010). Focusing on military wives’ contributions to family income, Hosek et al. (2002)
found in contrast to civilian wives, military wives are willing to work at the same job for less
pay. In a related study, Harrell et al. (2004) confirmed, “While many spouses of military service
members work and seek education similar to their ‘look-alike’ civilian counterparts, they often
lag these equals in terms of finding jobs and receiving comparable pay” (p. 23). While a career is
important to military spouses, the recent Military Spouse Employment Report showed military
spouse unemployment rates are double those of their civilian counterparts.
Military spouses have long struggled with the hassle and expense of getting their
occupational licenses in new states, when they move with their military service members.
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Licensure issues delay their abilities to get jobs and adversely affect their families’ finances. The
number of occupations that require licenses vary from state to state. The primary responsibility
for the occupational licenses lies with the states, and standards vary widely (Jowers, 2020).
Interview and hiring biases for military spouses seeking employment is referred to as
military spouse-ism (Manciagli, 2019). Military spouses are often asked such questions at an
interview as “When will you move again?” or “Why have you moved so much?” Their
applications can also be declined without any questions.
While not employed, military spouses are often active in their community volunteering,
earning degrees or certifications and are often responsible for households, stateside or overseas.
Because of their backgrounds, military spouses’ resumes do not always reflect their
qualifications in ways that translate clearly to potential employers’ needs. The Military
OneSource (n.d.) showed 38% of military spouses said having a partner in the military prevented
them from being offered a job interview because of gaps of time in their employment history or
the reflection that their employment history did not match their licensure or certification.
Childcare
Childcare remains a top challenge for military spouses seeking employment (BSF,
2020). It has intensified during COVID-19 and has become an even greater challenge for
families with children with special needs. Low-income families have a hard time finding
childcare that works for their situation, though high-income families also encounter challenges.
Forty-four percent of military spouses said the childcare they needed to work was too expensive
(Williams et al., 2020). The BSF (2020) Military Family Lifestyle Survey gave the Top 5 reasons
active-duty spouses who needed to or wanted to work had for not working: (a) having to
homeschool or supervise virtual education for their children (35%), (b) the expense of childcare
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(34%), (c) the unpredictability of service member’s daily work schedule (33%), (d) the length of
service member’s daily work schedule making it difficult to balance work and home demands
(30%), and (e) recovering from relocating (22%).
Childcare may quickly overwhelm a spouse’s take-home pay, especially if a spouse is
underemployed, resulting in a situation in which the active-duty spouse cannot afford to work.
The lack of affordable childcare is not unique to military families, but it is a deterrent and
disruption to spouse employment and childcare arrangements when combined with frequent
moves. Furthermore, with the advent and effects of COVID-19, childcare options and facilities
were adversely impacted, largely because of facility closures and staffing shortages of childcare
providers.
In response to and support of military spouses who volunteer or work outside the home,
the Military Childcare Act of 1989 directs the U.S. Secretary of Defense to make a specified
portion of the fiscal year operation and maintenance funding available for military childcare
(Bessette, 2020). In addition, all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces partner with the National
Association of Childcare Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) to provide active-duty
military with assistance and reduced tuition, when childcare is not readily available at a nearby
military installation. Childcare Aware of America is a nonprofit organization that works with a
national network of more than 400 childcare and resource agencies and other partners to ensure
military families have access to quality, affordable childcare, with is fee assisted by the service
member’s branch. During the 117th U.S. Congress (2021-2022), Senate Bill 1572, the Military
Childcare Expansion Act of 2021, was introduced to expand childcare opportunities for in-home
childcare for members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Despite the resources to support military
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childcare, the childcare system needs ongoing financial help to recover from the impact of
COVID-19.
COVID-19
The BSF conducted its 111th annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey in the Fall of 2020,
capturing 11,000 respondents worldwide. Finding 13 describes the impact of COVID-19 on
military spouses: COVID-19 severely impacted active-duty spouses’ ability to work and
subsequently to retain employment. Since March 2020, 42% of respondents who had been
working prior to the pandemic reported they had stopped working at some point, with layoffs and
furloughs as the top reported cause. Most respondents (68%) remained unemployed.
Respondents cited reasons such as fear of COVID-19 exposure for themselves or their children,
layoffs or furloughs, difficulty juggling work, children’s educational supports, lack of childcare
options, and employers who were unwilling or unable to support flexible work options or remote
work. Employment wages, paired with expensive or unavailable childcare, kept female spouses
out of the workforce, as the costs of childcare or supervising virtual schooling for children
exceeded their wages. When the U.S. unemployment rate peaked at 14.7% in April 2020—the
highest recorded since 1948—the rate for military spouses was 10 percentage points lower
(Chrisinger, 2021).
Environmental factors that affect military spouses’ abilities to thrive—military lifestyle,
well-being, employment, childcare, and COVID-19—are also sources of emotional, physical,
social, and psychological challenges. The military spouse’s response to the opportune or adverse
circumstances that present these challenges will impact whether they thrive or not.

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Policies and Programs in Support of Military Spouse Well-Being
During the last 20 years, the White House, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. DoD, corporate
America, and nonprofit organizations have recognized the direct relationship between a military
spouse’s well-being and ability to thrive and the active-duty service member’s commitment to
military service. When thriving and well-being are negatively impacted, continued military
service, and therefore operational readiness, are at risk. To mitigate this challenge, organizations
have provided resources to support thriving and well-being. The White House (2022) initiative,
Joining Forces, supports families of service members and veterans, caregivers, and survivors.
Two of the areas on which Joining Forces focuses are employment and well-being. The
U.S. Congress has authorized initiatives that fall into three broad categories: (a) programs, (b)
reforms, and (c) policies (The White House, 2022). Most states are involved in all three
categories, providing licensure by endorsement, temporary licensure, and expedited review of
applications (Schultz, 2021). The White House, U.S. DoD, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs, BSF, Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Network, NMFA, the
NMSN, the USO, and a growing number of organizations—public, private, and nonprofit—
continue to advocate for and provide resources in support of military spouse employment.
The White House
Joining Forces, an initiative created and stewarded by First Lady Jill Biden and former
First Lady Michelle Obama, works for government at all levels, nonprofits, and private
organizations in three areas: (a) employment and entrepreneurship, (b) military child education,
and (c) health and well-being (Manfre, 2021). Based on the perspectives voiced during in-person
and virtual listening sessions with military community, advocates, and stakeholders, the initiative
provides support and advocates for military families.
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Regarding the area of health and well-being, Joining Forces has stated it is a national
imperative to support military families and provide resources to meet the health and well-being
challenges resulting from the past 20 years of sustained warfare. Joining Forces advocates for
quality childcare when families need it and that families should not feel like they are choosing
between their job and taking care of their children. In the area of military spouse employment,
Joining Forces advocates for building sustainable and long-term careers; for example, the
Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) connects military spouses with hundreds of
partner employers who have committed to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses.
(The White House, 2022).
U.S. Congress
The U.S. Congress, the U.S. DoD, and national organizations that conduct research,
support, or advocate/lobby in the interests of military spouse well-being have created programs
and policies, passed legislation, and conducted national surveys, which all support education
opportunities, growing employment, and providing funding for childcare programs.
Education
Signed into law in 2008, the Post-9/11 GI Bill offers military service members honorably
discharged from the military, prior to discharging or retiring, the option to sign over education
benefits (for up to 36 months tuition fees, stipend for books and supplies, and a monthly housing
allowance) to their military spouse or children. It pays for full resident tuition at a public school
and will pay up to $25,182.14 per academic year (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2022). In
addition, if a service or family member attends a private or foreign school, the member can apply
for the Yellow Ribbon Award, which makes up any difference in private or foreign school
tuition.
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Another program in support of military spouses and funded by the U.S. Congress is the
My Career Advancement Account Scholarship (MyCaa). The MyCaa is a scholarship for
military spouses and workforce development program that provides eligible military spouses,
with up to $4,000 in financial assistance for licenses, certifications, national tests, or associate
degrees to pursue an occupation or career field (Friedman et al., 2015). As noted in a RAND
corporation study (2015), the program is a U.S. DoD financial assistance program designed to
help eligible spouses establish and reach educational goals for associate degrees, occupational
licenses, and certificates in high growth, high-demand, portable career fields.
On February 6, 2018, Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced the Military Spouse
Employment Act of 2018, which expands hiring and career opportunities, addresses access to
continuing education programs, increases access to affordable childcare, and provides transition
and employment resources for military spouses. This legislation requires a plan from the U.S.
DoD to increase the participation of military spouse friendly businesses in defense contracts. It
was signed into law in 2019 and included in the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA).
Employment
On April 30, 2021, a U.S. House of Representatives bipartisan delegation reintroduced
the Military Spouse Hiring Act, expanding the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to include the
hiring of qualified military spouses allowing employers to claim a tax credit equal to a portion of
the wages paid to those spouses (U.S. Congressman Don Beyer, 2021).
U.S. Department of Defense
The U.S. DoD (2021) recognizes the service and sacrifice of military service members’
families and dedicates government-funded resources, services, policies, and programs to support
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more than 2,000,000 uniformed service members and 2,800,000 family members across the
globe. Two million of the 2,800,000 military family members are children who move with their
parents 6 to 9 times between kindergarten and high school. The U.S. DoD, in the interest of
learning more about military families and specifically military spouses, conducts an Active-Duty
Spouse Survey (ADSS) every 2 years. The most recent survey was conducted in 2019, published
December 2020, and was designed to allow comparisons to previous ADSSs. The results
provided the U.S. DoD with data to assess the effectiveness of current programs, satisfaction
with the military, spouse employment, education opportunities, financial status, and well-being,
showing what is working, what is not working, and where resources best serve military spouses.
Active-Duty Spouse Survey: Prioritizing Spouse Input
The U.S. DoD announced on June 28, 2021, that it is prioritizing spouse input with the
launch of the 2021 ADSS (U.S. DoD, 2021). For this survey, in addition to a random sampling of
military spouses for the scientifically sampled survey, the U.S. DoD will also offer opportunities
to all active-duty spouses to provide their feedback on key issues, challenges, and concerns.
Childcare
Congress has approved funding post-9/11 to support childcare for the military (all service
branches) and U.S. DoD employees. ChildCare Aware is a military and U.S. DoD childcare
assistance program that can be accessed nationwide. The program subsidizes the cost of
childcare and fees are based on geographic location and rank.
The U.S. DoD will pilot a new program exploring fee assistance for military families who
have determined that full-time, in-home childcare is the best solution to fit their needs (U.S.
DoD, 2021). The amount of fee assistance provided is determined based on the service member’s
total family income. The program will cover full-time care for a minimum of 30 hours to a
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maximum of 60 hours of childcare, weekly. Care is not limited to Monday through Friday or
time of day. This pilot program allows in-home providers to be used for rotating shifts and
weekend care to meet the nontraditional schedules of military families (U.S. DoD, 2021). In its
first year, the pilot will be offered in the five regions with the highest demand and longest
waitlists for U.S. DoD-facilitated childcare for military families. The locations include
Washington, DC, Hawaii, San Diego, CA, Norfolk, VA, and San Antonio, TX.
Employment
The U.S. DoD MSEP has hosted 10 annual military spouse employment hiring fairs since
its inception in 2011 (MSEP, 2022). The MSEP hosted its fifth annual virtual hiring fair for
military spouses on June 16, 2021. The free MSEP Virtual Hiring Fair gives military spouses the
opportunity to live chat from anywhere in the world, while hiring managers (MSEP-partner
employers) actively seek spouse employees. In addition, through the U.S. DoD MSEP platform,
military spouses have access to connect with Spouse Education and Career Opportunities
(SECO) career coaches, MSEP partner employers and Military OneSource consultants to learn
more about resources available to military spouses. The SECO includes a MSEP job search tool,
which connects spouses to hundreds of companies’ job openings and the Military Spouse
Transition Program, which offers resume reviews, specialized career coaching packages, and
employment-related resources. Since 2011, MSEP has inducted more than 500 companies,
organizations, and federal agencies into the partnership. Collectively, they have hired more than
180,000 military spouses (U.S. DoD, 2021).
Licensure
From 2011 to 2016, the U.S. DoD worked with all 50 states through common methods
used by licensing boards to expedite the acceptance of a license from another state. In addition,
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the Defense-State Liaison Office (DSLO) worked with all 50 states, and after 2017, the DSLO
pivoted in its approach to also consider occupational license compacts as another alternative to
improve portability for military spouses because compacts establish a common understanding of
competency and its measurement in the occupation. In 2018, DSLO approached states to
improve their implementation of existing licensing laws to ensure military spouses could quickly
and easily apply the accommodations offered to expedite their licensing. For example, nurses
supported by the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact in 34 states can move from a compact state
to another compact state without relicensing. In addition, Arizona has taken this approach for
military spouses and for the general population. Florida and Arizona will issue a state license to
military spouses with current licenses and in good standing, without submitting verifying
documentation. Furthermore, in 2018 the Secretaries of the Military Departments (e.g., Secretary
of the Navy, Secretary of the Army) encouraged military service leadership (e.g., Chief of Staff
of the Air Force, Commandant of the Marine Corps) to consider the availability of military
licensure reciprocity, when evaluating future basing and mission alternatives.
Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families (n.d.), founded in 2009, is a national nonprofit network by and for
military families from all ranks and services. When a family joins a military community, some
choose to display a Blue Star service banner or flag in a window of their home to signify a loved
one is an active-duty service member. This special flag, displayed only by military families, is
the origin of the phrase blue star family and refers to the immediate family members of an
active-duty service member. The organization is dedicated to strengthening U.S. military
families through community building.
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Blue Star Families uses research to raise awareness of the unique challenges of the
military family. The organization conducts a survey of military families every 2 years. The BSF
(2020) Annual Military Lifestyle Survey (in collaboration with the IVMF/Syracuse University)
is a yearly “snapshot” of the state of military families, offering insight and data to inform
national leaders, local communities, and philanthropic actors. The Top 3 findings throughout the
years about military family issues persist: (a) deployments (active-duty service member time
away from home), (b) military spouse employment, and (c) family well-being. Through the BSF
research and program partnerships, the organization has more than 150,000 members in their
networks, including chapters and communities all over the world, touching more than 1.5 million
military family members every year (BSF, n.d.).
National Military Family Association
The NMFA (2022) has been the voice of military families for over 50 years and
continues to be the voice for 2,800,000 military family members. The NMFA is the “go to”
source for administration officials, members of U.S. Congress, and key decision makers, when
they want to understand the issues facing military families. Through research and connecting
with the military community, the NMFA understands better than anyone that military families
serve. For example, in 1969, the association was founded by military wives who wanted to make
sure their widowed friends were properly taken care of. Two years later, the Survivor Benefit
Plan became law. The NMFA sponsors military spouse scholarships, childcare assistance for E-1
to E-6 families, Operation Purple Program (a summer camp), and Bloom: Empowering the
Military Teen.
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In 2022, the NMFA introduced a series for military spouses called You Are Not Alone. It
addresses mental health for military spouses and provides resources and information as to where
to find help and mental health services
Give an Hour
Give an Hour is a nonprofit that provides counseling from mental health professionals
who donate their time (an hour at a time) in support of military spouse well-being (Van Dhlen,
2005). Give an Hour also sponsors the Military Spouse Mental Health Profession Program. Its
goals are to ease the transition from graduate school through licensure for military spouses,
enhance the wellness of military families, and alleviate the shortage of mental health providers. It
is a mentorship program and mentors military spouses who seek to enter or advance in the
behavioral health profession.
United Service Organizations
The USO (2022) is the nation’s leading charitable organization in serving active-duty
service members and military families. In 2016, they launched a worldwide initiative focused on
programs to strengthen and empower military spouses by connecting them to their social,
professional, and community networks. For military spouses they sponsor Coffee Connection
Live, which is a monthly virtual event. It is an hour-long chat with influential guests where they
discuss topics that are relevant and trending with the spouse military community. The USO also
sponsors wellness activities such as In the Kitchen (making meals virtually with a gourmet chef);
Continuing Your Journey (trending topic discussions, e.g., interviewing or drafting a resume, led
by the Military Spouse of the Year), USO Special Delivery presented virtually by Johnson and
Johnson (e.g., Baby Shower, Boots & Booties, and Baby Spritz), and programs in support of
mothers-to-be, new mothers, and experienced mothers).
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Military Family Advisory Network
The findings from MFAN research allow MFAN to bring together and inform nonprofit
organizations, policymakers, armed forces leadership, and other stakeholders around key
interests. In 2021, MFAN provided monthly updates from their advisory board to the U.S.
Congress, the White House, and the U.S. DoD. The updates are opportunities to connect those in
the highest levels of government with the real-life experiences of those in the military
community who count on them. Key issues from their 2021 Military Family Support
Programming Survey were health, finances, food security, housing, childcare, relationships, and
employment (Military Family Advisory Network, 2021).
Five and Thrive
The spouse of the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (2022), Sharene Brown,
announced the Five and Thrive initiative on December 22, 2021. This initiative increases focus
and attention on the top five quality of life challenges military families face (Maucione, 2021).
The challenges—childcare, education, healthcare, housing, and spouse employment—are
directly tied to military family readiness, resilience, and retention of the force. This initiative
aims to encourage, support, and build thriving military families. Sharene Brown and the Thrive
Team created a 64-page guidebook for military spouse that consolidates essential information
and resources into one easy-to-use online tool.
American Corporate Partners (n.d.) is a nationwide, nonprofit organization that offers
free, one-on-one, year-long mentorship. American Corporate Partners was founded in 2008 by
Sid Goodfriend and is headquarters is in New York City, NY. American Corporate Partners has
mentors from over 100 partnering companies, including Coca-Cola, General Motors, Home
Depot, Amazon, and IBM. Over 4,000 veterans, active-duty, reserve, and National Guard men
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and women are currently enrolled in the program. As a result of the success of ACP’s veterans’
program, in 2018, Goodfriend launched the ACP Spouse Mentor Program for active-duty
spouses. The program hand-selects a mentor for each spouse for a year-long, customized, one-
on-one mentorship. Mentors and proteges connect once a month for up to a year. American
Corporate Partners mentors are volunteers with years of employment experience that can help
with resume review, interview preparation, career coaching, networking, and overall professional
development.
Hiring Our Heroes
Hiring Our Heroes, a program sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
(n.d.), connects service members, military spouses, and veterans with U.S. businesses to create
economic opportunity and a strong, diversified network. The initial goal of the program was to
hire 100,000 military spouses and Hiring Our Heroes has reached it. Hiring Our Heroes also
offers virtual job fairs and one-to-one meetings (e.g., business representative with a spouse), and
6- to 12-week fellowships in military spouse education, training, or experience. The program
provides networking, opportunities to earn certifications, and hands-on experiences in the
civilian workforce, with direct connections to local employers.
Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families
The IVMF at Syracuse University is a nonprofit organization and higher education’s first
interdisciplinary academic institute focused on advancing the lives of the nation’s military
veterans, military spouses, and families. In addition, V-WISE is run in partnership with Syracuse
University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Spouses. A national leader in veterans and
military family analytics, Syracuse University’s IVMF provides research and insights to
organizations enabling them to better service and support military service members and their
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families. The institute studies military spouse issues to include well-being, The program supports
military spouses looking to build and fine tune their entrepreneurial skills. The three-phase
program takes place online and in-person; it is designed to give military spouses the foundational
skills and resources needed to start a sustainable business.
The National Military Spouse Network
The NMSN (2022) offers support for professional military spouses through an online
portal and in-person events including their annual Military Spouse Career Summit. The NMSN
creates a community of military spouse professionals, businesses, academics, and media to share
expertise and create innovative solutions for balancing a career with the military lifestyle and
laying the foundation for a successful career post military life. Despite the support and advocacy
provided by the U.S. Congress, U.S. DoD, BSF, Syracuse University IVMF, other national
organizations, and corporate America, military spouse employment challenges continue to
persist.
The impact of the lack of employment opportunities and employment creates stress,
lowers morale, and affects the dignity, identity, and overall well-being of the military spouse.
The daily life of a military spouse can be distinct from the civilian world and counterpart because
of the demands of the military (U.S. DoD, 2020). Challenges to the well-being of the military
spouse can include frequent relocations (sometimes to other countries), service members’ long
working hours, time apart for training, and operational deployments (which place military
personnel at risk of injury or death; Sinclair, et al., 2019). These demands often happen
concurrently and are not optional or negotiable for service members and their families (Hawkins,
et al., 2017). Added to these demands are sustaining meaningful employment, feeling a sense of
community, and social support.
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The Rosie Network
The Rosie Network is a non-profit organization was founded in 2012 by Stephanie
Brown, spouse of Rear Admiral Tom Brown (SEAL) to empower, impact and advocate on behalf
of military veterans and military small business owners and entrepreneurs (The Rosie Network,
2022):
The organization’s mission is to build stronger military families by developing
entrepreneurial programs and support services that empower active-duty, veterans and
military spouses to realize the American Dream of small business ownership, increasing
financial stability and self-sufficiency of those who have served our country.
Inspired by WWII icon Rosie the Riveter and her “We Can Do It!” attitude, the Rosie
Network was founded by military spouse and veteran entrepreneurs to empower and advocate on
behalf of the nation’s service members and spouses seeking the American Dream of small
business ownership. The Rosie Network reported 48% of military spouses are turning to
entrepreneurship vs. traditional employment as a viable and portable career option. The Rosie
Network has been training and mentoring active-duty, veterans, and military spouses for 10
years. All of the organization’s services are provided at no cost.
Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs
The Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs (AMSE, 2022) connects military
spouse business owners with the tools and resources needed to become successful in and
launching their businesses. Their diverse member-led programming covers business, military
spouse life and wellness. It is a global network for military spouse entrepreneurs.

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Military Spouse Juris Doctorate Network
Military Spouse Juris Doctorate Network (MSJDN, n.d.), founded in 2011, specifically
targets jobs for military spouses who are legal professionals. The group advocates for
professional military spouses, hosts meetings, and offers resources and networking opportunities.
The MSJDN advocates for licensing accommodations for military spouses, including bar
membership without additional examination. The organization has adopted a state-by-state
approach to its advocacy efforts and drafted a model rule to assist jurisdictions interested in
supporting military families by enacting licensing accommodations for military spouses. In April
2012, Idaho became the first state to approve a military spouse licensing accommodation.
Currently, 41 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have military spouse attorney licensing.
Accommodations. The MSJDN’s efforts are supported by the American Bar Association, the
Conference of Chief Justices, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the NMFA, and many other
nonprofits and associations that support military families.
The Relationship of the Military Spouse, Thriving, and Retention
Military families’ well-being is essential to the effectiveness of military operations (BSF,
2017). Deployment stress and social support from family, nonmilitary friends, and partners play
important and independent roles in the psychological well-being of military spouses
(Skomorovsky, 2017). The well-being of the military spouse is integral to the health of their
family (Mailey et al., 2018).
Successful recruiting and retention of the active-duty force depends in large part on the
extent to which service members and their spouses are satisfied with the military lifestyle
(Harrell et al., 2005). A comprehensive understanding of the experiences and challenges
encountered by military families is provided by the BSF (2020) annual Military Lifestyle Survey.
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The top survey issues from the perspective of military spouses included service member time
away from family, childcare, employment, and well-being. The BSF (2020) reported, “Spouses
are dropping out of the labor force, despite expanded remote work opportunities—a preferred
solution for military spouse employment. Service members’ work schedules and childcare
remain the top barriers to spouse employment” (p. 10). The BSF noted the employment of
military spouses is a quality-of-life issue. Military spouses’ abilities to obtain and retain
employment represents a top challenge associated with the military lifestyle. In addition to
employment status, the 2021 survey’s data supports previous research indicating that even when
military spouses can obtain employment, they tend to be grossly underemployed.
Over the years, defense officials, the military services, and nonprofit organizations have
worked to investigate the problem of military spouse employment and education (Bradbard &
Maury, 2018; Castaneda & Harrell., 2008; Harrell, et al., 2004). Defense officials have
recognized this is a readiness issue that affects military spouse well-being and military families’
financial well-being and often affects service members’ decision about whether to stay in the
military (Jowers, 2020). Each branch of the U.S. military has a version of the saying “We recruit
service members (soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines) but retain families.” Inherent to this
catchphrase is the understanding that a healthy family unit is integral to service members’
readiness, retention, and performance (Green et al., 2013). A healthy family is positive evidence
that a military spouse is thriving. Conversely, the “mission first” culture of the military
conditions spouses to set aside their own needs and balance multiple roles and responsibilities
and possibly their own sense of identity; “everything else comes first” (Mailey et al., 2018, p. 3).
Military spouse employment supports well-being, enhances family relationships, and
builds resilience. The resilience and psychological health of spouses and families is a key factor
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in the resilience and readiness of active-duty service members. Military spouse desires to be
employed without sustained employment due to frequent moves or deployments can lead to the
active-duty member’s decision to leave the military: a retention issue. Ultimately, retention
issues impact the nation’s defense and national security.
Thriving, Economic Stability, and Retention
Military families, like civilian families, may rely on a second income. The economic
costs to the government, when military spouses are unemployed, underemployed, or excluded
from the labor force, are significant. Working military spouses who move with their service
members experience an average reduction in earnings of $3,100 (about 14%) in the year they
move, according to Borg et al. (2018). The median earnings of a female military spouse in 2019
was $25,500 for White spouses, $24,500 for Black spouses, $21,400 for Latina spouses, and
$31,650 for Asian spouses. Earnings of a male military spouse in 2019 was $52,000 for White
spouses, $51,000 for Black spouses, $40,000 for Latino spouses, and $36,000 for Asian spouses
(BSF, 2020). The estimated cost to military families is upwards of $180,000 in lost spousal
income, over the course of a 20-year military career (Office of the President of the United States,
2018).
Though military incomes have kept pace with inflation, it is increasingly difficult for
single-income families to thrive in the current economy because of the cost of big-ticket items
(e.g., buying a home, college tuition). Of military spouses who reported their families needed
two incomes to meet their needs, only 59% had a full- or a part-time job (BSF, 2020). Economic
well-being is an important facet of well-being (Prilleltensky et al., 2015). The unemployment
that affects military spouses due to the military lifestyle costs the U.S. economy an estimated
39

$710 million to $1.07 billion (NMFA, 2019). This economic cost hurts families and adversely
impacts a military spouse’s well-being. It hurts the military because it impacts retention.
Only if military families are financially secure and otherwise stable can the all-volunteer
armed forces remain strong (Twardowski, 2019). In a recent survey, 39% of military families
reported discussing leaving the active-duty military service because of challenges with spouse
employment, and of those who had already transitioned, 32% cited their own work or career as a
major driver in that decision (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2022). In addition, 33% of
respondents in the same survey indicated they had lived apart from their service members for
career opportunities, leading to a growing population of military spouses seeking opportunities to
start and grow their own businesses. The lack of employment opportunities creates stress and
influences a family’s decision to stay in or leave the military—factors that ultimately hurt
military readiness, retention, and recruiting.
Military families’ well-being is essential to the effectiveness of military operations (BSF,
2017). Deployment stress and social support from family, nonmilitary friends, and partners are
play important and independent roles in the psychological well-being of military spouses
(Skomorovsky, 2017). Thus, military families’ well-being is essential to the effectiveness of
military operations (BSF, 2017). Over time, these challenges can adversely impact a military
spouse’s ability to thrive and their well-being.
Conceptual Framework
For this study, I applied Bronfenbrenner’s (1992) ecological systems theory to the
problem of thriving (see Figure 1). The Bronfenbrenner ecological systems theory was
developed by Dr. Urie Brofenbrenner, a Russian-born, U.S. psychologist, who believed a
person’s development is affected by everything in their surrounding environment.
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Brofenbrenner’s theory is appropriate to examine the problem of practice (i.e., military spouse
thriving) because the five system levels can be used to examine an individual’s relationships in
communities and the wider society (i.e., the military spouse’s environment; Brofenbrenner,
1992). Through the lens of Brofenbrenner’s framework, moving from the center of the theory’s
concentric circles of the five systems levels (the individual) to the outermost level (time), I will
examine how the five system levels apply to military spouse employment: (a) the individual:
military spouse in the center, (b) microsystem: immediate surroundings (e.g., home, military
installation), (c) mesosystem: relationships (e.g., family, neighbors, coworkers, employer), (d)
exosystem: environment (e.g., community, government, programs, policies), and (e)
chronosystem: time (i.e., length of tour of duty).
The military spouse’s ability to thrive is a reflection of a combination of the relationships
with the community in which they live, the wider society (e.g., attitudes, culture), and the effects
of state and federal government programs, policies, and practices. For example, in moving often
and with an “on-the-move” resume, military spouses face many employment challenges (e.g.,
interview and hiring biases, lack of job opportunities, state certification requirements, Status of
Forces agreements, if moving overseas), as they cobble together a career, during the course of
their spouse’s military service (RAND Corporation, 2016). This situation often puts them at a
disadvantage when they are compared to peers who stay in one place with the same organization,
while building a career and a retirement (Goodfriend, 2018). Figure 1 provides an illustration of
Brofenbrenner’s application to the problem of military spouse employment.

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Figure 1
Application of Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory to Military Spouse and Thriving

The conceptual framework of this study offers a logical structure of connected concepts
that help provide a picture or visual display of how ideas in the study relate to one another in the
theoretical framework” (Osanloo & Grant, 2016). There are five key concepts that support this
study’s conceptual framework and align the framework with Brofenbrenner’s ecological systems
theory:
● military spouse and ability to thrive
● military lifestyle effect on military spouse well-being
● employment challenges due to environmental factors
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● impact on family, career, finances, decision to stay in or leave the military
● issue of retention in the military: length of tour of duty, deployments, amount of time
it takes for the military spouse to find a job
For a military spouse, factors that affect their ability to thrive and well-being related to
employment experiences include gaps in employment (Bradbard et al., 2016), gaps in education
(Harrell et al., 2004), challenges to well-being and motivation (Prilleltensky et al., 2015; Ziff,
2016), employment challenges, such as interview and hiring biases (Bradbard & Maury, 2018),
and the impact on the family and family finances (Goodfriend, 2018; BSF, 2020). The effects of
these factors can result in putting career plans on hold, changing plans because of the active-duty
spouse’s reassignment stateside or overseas, completing certifications, becoming recertified, and
taking extra classes. All impact military spouse employment experiences. Subsequently,
employment challenges, such as gaps in employment (e.g., underemployment or long-term
unemployment), gaps in education (e.g., unrelated to educational background or level of
education or certifications in lieu of education), and employer interview/hiring biases can
adversely impact employment. Typically, because military families move frequently, military
spouses find it difficult to transfer licenses from state to state, delaying their return to the
workforce (Women’s Bureau, 2019). Equally adverse is the impact on the military spouse’s
ability to thrive and well-being. One of the hardest resources for a military spouse to find in a
new location is a new network/support group (Manciagli, 2019).
The relocations, career disruptions, gaps in employment history/education create stress
(emotional and financial) in the family and ultimately, an active-duty service member may
decide to leave the military, resulting in a retention issue for the military. Subsequently, there
exists a relationship between the military spouse and her/his environment (community and wider
43

society). This relationship is affected by the key concepts of the conceptual framework and can
be applied to Brofenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which serves as a template for
understanding the relationships in the five systems, with the military spouse at the center.

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Chapter Three: Methodology
The purpose of this study was to better understand what thriving means to military
spouses and how the military lifestyle impacts military spouses’ abilities to thrive. Looking
through the lens of thriving, the study focused on five environmental factors: (a) the military
lifestyle (i.e., frequent moves, unpredictability of service member’s work schedule,
deployments), (b) spouse employment, (c) childcare, (d) COVID-19, and (e) well-being. The
study also investigated strategies and practices that military spouses use to thrive. The study was
designed to give voice to the experiences of military spouses as related to thriving and the
subsequent effects of the five environmental factors on the identity and well-being of the military
spouse and their ability to thrive.
Research Questions
The research questions in this study were
1. What personal and environmental factors influence a military spouse’s ability to
thrive?
2. What strategies and practices do military spouses employ to mitigate stress and
thrive?
Overview of Design
The methodological design for this study was qualitative. Qualitative research is used to
understand how people interpret their experiences, construct their worlds, and attribute meaning
to their experiences (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The specific strategy of inquiry was narrative
analysis (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Narrative analysis aligns with qualitative research design
because the analysis and design work in tandem to collect the stories (data) of the individuals
impacted by the problem of practice (military spouses and thriving) and interpret/make meaning
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of the data (military spouses’ stories) to understand the problem, which was the military spouse’s
ability to thrive and how their employment experiences affect thriving.
Research Setting
The research study was conducted in natural settings. The researcher studied what
thriving means to military spouses and how the military lifestyle and environment impacts their
identity and ability to thrive, with a focus on five environmental factors.
The Researcher
I am a military spouse whose husband served in the U.S. Army for 38 years. We moved
27 times, and I worked in 26 different schools located on three different continents (i.e., Europe,
Asia, and North America) and six states (i.e., California, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania,
Texas, and Virginia). My career as an educator and military spouse has been portable, and my
resume can be described as on the move. From school to school, I applied for any position for
which I had a current certification/license from the state that met the job description. I have lived
the military spouse experience of thriving or not, the effect it had on my identity, and how
thriving and identity are related especially to employment, underemployment (e.g., classroom
instructional assistant), and unemployment and the challenges that result from frequent
relocations. My transformative worldview (i.e., research which contains an action agenda for
reform that may change lives of the participants) was the impetus for advocating for military
spouses thriving and the interest in its relationship to employment. My research provides a voice
and data to advance change and continue to raise consciousness in support of military spouses
thriving no matter where they are stationed, whether stateside or overseas.
To mitigate potential assumptions and biases in this study of what thriving means to
military spouses and the five environmental factors which affect it, I reflected on the purpose of
46

my study and considered the issues related to positionality and power. Important considerations
for my study included building rapport, “working the hyphen” researcher-participant (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016), and the insider/outsider issue as an extension of positionality. According to
Merriam & Tisdell (2016), getting access and developing trust with participants is often more
natural if relevant aspects of one’s positionality are similar to those under study. I worked to be
reflexive and to mitigate any influence my positionality might have as reflected in the following
strategies:
● Looked for strategies that support alternative explanations (Patton, 2015).
● Conducted a peer examination or peer review: The peer examination involved asking
three colleagues (one military spouse and two civilians) to scan some of the raw data
collected and assess whether the findings are plausible, based on the data.
● As stated earlier, as the military spouse of an active-duty service member (38 years), I
have a lived experience related to thriving and employment (e.g., challenges, barriers,
resume gaps), which may have influenced the interview protocol/process.
Occasionally, a participant would ask me if I ever had a similar experience, and I would
find myself sharing a personal story or asking a probing question because the story the
participant was telling was rich in new information. Truthfully, most of the time, I found myself
listening and taking copious notes, even though the interview was recorded.
Data Sources
Twenty active-duty military spouses between the ages of 23 and 45 and representing five
branches of the U.S. Armed Forces were interviewed. An interview protocol was created and
aligned to active-duty military spouse participants and was focused on what thriving means to
them and how the military lifestyle (environmental factors) impacts their ability to thrive, as
47

related to five environmental factors and strategies and practices that they employ to mitigate
stress and thrive. Active-duty military spouse interview participants represented five of the
branches of the U.S. Armed Forces—Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force—and
active-duty service members served before 9/11 and continue to serve and those who served
post-9/11.
Participants
The number of participants in the study totaled 20. Participants were military spouses of
active-duty service members from the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and
USSF). The age range of participants was 23–44; 18 identified as female and two as male. This
population was appropriate for the study because they represent five major branches of the U.S.
Armed forces, active-duty service members, all ranks (enlisted/noncommissioned officers),
racial/ethnic diversity (Asian, Black, Latinx, and White), moved frequently, and as a result,
experienced the impact of the five environmental factors on their ability to thrive.
Participants were recruited for this qualitative research study through a snowball
sampling process. This strategy involved reaching out to military spouse colleagues at ACP,
BSF, and Headquarters USSF and locating a few key active-duty military spouse participants
who easily met the criteria for participation in the study. As each of the early key participants
were interviewed, the researcher asked the participant to refer the researcher to other active-duty
military spouse participants. An email message that included the research study’s information
sheet, indicating the study was approved by the University of Southern California’s Internal
Review Board, was sent to candidates referred by the initial participants. Interviews were
conducted either by phone or virtually using the Zoom video platform and were recorded with
the permission of the participants.
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Instrumentation: Interviews
For this study, instrumentation used to collect data involved a semi structured interview
protocol composed of a mix of 19 open-ended and closed-ended questions, four of which were
demographic questions, asked at the end of the interview. Questions focused on thriving and the
environmental factors that affect military spouses’ abilities to thrive. As related to this study, the
interview questions aligned with its two research questions. These questions inquire into what
thriving means in relation to the military lifestyle, environmental factors that affect the military
spouse’s ability to thrive, and strategies and practices that support thriving (see Appendix A).
Data Collection Procedures
Interviews were conducted February through June 2022. Interviews were approximately
60 minutes in length and included follow-up conversations with three participants to further
investigate their responses about childcare, COVID-19, and employment. The interviews were
scheduled at the convenience of the participants. To ensure privacy of location of the interview,
interviews were conducted by phone or virtually. Interviews were recorded by the researcher and
transcribed by a transcription service. In collecting, analyzing, reporting, and sharing the data, I
followed the guidance described in Creswell and Creswell (2017), Burkholder (2020), and Patton
(2002), which included data recording procedures, observation, and interview protocols.
Data Analysis
Data analysis for this qualitative research study began with making notes in the margins
of the interview protocol, during and immediately following each interview, then storying the
data, which brought military spouses’ words into each written memo. Memos written early in the
research study were short, and later, they were reflective and analytical. As the interviews
progressed, writing a memo (e.g., making a connection, noting a hunch about the responses, or
49

highlighting quotations that support a pattern) clarified and connected ideas related to the study
(Saldana, 2021). Data analysis for this study also included questioning, coding, and comparative
analysis (Gibbs, 2018).
Questioning (Corbin & Strauss, 2008) was used by the researcher to analyze military
spouses’ responses to the interview protocol. Examples of questions include what is the data
telling me? What did the participant mean by a certain phrase? What caused emotions to surface
during the interview? How are the participants’ experiences as military spouses similar?
different?
Coding was the driver in analyzing the 20 military spouse interviews. It was a cyclical act
that labeled, linked, and made meaning out of the data. The coding of military spouse responses
(data) process’s outcome generated themes and patterns, which aligned with the research
questions and interview protocol questions; for example, military spouses’ ability to thrive, their
definition of what thriving means, what it looks like and feels like, and what thriving does not
look like and feel like.
Comparative analysis (Gibbs, 2018) provided a method for disaggregating military
spouses’ responses about thriving into a table that highlights the elements of thriving and for
compiling frequency counts of recurring perspectives. Participant responses for the five
environmental factors described in the study that impact thriving were highlighted (color-coded)
in the interview transcripts, then compiled factor by factor to include related illustrative
quotations as a way to determine themes/patterns and to provide evidence to support findings and
conclusions.
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Validity and Reliability
Key to the validity and reliability of a qualitative study is trustworthiness and
credibility. What makes a study trustworthy is the researcher’s careful design of the study and
application of standards that are well developed and accepted by the research community
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). In the qualitative design, the study describes people acting in events,
and understanding is the primary rationale for the investigation. What makes a study credible is
the level of confidence that can be placed in the truth of the research findings (Patton, 2014).
Credibility establishes whether the research findings (what is being studied) are people’s
construction of reality, how they understand the world, and how they make meaning of their
lives (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Specific strategies (Merriam and Tisdell, 2016) that I used to
ensure credibility and trustworthiness included
● Member checks (also called respondent validation): Soliciting feedback on
preliminary findings from some of the military spouses that I interviewed and asking
if my interpretation of the findings “rings true.”
● Researcher’s position or reflexivity: Critical self-reflection by the researcher about
assumptions, worldview, biases, theoretical orientation, and relationship to the study
that may affect the investigation. This strategy is one that I monitored consistently
throughout the interview process and study because of my experiences with thriving
and employment as a military spouse of an active-duty service member.
● Peer review/examination: Discussions with colleagues (e.g., classmates) about the
process of the study, the congruence of emerging findings with raw data, and
tentative interpretations.
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● Audit trail: A detailed account of the methods, procedures, and decision points in
carrying out the study (aligns well with peer review strategy).
Ethics
Issues related to consent were handled with an email to each of the participants,
providing information about the research project and permitting the participant to make an
informed and voluntary decision about whether to participate in the research study. The email
also explained confidentiality for participant information and that no information would be
shared without the participant’s consent. There was no incentive for participating in this study.
Participants were volunteers, and if a participant chose not to participate, the researcher moved
on to the next participant. The research study proposal was approved by the University of
Southern California Internal Review Board on January 27, 2022.

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Chapter Four: Findings
The purpose of this study was to better understand what thriving means to military
spouses and how factors in the environment impact a military spouse’s ability to thrive. Factors
in the environment described in this study include military lifestyle, COVID-19, employment,
childcare, and well-being. This study is designed to give voice to the experiences and
perspectives of active-duty military spouses, as related to thriving; what it feels like and looks
like when a military spouse is thriving; what it looks like and feels like when a military spouse is
not thriving; and subsequent effects on the military spouse, their family, and the decision to
remain in or leave the military.
The findings for the following two research questions are discussed:
1. What personal and environmental factors influence a military spouse’s ability to
thrive?
2. What strategies and practices do military spouses employ to mitigate stress and
thrive?
Findings are substantiated by an analysis of data collected through interviews of 20 active-duty
military spouses. A description of the military spouses interviewed for this research study is
discussed in the next section.
Participants
Interviews were conducted with 20 spouses of active-duty service members. An interview
protocol was created and aligned to active-duty military spouse participants and focused on what
thriving means to them, how the military lifestyle impacts their ability to thrive—as related to
five environmental factors, and strategies and practices they employ to mitigate stress and thrive.
Active-duty military spouse interview participants represented five of the branches of the U.S.
53

Armed Forces, including the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force and were
spouses of active-duty service members who served before 9/11 and have served post 9/11. The
age range of participants was 23-45. Eighteen identified their sex as female and two males.
Participants represented spouses of service members of all ranks (enlisted/noncommissioned
officers), were racially and ethnically diverse (Asian, Black, Latino, and White), and experienced
frequent relocations. Years of service of the active-duty service members ranged from 2 to 26
years. The number of relocations due to a new duty assignment ranged from one to 11 moves.
The number of deployments (e.g., Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Philippines, Guam, the
Pacific, Europe, Africa) ranged from two to 12. Deployments reported by the participants lasted
from 6 months to 1 year, sometimes longer, depending on the needs of the military. Temporary
duty travel (TDY) also impacted the military spouse participants. TDY is an assignment in which
the active-duty service member is assigned to a location other than their permanent duty station.
The number of TDY assignments throughout the years, as noted by the military spouses
interviewed, ranged from four to 50.
Table 1 offers an overview of the participants and includes the professions of each
participant, the number of years of active-duty service of the service member, and number of
moves/relocations. Participant’s professional fields included education, business, financial
services, human resources, research, engineering, social work, nursing, advertising/marketing,
neurobiology, and entrepreneur. Eight of the 20 participants were spouses of enlisted service
members and 12 of the 20 participants were spouses of officers. Five of the 20 participants were
veterans and served in the military (active-duty) prior to and during the first years of their
marriage, then departed the military.

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Table 1
Military Spouse Participants Narrative Table
Participant Profession/field Organization Years active-duty Moves
1 Teacher Army 16 7
2 GS-15 Army 26 4
3 MBA Army 12 7
4 Social work researcher Army 16 6
5 Human resources Marines 16 5
6 PhD/social work Army 18 8
7 Finance/social work Army 7 2
8 *MBA/engineer Army 18 8
9 *Nurse Army 22 9
10 Teacher Army 19 4
11 Family advocacy Army 9 3
12 Neurobiologist: Early childhood Army 23 11
13 *Nurse Army 16 4
14 MBA Army 28 9
15 Aerospace engineer Army 7 2
16 Teacher Air Force 14 6
17 Advertising/marketing Navy 22 9
18 Freelance writer Space Force 18 9
19 Global health: Project manager Space Force 2 1
20 Entrepreneur: Business owner Space Force 14 12

Note. For this study, participants ranged in age from 23–45. Nineteen of the 20 participants have
children. Age range of children is 3 months to 24 years. Participants represent five branches of
the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Marines Air Force, and Space Force), enlisted and officer ranks,
Black, Asian, Hispanic, and White racial categories, and identify as male or female. An *
indicates served in the military, now a veteran. GS is the abbreviation for government service
and the number following it indicates the level of service/pay grade.

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Findings
This section details the findings for the study, organized by each research question. A
summary of the findings can be found in Table 2.

Table 2
Summary of Findings
Research question Findings
1. What personal and environmental factors
influence a military spouse’s ability to
thrive?
1. Military spouses largely defined thriving as
being healthy, happy, and fulfilled.
2. Military spouses face several core
challenges to thriving, but some benefits
were present.
3. For military spouses the decision of the
active-duty service member to remain in or
leave the military is influenced by the
impact of the military lifestyle on family
stability.
2. What strategies and practices do military
spouses employee to mitigate stress?
4. Military spouses establish and maintain
relationships by building social support
networks in their military community and
local community, which aligns with the
theoretical framework (Brofenbrenner) of
individuals’ relationships in communities
and the wider society.
5. Military spouses implement personal
strategies and practices to support their
ability to thrive.
6. Military spouses seek employment that is
meaningful and related to their profession;
however, spouses will choose
underemployment rather than
unemployment.

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Research Question 1: What Personal and Environmental Factors Influence a Military
Spouse’s Ability to Thrive?
The first research question was focused on determining the personal and environmental
factors that affect military spouses’ abilities to thrive, as they live the military lifestyle.
Participants were asked about their own definitions of thriving and indicated they viewed
thriving as being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. Interview questions also asked about the impact
of moving, adapting to a new environment, the effect of the pandemic as related to thriving, and
how the military lifestyle affects the ability to thrive. As a result of participant responses to
Research Question 1 and the related interview questions, five factors consistently emerged. The
five factors included COVID-19, childcare, employment, well-being, and the military lifestyle.
Of the five factors, the factors that had the most significant effect and were closely linked with
one another were COVID-19, childcare, and employment.
Furthermore, participants described the effect of the five environmental factors on their
ability to thrive and their well-being. They offered a range of perspectives on the five
environmental factors’ impact. Their understanding of the environment in which they live (i.e.,
military lifestyle, community, society) and how they respond to it are revealed, largely as
described in their words:
● knowing military service comes first
● learning to be independent
● experiencing a built-in community wherever you go
● making forever friends, the best friends ever
● stressing over, worrying about service member when deployed, TDY, or training
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● moving a lot is tough when you have school age kids, settling into a new school, new
neighborhood; “have to be ready to pivot”
● traveling to, living in, and seeing places you may have never seen; “a unique
opportunity”
● challenging to maintain a career and take care of your family; “a full-time job on top
of a full-time job”
Moreover, the various challenges faced by military spouses and their partners often influenced
decisions to remain or leave in the military.
Finding 1: Military Spouses Largely Experienced and Defined Thriving as Being Healthy,
Finding Happiness, and Being Fulfilled, Having One’s Own Identity
Military Spouse Definition of Thriving. For this study, thriving is defined as the
experience of living life with meaning, purpose, and a sense of accomplishment in response to
opportunity or adversity (Brown et al., 2017). Twenty out of 20 participants offered their own
definitions of thriving that are divided into three main categories: health, being fulfilled and
having one’s own identity, and happiness. Twenty out of 20 military spouses indicated that being
healthy was particularly important to being able to thrive, and 20 of 20 spouses talked about how
important it was to have their own identities and find meaningful, purposeful work. In addition,
17 out of 20 included happiness in their definition. Finally, 20 of 20 participants included in their
definition of thriving what thriving looks like and feels like, commented on how their ability to
thrive affects their family and how their ability to thrive impacts their own health and well-
being. One participant, with a spouse in the military for 16 years, responded, “Thriving is a
myth” and said, “When my kids are thriving, which is my definition of thriving, it is at the
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expense of Mom, of which, for me, that’s fine. I play all the roles: Mom, Dad, teacher, grandma.
Hands down the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Healthy. Participants in this study described health in terms of mental, emotional, and
physical health. A military spouse’s mental, emotional, and physical health was perceived to be
affected by physical activity, social connection, stress management, and diet. Another
participant, an engineer and a mother of two preschoolers, had been in the military for 15 years
and during that time married her active-duty service member then left the military. They
explained that thriving includes finding healthy ways to honor various aspects of self:
Thriving, I kind of look at life with various components. There’s a health component,
family component, and a career component, and then kind of a personal, just
miscellaneous joy kind of things, like your personal hobbies. And I would say thriving
means finding healthy ways to honor those different types, components of life.
Regarding participants’ physical health, 16 of 20 spouses described time as a factor that affected
their abilities to exercise and eat healthy diets. They had little or no time because “everything
else comes first.” According to these participants, getting a good night’s sleep, exercising
regularly, and eating healthy became less important, compared to other priorities. As one
participant, who married her active-duty service member in Year 9 of his 19 years of service in
special operations branch, described thriving as related to physical health:
I feel like the times that I have been most thriving, I’ve set healthy boundaries with my
husband, with my work life balance. When I set healthy boundaries, I’m eating well,
not emotionally eating. I’m not dragging out of bed to do anything. And I don’t feel like
I’m running late. It’s almost as if I’m able to do everything within the correct amount
of time, setting healthy boundaries. That’s usually when I’m able to thrive.
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Twenty of 20 participants described thriving through the lens of emotional health—times
when they were stressed, anxious, depressed, and/or felt lonely and isolated. Participants who
expressed those feelings were concerned about their service members being away from home for
6- to 12-month deployments (especially if stationed in a combat zone) or for an extended
separation, such as training that required their active-duty service member to leave home for up
to 179 days. These separations meant training in the rain forests of the Philippines, submarine
sea rescue in the Pacific, combat duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, conducting special operations
missions, flying combat missions overseas, manning satellite launch sites, or serving on the
demilitarized zone in Korea.
One participant, who served in the military, experienced multiple deployments, was
retired and a stay-at-home dad, defined thriving in terms of the mental, emotional, and physical:
Thriving is often painful because thriving requires challenge. I don’t believe you can
thrive without being challenged. I don’t believe thriving can happen if you stay inside of
a comfort zone. I believe—and I don’t mean to sound cliche with the comfort zone
thing—but I believe that humans exist physically and mentally and emotionally, and they
can exist in multiple areas. In order to grow in any one of those battlefields of life, you
need to step out of your comfort zone. And the reasons for doing so, in many cases, are to
grow and thrive.
Another participant has moved once (from the east to west coast) during her active-duty
service member’s 7 years in the military and is one of three social workers interviewed for this
study. Her perspective on thriving as a military spouse was similar to the other two social
workers involved in the study. Each described the mental, emotional, and physical aspects of
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thriving, including Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self-efficacy, and well-being. This participant
described thriving:
I would describe thriving as the ultimate step, like the step after self-actualization. It’s
like the extreme opposite of one’s basic needs. All needs are met. Even wants are met.
It’s the next step of really flourishing, whether it’s emotions, physical, mental,
professional, rational. I’m optimistic, working out and eating healthy. And for me, that
would be thriving, for sure. I have a good handle on life.
Happiness. When describing thriving, 20 of 20 military spouses included happiness in
their definition. They described happiness in a variety of ways: as feeling positive, as a positive
emotion; as being involved, “a sense of belonging”; and feeling joy. One military spouse who
was a professional, licensed counselor, working at a military installation and whose job was
counseling military spouses, described the importance of happiness: “Happiness and well-being
matter. Understanding how lonely and isolated this military life can be. Having military spouses
and the camaraderie they offer make all the difference. And happiness relates to mission
readiness.”
Another military spouse described happiness in terms of how she felt when she was on
active-duty, newly married, living in Massachusetts, and attending graduate school:
I felt really happy. I was in the Army. My [active-duty] spouse and I were going
to graduate school. I did a TDY in Hawaii. I loved my job. I loved the people I worked
with. I visited my mom and dad. I had time to exercise. I remember feeling like life
doesn’t get any better than this.
Twenty of 20 spouses described the importance of “a sense of belonging” when they
discussed happiness in terms of thriving. They talked about belonging to a group and being
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involved in the community. For example, one participant, a Marine Corps spouse who worked in
human resources, had a young son, and whose active-duty service member had served in the
Marine Corps for 16 years, described thriving as related to her happiness and “sense of
belonging,” as she prepared for a move from Camp Pendleton, California, to Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina. She said:
Thriving? It just means happiness in most aspects of your life. For me, it’s a sense
of belonging. Happy where I live, happy with my son’s care, happy at my job, my
husband is happy at work. Next month, we are moving cross country to Camp Lejeune,
and I will start over again, so I’ll work at being happy at Lejeune. So, establishing a sense
of belonging will be important, which means getting to know the spouses in my
husband’s unit, my neighbors, and the military community at Lejeune. So, this sense of
belonging all started when I met this handsome Marine and was swept off my feet.
One participant in the study, a military spouse of 16 years, was a nurse by profession. She
talked about her active-duty service member’s frequent deployments and how he missed most of
their children’s “little years.” She shared her “someday dream” then summed up her
perspective on what thriving looks like and feels like for her, as related to being happy:
I think the reality is that you can’t thrive as a military spouse with the same standards that
a spouse who is not connected to the military would consider thriving. But I think if you
were to talk to a lot of military spouses, they eventually use the phrase “Someday, it will
be my turn.” And when my husband’s retired and my kids are through school and they
are on their way to meeting their life goals, then it will be my turn to thrive. But until
then, I just want to help my kids thrive, I want to help my husband thrive and I want to
have my someday, it will be my turn. Baseline, I want to feel healthy and active. I want to
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have my mind engaged. I want our family to feel safe and secure. And to me, an
uncluttered life is really important. So, if I meet all that, then I’m very happy.
Fulfilled. According to all 20 participants, which included teachers, nurses, social
workers, a Master of Business Administration, researchers, a neurobiologist, an advertiser /
marketer, entrepreneurs, and engineers, being fulfilled was described as having their own
identities and being involved in meaningful work. Meaningful work was described as work that
has significance and purpose, work in which participants feel they contribute, and work that
makes a positive contribution to a greater good. For 20 of 20 military spouses, meaningful work
was linked to their identity. Their identities held multiple roles, and each role held meaning and
expectations internalized into their identities. All 20 of the 20 military spouses interviewed
discussed identity as related to their place in the community, a sense of belonging, and its
connection to employment. One participant described her military spouse identity: “I do link my
worth with what I’m doing outside the home.” All 20 participants stated it was through their
work (paid or volunteer) that they were known in the community. Some spouses shared members
in the community were primarily interested in knowing more about their service member’s
career and about the military, which negatively influenced their feelings of self-worth and
identity.
Two different perspectives were voiced on identity. One spouse shared, “I am referred to
only in relation to my husband; I am ‘so and so’s wife.’ My identity is assigned: military
spouse.” Conversely, one of the participants described her identity: “I am not one thing. I am
many.” Another responded, “I need to have my own identity.”
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One participant, whose active-duty service member had served in the military for 16
years and who had experienced eight moves and six deployments, summed up her feelings about
the definition of thriving, as related to her identity:
I need to have my own identity, which has to do with thriving. When I was back in
school, I was going through my master’s program. Made me feel really good. Makes me
want to be better, to be my best self. I am Team Army all day, but I want to do something
that is mine. That is thriving to me. A level of fulfillment. Every spouse thrives
differently.
Another spouse described how she was raised in a family of three girls, where her mother
and father did everything they could to teach them to be strong and independent. Since marrying
her active-duty service member 17 years ago, she had moved 12 times. She explained the
challenge to her ability to thrive was the loss of her identity. She said:
For a very long time, my own personal struggle was with the challenges of being a
military spouse. I lost my identity. And as soon as I got my military ID, I lost my identity.
I no longer had a social security number that mattered. I had to use my husband’s. My
name didn’t matter. I used my husband’s birthdate. I didn’t use mine. Everything had to
run through him. And even in the opportunity for this interview, it came from my
husband’s work.
Another participant explained where her journey as a graduate student, giving birth to her
third child, being a military spouse, and surviving a deployment intersected with finally landing
the job of her dreams:
I had been teaching at a university [after graduating almost 3 years before with a PhD
from that university]. I was 1 month shy of being eligible for tenure when my husband
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received a new assignment, and we had orders to move. My professional identity took a
nosedive. I went from being a professor to unemployed, a shock to my identity. I thought,
I will never catch up with my colleagues. For me, the definition of thriving is having
meaningful, purposeful work, which is my identity.
Finding 2: Military Spouses Face Several Core Challenges to Thriving, but Some Benefits
Were Present
Barriers to Thriving. Twenty of 20 participants shared military spouses faced
challenges that made it difficult to thrive at times. The barriers which commonly emerged were
frequent relocations, spouse employment, affordable childcare, active-duty service members time
away from family, and COVID-19 (see Table 3).
Frequent Relocations. Frequent moves impact family stability and mean packing,
moving, unpacking, and starting over again somewhere stateside or overseas. For a military
family, it means a new home, new friends, new school, new neighborhood, new community, new
job, and new healthcare providers (e.g., primary care physician, dentist, eye doctor). One
participant who was a veteran and now a military spouse responsible for the day-to-day care of
his six young children, summarized the moves their family made over 19 years:
Okay. So, the first assignment was in Korea. Then back to Fort Meade, Maryland. Then
to Fort Irwin, California, and back to Korea. We moved to Fort Stewart, Georgia, for the
next 8 years, with multiple deployments to Iraq. From Fort Stewart, we went to Fort
Benning, Georgia, and we’re at Fort Belvoir. Along the way, we had several children.
He explained most bases do not have houses that are big enough to accommodate an
eight-person family. If they do not get on base, then they live where their housing allowance
allows them to live, in a place that is close enough to his active-duty spouse’s assignment, so she
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can commute. He explained they packed, moved, and unpacked with all six children three times
in the last 5 years.

Table 3
Military Spouses’ Reported Barriers to Thriving
Subtheme Number of
participants
(n = 20)
Key quotes
Frequent relocations 20 So, we started at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Eighteen
years, eight moves, three children, multiple
deployments, and one PhD later, here I am in Ft.
Huachuca, Arizona.
Spouse employment 20 You’re just kind of knocked off your feet; all of your
career hopes and dreams are kind of put on hold
because you’re thrust into a whole different lifestyle
and you have to learn how to navigate it, and it’s
going to be disruptive to your ambitions.
Affordable childcare 19 So, I think we could do a lot when it comes to helping
spouses with child development resources. So maybe
expand the aperture of what we allow, because maybe
a military spouse isn’t doing a typical role. Maybe
they’re trying to get a business off the ground. Maybe
they want to start a business. Maybe they’re looking
for work and they haven’t been able to find it. And
being a full-time parent is stressful enough, there just
should be easier ways to get that support when it
comes to early kid care and development.
Active-duty
member’s time
away from family
20 There’s always workups that are before a deployment
and so those could be up to a month at a time. And
then there’s a week here and a week there for training
and exercises. And so there’s a constant training
pipeline of working up to a deployment. So that’s why
I said with his 3-year command tour, he ended up
being gone for a total of a year and a half at sea of that
command tour.
COVID-19 20 COVID threw a wrench in thriving.

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Moving every year during the last decade, one participant explained her 12-year-old had
attended a different school every single year of his life, since he started school. She added it is a
lot of moving for a family and explained it is a nontraditional amount of moving, even for the
military. To illustrate her moving experience, she listed her moves by location:
Okay. Minot, North Dakota. Colorado Springs, Colorado. Well, actually, let me go back,
because like I said, we have a little bit of a nontraditional. So, Minot, North Dakota,
then Michigan; Monterey, California; Los Angeles, California; Michigan—that was the
COVID year; Massachusetts; now I’m here in Washington, DC Oh, I forgot one. Our
very first assignment. So, before North Dakota, we lived in Santa Maria, California.
She explained some moves were really difficult because they had babies and “having babies and
moving is really hard.” In Minot, ND, their home was flooded; her husband was working all the
time so it was even harder. They were moving every 18 months. Three years ago, they were
living in Los Angeles, while her husband was training for a deployment. They decided she and
their three children would move to Michigan to be with family, so the children could start school
in August, instead of November, in a place they knew. As a family, they were also “mentally
preparing for dad to be unavailable on the other side of the world.”
Spouse Employment. One of the top issues that impact a military spouse’s ability to
thrive is employment. When asked about the challenges they face as military spouses, 20 of 20
participants began with the topic of employment. No matter their profession or career path, all
participants described their experiences with employment to include unemployment and
underemployment. They discussed the effect of relocation on employment and shared their work
histories using their moves as data points. They discussed licensure, credentialing, resume gaps,
interview bias, and how disruptive moves are and COVID were, as related to employment.
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A participant who had served in the military for 10 years with five combat deployments
described his and his spouse’s concern about their back-to-back deployments: “She would
deploy and then come home, and I would deploy. Because we had kids, we didn’t want our kids
to be raised by somebody else.” This dual military couple made the decision that one of them
would leave the military:
So, when I retired, I went from being active-duty, obviously, to being a stay-at-home-dad.
And it was stressful for me, not in the sense that being a military spouse initially was
stressful. It was stressful on many personal levels. In that, I felt like, I guess hero to zero,
is kind of like a catchphrase. It was how I felt. And because I tied so much of my identity
to being a soldier and then when the time ended, I didn’t know how to be with my kids.
Sixteen of 20 participants worked in their profession/field of study but at a salary which
as less than their civilian counterparts and the salary commensurate with their years of
experience and education. Four of the spouses did not work in their profession. For example, a
teacher with a master’s degree in education worked remotely as a tech on a technology team
doing email marketing. Twenty of 20 participants had been unemployed or underemployed
throughout their military spouse experience. Approximately half of the participants preferred
underemployment to unemployment and in the past had accepted positions so they could work
and “have structure in my day and not twiddle my thumbs all day.” Depending on the location of
the military installation, employment opportunities may be many or limited. For example, there
are more opportunities in San Diego, CA, or Washington, DC, than in Minot, ND, or Fort
Huachuca, AZ. Credentialing, licensing, and interview bias toward hiring military can be barriers
to employment. As one spouse stated, “Employment disappointment is so common.”
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Affordable Childcare. Another top issue that impacts a military spouse’s ability to
thrive is childcare. Nineteen of the 20 participants discussed childcare, when asked the interview
question about the challenges of being a military spouse. The one participant who did not discuss
it on a personal level, did not have children, but she did discuss childcare on a professional level,
through her experiences as a classroom teacher, listening to her students’ parents’ childcare
stories. Nineteen of the 20 participants described the lack of accessible and affordable childcare,
in addition to the impact of the pandemic on their abilities to secure childcare near their homes or
places of work. As one participant said, “COVID threw a wrench in the childcare system and my
ability to thrive.”
One participant, who was a veteran and mother of two small children and whose active-
duty spouse served in a unit frequently deployed or with leaves at a moment’s notice, described
her recent experience with childcare:
I’ve had to think about getting out of the workforce several times because childcare is
expensive. Childcare is not only expensive, with COVID, there were so many
restrictions. If they had a sniffle, they couldn’t go into the building. So, we would be
paying for him not to go to day care.
One military spouse worked as a victim advocate and was a federal employee. She was
the mother of a toddler. Her active-duty spouse had served in the military for 9 years. They had
moved three times and experienced eight deployments. She explained being a mom and military
spouse and working full time was a challenge for her for childcare and described a recent
childcare experience:
I have to go to a 6-week course at another military base. My added challenge now is how
to bring my daughter with me. I have to figure out how to pay for childcare when I get
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there. My husband’s schedule is always unpredictable and not always the most reliable.
As a human being, he is very reliable, but his job creates challenges. Leaving her with
him is not an option. My next big hurdle: I’m required to go to this course as part of my
job. I couldn’t go when they hired me because I was too pregnant to fly. Now, I have to
go with a 6-month-old.
Another military spouse, who lived across the ocean far from family and whose active-
duty service member worked in special operations—a job which required him to leave for a
mission with no notice—described her experience with childcare:
Well, just this morning, my FCC [family childcare] provider here told me that they are
[moving] at the end of the month. So, I’m losing my day care for my youngest son. And
so that just throws me into a whole trajectory of challenge. Like, we’ve got to find day
care. And I’m still expected to work full time. My husband is TDY now. He will be most
of April and May.
Active-Duty Member’s Time Away From Family. Participants experienced the service
member being away from home in different ways, depending on having children or no children,
the ages of their children, geographic location of duty assignment, engagement in meaningful
work, the unit’s mission, their own military life experiences, and the extent of their social
support network. As a result, military spouses largely expressed that they felt lonely, more
isolated, anxious, or depressed.
From the perspective of a military spouse of a submariner who had served in the military
for 22 years, being out of communication contributes to “not thriving”:
It’s being out of communication that makes me worried. Because when I get email
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from him, then I know everything’s fine on the boat. I think what makes submariner
lifestyle particularly unique is the extensive period without communication. If you can
imagine not being able to hear from your best friend. Nothing. It’s a feeling almost like
they’ve died. Horrible. It can be really challenging to thrive.
With the uncertainty of the active-duty service member’s job (e.g., reassignment,
deployment or TDY) and the unpredictability of their work schedule, a military spouse “plays all
the roles: mom, dad, teacher, grandparents.” Twelve of the 20 participants shared that as a
military spouse, they “must accept that as a military spouse you have no control.” One added,
“When it’s time to move, you move, or you make the decision to geo-batch: stay where you are,
while he goes to the next assignment without the family.”
Four of the 20 spouses interviewed had served in the military and married an active-duty
service member. Three of the four left the military, and one remained on active-duty. They each
shared being a military spouse is much harder than being an active-duty service member, and
once they became a military spouse, they acquired a “deep respect” for military spouses and their
abilities to be solely responsible for everything. One participant explained,
You’re responsible for a lot of things on your own, and you can’t always rely on the
service members, not because they’re a bad person or that they’re unreliable, but even if
they don’t want to all the time, their military service always comes first. So, you end up
being very independent and being able to do pretty much anything on your own because
you don’t have much of a choice about that.
Another spouse described the downside for service members, while they are away from
home, especially during holidays and special events, such as birthdays, graduations, and
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weddings. This military spouse talked about how she was solely responsible for everyone and
everything, which is a challenge to her thriving:
The downsides are you miss a lot of things. You miss a lot of times with your significant
other, your significant other misses a lot of time with his family. Because, as I said,
because he was gone a lot when the kids were younger, he didn’t really get to enjoy that
babyhood, and that’s a missed opportunity. Their babyhood doesn’t come back.
COVID-19. Twenty of 20 participants reported the pandemic adversely affected them.
All participants described how COVID-19 affected childcare, employment, well-being, and their
family/military lifestyle. Subthemes that emerged related to COVID-19 and impacted military
spouses’ ability to thrive included loss of childcare, being pregnant and losing family during
COVID-19, the world of opportunity to work remotely, job vanishing when COVID-19 hit,
adapting during the pandemic, and children with special needs. A participant whose profession
was nursing and whose active-duty service member was in the Philippines, training in the
rainforest, said, “So, I got a job doing inpatient care at a rehabilitation hospital, it was with
adults. Then COVID hit, and so, I had to quit because my kids didn’t have childcare.”
Five of the 20 participants had children with special needs, and the pandemic
disrupted and adversely impacted their children's educational and medical needs (e.g., physical
therapy, occupational therapy, learning). As a result, their children were not thriving, which
caused them not to thrive. One participant, an educator, shared her experience and the challenges
she faced at the intersection of moving, finding therapist support and related services, and
advocating for her special needs child during the pandemic. She said,
Change is especially hard for autistic kids. And moving across the country in the middle
of a school year is going to be hard for any kid. With Covid, my daughter went from
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having a trained ABA therapist 12 to 15 hours a week, who worked one-on-one with her,
was her ally, friend, and could make sense of the world with her to everything shutting
down. I thrive when she is thriving, and she wasn’t thriving.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a trifecta of conditions (i.e., childcare, employment,
well-being) converged that affected the military spouses' environments and abilities to thrive.
According to 19 of 20 participants, the pandemic shone a light on cracks in the childcare system
for availability, affordability, and accessibility. In addition, spouses shared stories about the
limitations of backup care, the unpredictability of care, scarcity of workplace resources, and
family located across the country, thus not in a position to help because of distance and financial
reasons. Furthermore, working spouses struggled with stress and anxiety, some with depression,
while trying to keep it all together.
Benefits. Twenty of 20 participants described pride in their active-duty spouses serving
their country, travel, social support networks, and financial security, when describing the benefits
of being a military spouse. In the words of one participant, “It’s a community that gets me and I
don’t have to explain myself, who gets what you’re going through.” Table 4 provides a snapshot
of the military spouses’ reported benefits to thriving, the number out of the 20 participants who
mentioned each benefit, and a key quote representing each benefit.
Throughout this study, participants shared their experiences and perspectives about what
it’s like to be a military spouse, including benefits and challenges. Twenty of 20 military spouse
participants commented, “I am really proud of my spouse.” A Navy spouse whose active-duty
service member had served on submarines for 22 years shared how proud she was of her
husband. He was assigned to an undersea rescue command. She explained what an undersea
rescue command involves:
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If something happens in the world, then he would have to deploy to go take care of the
undersea rescue. We always cross our fingers that nothing happens. As a submarine
spouse, we go through extended periods of time, 60 to 90 days without any
communication. Very hard and yet I am so very proud of him and to be a military spouse.

Table 4
Military Spouses’ Reported Benefits to Thriving
Subtheme Number of
participants
(n = 20)
Key quotes
Pride in active-duty
spouse and their work
for the greater good

20 So, I am really proud of my spouse. I’m proud of
the things he does. I see all the good that the
military does, and he works for that greater
good.
Social support networks 19 It’s an instant community; a community that gets
what you’re going through because your
military spouse friends are also navigating a
difficult lifestyle. They’re the best friends I’ve
ever had, lifelong friends.
Opportunity to travel
stateside and overseas
16

The ability to meet people from all over the
world, learn about new cultures. Living in
Germany and Italy. Flying Space A to Japan
and Okinawa. And living in Hawaii is cool.
Financial security

14 Definite financial benefits, at least for our family,
that financial stability has been paramount,
because I watched the effects of the recession
on my family, that we were able to kind of
buffer in 2008. My spouse’s retirement is a
benefit and having medical care are definite
benefits.

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A participant, who had experienced 12 moves with her active-duty service member and
had three children, described her husband’s transition from the Air Force to Space Force and
how proud both she and her children were of him, as they are part of history, watching the U.S.
Space Force, as it grows and develops. She said,
I love that they get to experience the different people in this nation that their dad gets to
serve and protect. And they take a lot of pride in that, too. And I think that’s one of the
biggest benefits.
One participant talked about Space Force, which she explained “was founded December
2019 and currently is the world’s only independent space force.” She described the transition
from the Air Force to being part of Space Force as “being part of something greater, a greater
good,” which she described as being at the top of her list, when it comes to the pride she felt for
her active-duty spouse and the work that he did in the military. She said:
And it’s turned into now we’re helping mold how this new branch sets the bar and
changes and makes things better for other people. I mean this is an opportunity that so
many people don’t have. And it’s really exciting because he literally has the opportunity
to change things for other people. And that’s a huge thing for my husband, and for me as
well. We are Space Force. Now, we have this whole new branch. I am so proud of him.
A participant, who served in the Army, was retired, and was a stay-at-home dad and self-
employed, described how he felt about his active-duty spouse and her military service. He
explained “1% of our population defends the other 99.” He admired the spouses of active-duty
because they “serve while their spouses serve on active-duty,” and he revered and was proud of
active-duty service members and veterans. He said,
And I have absolute love for everybody who is currently serving or a veteran. I am
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especially proud of my wife. She’s been in the Army for 16 years, deployed to Iraq and
Afghanistan, and she’s got 4 more years until she retires. But I know when her 4
years are up, if the need was there for our nation and for the people to the left and to the
right who she serves with, she would stay.
Travel. Another benefit all 20 spouses shared was the opportunity to live and travel in
“incredible places” (e.g., Alaska, Naples, Hawaii, Guam, Turkey, Germany, Australia, England),
where they may have never had the opportunity to visit and live. Five of the 20 participants
described Space-A travel: the opportunity to fly as a passenger when military flights have
unfilled seats. Flights are offered free to military personnel and their dependents. For
international flights, the surcharge is around 10 dollars. Space-A flights, also known as military
hops, connect with military bases stateside and overseas.
One participant, an Air Force spouse with two children and whose active-duty service
member had served in the military for 14 years, leading the family to move six times, described
Space-A travel:
We were able to take advantage of Space-A. That was great. We went to Ramstein
[Germany] twice. We caught Space-A from Baltimore, and we went to Ramsein on the
Patriot Express. From Ramstein, the first time, we went to Italy. We went all over the
place, to Rome and then to Naples. And the second time from Ramstein we went to
France. We went to Paris, and, of course, then, we did Normandy. I was a history major
in school. It was all just fascinating.
Nine of 20 military spouses described traveling across the country, as if they were taking
a road trip. Their family stopped and explored national parks or state capitals, camped, and hiked
or biked trails. Twenty of 20 participants described traveling around and learning about the area
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where they were living. One participant, who relocated to the West Coast and lived in Los
Angeles, CA, with his family, retired from the Army. His active-duty service member
transitioned to Space Force, which precipitated their move to Los Angeles. He described his
mindset toward travel. He said, “As a family, we have made a conscious effort to enjoy the West
Coast, its beaches, mountains, and Disneyland. For me, being with family now is thriving.”
An element of the military spouse experience mentioned by all 20 spouses was meeting
people from different cultures or different locations and who possess different beliefs, which
became learning opportunities for the military spouses. An Army spouse described her
experience:
Travel, learning new cultures. I went from being surrounded by Inuits and Eskimos, and
learning all the tribes and the lifestyle of Alaska for 11 years and all the beauty and sights
and really culture, to being in El Paso [Texas], on the border of Mexico. Definitely the
diversity, the exposure of different cultures, seeing sights that I never would have seen.
So, I probably wouldn’t have, for example, gotten the opportunity to go to Alaska, to go
to the Mojave Desert or to the border of Mexico, or up here in the Northeast, without
being married to the military.
For seven of 20 military spouses who lived overseas, their families, while traveling,
visited famous landmarks, museums, churches, festivals, and events and traveled throughout the
country in which they lived and in neighboring countries. One military spouse, who was a 911
dispatcher, had become a stay-at-home mom with four children and a part-time job, and had
experienced one deployment (Greenland) and 20 TDYs, described being stationed overseas.
They lived for 4 years in a village about a 2-hour drive from London, England, on the eastern
side, near Norwich, about an hour east of Cambridge:
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We lived in a village: Thetford, England. The whole village was probably one square
mile. So, everyone walked everywhere. There was a river that ran through the middle of
town and a stone wall that ran alongside it that was thousands of years old with moss
covering all over it. Oh, I loved that village. We lived near the tri-base area—Royal Air
Force (RAF) Lakenheath, Mildenhall, and Feltwell—three American military bases that
were all right next to each other. It was a wonderful storybook experience, and we
traveled everywhere.
In summary, 20 of 20 military spouses experienced opportunities to travel stateside or
overseas. They described traveling from coast to coast or from one state to another. They talked
about taking advantage of visiting locations where they were either passing through or exploring
areas nearby where they live. Twenty of 20 participants described the opportunity to travel as a
benefit to thriving.
Social Support Networks. Nineteen of 20 military spouse participants described the
value of social support and its impact on their abilities to thrive. Social support included the
emotional and material help they received from family, friends, and other military members.
Sixteen of 20 participants described social support as especially important to spouses’ abilities to
thrive, when they were living far away from family members, whether living in another state or
overseas. In addition, 20 of 20 participants talked about stress as part of their military lifestyle.
Inherent in their lives is the stress that can result from long periods of separation from the active-
duty family member, the threat of accidents, and the possibility of combat. As one participant
described the stress of accidents and combat:
And then it all came crashing down when we had somebody killed in action, and it just—
I don’t know what about that set me back so far, but it set me back enough that I
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just couldn’t catch back up, and I feel like I’ve been chasing that experience for 3
years now, trying to find that balance again. And then I thought: The goal is to be
resilient when you take these hits and to keep pushing forward anyway. I couldn’t catch
back up. My brother helped with these hits and my fear. So has working as a researcher
for Blue Star Families and talking to military spouses who have experienced these hits,
the fears.
On the one hand, military spouses live far away from home and family, and on the other
hand, spouses build relationships where they are and acquire an extended family where they are
living: a close-knit community, a sense of place. These relationships are their social support, and
20 of 20 participants described these relationships as often becoming lifelong, as the best friends
they have ever had as an adult. One military spouse, who worked as a contractor in family
advocacy programs and was newly married when her active-duty service member was assigned
to Vilseck, Germany, described social support:
I’ve made amazing, amazing friends. I think it’s made me stronger as a person. I was 23
when we moved to Germany, and my husband was gone a lot. I had to figure out things
pretty quick. I went from my parent’s house to college and then I moved to Germany. I
kind of got thrown into everything on my own, which helped me grow, I think.
Another participant described military spouses as a sisterhood. Her active-duty spouse
has served for 28 years, they have moved nine times, and experienced nine deployments. She has
served for over 20 years as a mentor to and support for hundreds of military spouses who needed
a listening ear/sounding board, guidance related to resources (i.e., employment, childcare,
education), and/or trusted advisor and friend. She explained what she meant by military spouse
sisterhood and social support network. She said:
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Military spouses are a sisterhood, people in your tribe, brothers and sisters that get it
because they’re also military spouses or military connected. And it’s almost like an
instant connection. We embrace newcomers, stay in touch, regardless of location,
advocate for one another, listen to one another, and try to help one another. I say the
human connection because of the commonality of the military. It’s our support network.
In summary, 19 of 20 participants described the value of social support networks and its
impact on their ability to thrive. For military spouses, a social support network can include
family, other military spouses who are mentors or friends, and organizations that support military
spouses and their families such as BSF. Furthermore, military spouses depend on social support
networks during times of stress, relocation, fear of loss or accident, and deployment.
Financial Security. In response to the interview question about the benefits of being a
military spouse, 14 of 20 participants responded that financial security is a benefit. They shared
financial security included having a steady income, the military healthcare system, and
retirement. Participants also discussed the ability to retire after 20 years of service, the Post-9/11
GI Bill that extends to families to fund their education, and access to free legal services. In
addition, one participant, whose profession was financial services and who volunteered,
educating military spouses new to her community or to the military, summed it up:
I often wonder how many of our military spouses have opportunities to participate in a
financial literacy class or presentation that educates them as to what the military offers to
support their financial security. Like Veterans Administration home loans, the Post-9/11
GI Bill, state tax breaks, life insurance, the Thrift Savings Program, Space-A flights, the
exchange and commissary. All are designed to support financial security for those
serving in the military and in support of military spouses and their families.
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A participant who had previously served in the military explained, “There is an inherent
sense of security.” He explained when a military family or a soldier, sailor, Marine, airman or
guardian relocates, in most cases, there is housing assigned to them in their new location. If there
is no housing available, the other option is to live in the civilian community and receive a
housing allowance to use toward paying rent or a mortgage. In addition, the government will
always make payroll every month. He explained healthcare is covered, and no premium is paid
or deducted from an active-duty service member’s paycheck. If a service member serves
honorably for 20 years or longer, there is guaranteed retirement that includes healthcare. He said,
Security of dwelling, of food and medical care, those are the three primaries that we get,
that a lot of people struggle to get. And so, I don’t ever discount that, or I don’t want to
make that sound like it’s an expected thing, because it really is a blessing to the military
community, active and spouses, especially.
In summary, 14 of 20 participants responded that financial security is a benefit.
Participants described retirement, healthcare, housing, and funding of education as factors related
to financial security. These factors support military spouses and their families feeling secure
about their financial future.
Finding 3: For Military Spouses, the Decision of the Active-Duty Service Member to Remain
In or Leave the Military Is Influenced by the Impact of the Military Lifestyle on Family
Stability
For military spouses, remaining in the military was largely an issue related to family
stability. Spouse concerns related to stability are the active-duty service members’ time away
from family, the stress of relocation, childcare availability and affordability, and spouse
employment. Twenty of 20 participants described how time away from family, relocation, and
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employment affected family stability. Nineteen of 20 participants included finding available and
affordable childcare as affecting their family’s stability. Ten of 20 participants talked about not
wanting to move anymore and the stress related to packing, relocating, unpacking, and starting
over again, which impacts family stability. Six of 20 participants talked about transitioning out of
the military and retirement. Five of the 20 participants talked about relocation and not having
much choice, as it is part of the military lifestyle.
One participant was a military spouse whose service member had been in the military for
12 years, and they had moved seven times. She discussed her feelings about her work, how her
identity is wrapped up in the work she does (research in support of military spouses), and why
she had no more moves left in her. She explained that the combination of the last move with
COVID-19, the unavailability of affordable housing, finding a school and a neighborhood that
worked for the family, and working remotely at a new job which brought greater responsibilities.
shared,
For me, as a military spouse, my husband’s job not interfering with what I want to do
professionally because we’re done with that. We’re getting out because of that. And
because I need it. And because military service responsibilities increase as you increase
in rank, and I’m increasing in rank essentially also. You do that and you add on new kids,
new family, new responsibilities, all those types of things, and if you caught me in the
middle of moves, it’s like starting all over again, and personally I’d be feeling pretty
negative.
Another participant who had been a military spouse for 28 years and moved nine times
had come to a point in her life where she felt her family was ready to transition and she was, too.
She was selected for her “dream job” last year and was promoted recently. She could work
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remotely and travel into the main office in New York City, NY, periodically. Her active-duty
spouse was at the height of his career and was ready to transition out of the military. She
summed up her feelings: “Now, my children are 12, 14, 20 and 24, and we have one
granddaughter. And now, it’s time to start to land the aircraft of the military career, if you will.”
A military spouse participant, whose service member had been in the military for 16
years and who had moved seven times, achieved a dream last year and completed her degree in
education. She had always wanted to be a teacher, and she had become one. She was going to
begin her first teaching job at the start of the 2022-2023 school year, in Hawaii. After student
teaching in Georgia during the pandemic, then moving to Hawaii and experiencing the water
pollution crisis, followed by 4 months of applying for one teaching job after another, she felt it
was time for her husband to retire. He was eligible to retire, and she wanted to stay in Hawaii.
She explained,
And it’s also tough if you have children. It’s really tough, especially when your kids
are school aged, to have to move. That is stressful. I have a child that’s in the sixth grade,
and I have a child that’s in the eighth grade. And my eighth grader has been to, I think we
said it’s, like, six schools. My youngest, who was in sixth grade in Georgia in a middle
school, comes to Hawaii and is in sixth grade but in an elementary school. In July, he will
begin middle school in Hawaii. So, it was really disruptive for him. He went from middle
school to elementary to middle school. And we are likely going to move again. And of
course, you do what you have to do.
One participant whose service member had been in the military for 7 years and had
moved two times, was an aeronautical engineer. He was also a stay-at-home-dad. As a result, he
put his engineering and technology skills to work and became an entrepreneur. He created his
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own application, which supports military spouses connecting with one another. He adapted. He
described his perspective:
You have to move around, and you don’t get much choice in that. I think the worst
aspect is having a spouse whose time is under somebody else’s control. My wife has
commands and training and stuff, but her career comes first. So, if she has to work late,
then the spouse has to pick up the slack. And I think that aspect when it relates to
childcare or family responsibilities of all sorts of kinds, I think, is worse than having to
move around.
Another participant, whose active-duty service member had been in the military for 16
years and had six moves, expressed her feelings at the very beginning of the interview: “If you’re
not built for ambiguity, uncertainty, the military lifestyle is hard.” She added, “In order for her
husband to progress in his career, they need to make the move.” She explained every time her
husband received a new assignment, her three children were settled into school and had friends,
and she was in the middle of a job that she really liked. Her perspective on moving was
And I just think most moves are unnecessary. I think there’s probably a much more
strategic way to go about this and allow people to have longer, more stable careers in
locations. And it puts an enormous amount of stress on families, to keep up with this
lifestyle. And it’s a retention issue, who wants to continue doing this?
In summary, participants’ decisions to remain in or to leave the military was contingent
on stability: stability for the family, stability for school age children, spouse employment
stability, and economic stability. Their stability was directly related to moving and compounded
by deployments, service members’ time away from home/late hours, fear of service member’s
safety, spouses assuming the role of the single parent, spouse employment opportunities,
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childcare affordability and accessibility, and social support. Consequently, the military spouse
and the active-duty service member’s decision to remain in or leave the military affects
recruitment, retention, and ultimately, the nation’s defense.
Research Question 2: What Strategies and Practices Do Military Spouses Employ to
Mitigate Stress?
Finding 4: Military Spouses Establish and Maintain Relationships by Building Social Support
Networks in Their Military Community and Local Community
For 20 of 20 participants in this study, relationships that they established and maintained
from place to place, duty assignment to duty assignment, were important to their emotional,
social, mental, and physical well-being, which ultimately affected their ability to thrive. In the
words of one of the 20 participants, “It’s a community that gets me and I don’t have to explain
myself, who gets what you’re going through.” These relationships included those they
established at home, in their neighborhoods, military communities, civilian communities,
schools, churches, and work (volunteer or paid). After an analysis of participant interview
responses, six strategies for military spouses and how they build social support networks
emerged. Those six strategies included
• gathering together people who understand them and the military
• establishing and building relationships in military and civilian communities
• maintaining friendships
• educating themselves about military spouse and family resources and networks
• mentoring other military spouses who are newcomers to the unit, community, and or
military.
• being intentional and authentic in building social networks.
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The six strategies are reflected in the responses of the following five participants, each
representing a branch of the United States Armed Forces:
The Army spouse said,
I have this long PCS checklist of things that I try and set in motion prior to getting to an
installation, like looking at where we’re going to go grocery shopping, where the kids are
going to go to school, where their day care is. I already find a hair stylist and that type of
thing. All of our creature comfort things, just so when we get there, we just start building
that new life. I build a solid social network and support system, and it takes a little bit.
I’ve gotten better at how I reach out. So, everything evolves.
The Navy spouse said,
The other huge part is I always encourage them [the spouses] to be a part of the family
groups. I think that’s a huge component, and they’re really missing out if they choose not
to participate in them. They can be very powerful and a great resource and support
system or part of that building community for the spouses. I remember when I couldn’t
find work right away, after we were newly married and before we had kids. I encourage
spouses, “You can’t find work right away? Go volunteer at the Navy-Marine Corps
Relief Society or anywhere you can just go into a regular volunteer job and be interacting
with people, and just boosting your skillset and your confidence. Really to go out there
and be your own person.”
The Marine spouse said,
Sometimes for newer military spouses or younger ones who are just starting off, I think
that’s a really tough time. So, I think, maybe you [new spouses] get into this [the
military] saying, “I know what to expect. They’re busy and we move around a lot.” But
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it’s so much more than that. Honestly, you just have to put yourself out there. There are
resources on base. I am in human resources, and I make sure that spouses know about and
have access to resources on base and in the community.
The Air Force spouse said,
In Louisiana, I had a really strong support system. My husband was home from
deployment and flying a lot, had a great job, and was happy. Everything was set up for
my child, both therapy and school. My child is autistic, so we were happy for all the care
provided to her. I was working for Blue Star Families, which is a company I really
respect and enjoy working at. I had a church that I belonged to—or that my family
belonged to—that would go out of their way. I had four grandmothers there, who would
bend over backwards for us. And I had good friends.
The Space Force spouse said,
I have felt in the last 6 months that I have been thriving more. More than ever before.
And the reason why is because of a fellow military spouse who called me up and was
like, “Hey, I want to nominate you for something, but it’s going to be outside your
comfort zone.” And I was like, “I don’t know if I want to do that.” And she’s like, “No, I
really think you need to.” She said it was one thing and it turned into a whole lot more. I
was so out of my comfort zone. And since doing that I have grown as a person, as a
spouse, as a mentor. It’s built my self-esteem. It’s built my self-confidence. All because
of a fellow military spouse reaching out.
In summary, military spouses connect with other military spouses and build social
support networks through friendships in the neighborhood, shared duty stations, specialized
units, the community (e.g., school, sports, or church), and work (volunteer or paid). The
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strategies they employ to build social support networks foster relationships that contribute to a
military spouse’s social, emotional, mental, and physical well-being, and their ability to thrive.
Finding 5: Military Spouses Implement Personal Strategies and Practices to Support Their
Ability to Thrive.
When asked about personal strategies and practices they employ to support their abilities
to thrive, 19 of 20 military spouses commonly described self-care, positive mindset, asking for
help, having a mentor, or travel (see Table 5). One of the 20 military spouses described her
personal strategy as “buying thriving.” Nineteen of 20 spouses described self-care. Seventeen of
20 participants described a positive mindset as their strategy for thriving. Twelve of 20
participants discussed the importance of asking for help when and where needed. Nine of 20
participants talked about the value of having a mentor to guide them. Fourteen of the participants
described travel as their strategy to support their ability to thrive. Twelve of 20 participants
described three of the same strategies and practices that they implement to support their ability to
thrive, which include self-care, a positive mindset, and travel.

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Table 5
Military Spouse Strategies and Practices to Support Thriving
Strategies
and
practices
Number of
participants
(n = 20)
Key quote
Buy
thriving
1 And what I mean by ‘buy thriving’ is I buy a landscaper. I buy a
maid, a housecleaning service every once in a while, because
those are the things that fall off when you are busy.
Self-care 20 Thriving is really about taking care of yourself first. Be kind to
yourself. That’s where I always start.
Mentor 9 It’s hard to reach spouses. And ACP has a spouse mentor program
that is nationwide. It partners a mentor military spouse with a
military spouse seeking a mentor. It’s a formal yearlong program.
Military spouses often have informal mentors, too, like some
other spouse in the unit, or at work, or where they volunteer, a
friend even.
Positive
mindset
17 And you need to be resourceful, adaptable, flexible, have a growth
mindset, open to change, open to integrating with different
cultures, open to learning the locals, and of course open to new
relationships wherever you go.
Ask for
help
12 I would recommend a pre-Army spouse counseling which would
get people on the same page on expectations and all that, I think
that would be awesome. But also recommending that spouses get
plugged into the community. It’s hard to be alone and doing it all,
so ask for help.
Travel 14 We were stationed in Germany for our first assignment. It was like
a fairy tale existence. And Germany’s gorgeous. It’s such a
beautiful country. I loved it.

Buying Thriving. Participants described the importance of self-care and its positive
effects as related to their ability to thrive. The practice of taking an active role in protecting their
own well-being and happiness, especially during times of stress, supported their ability to thrive.
One participant, an Army spouse with one young child whose active-duty service member had
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served for 12 years and who had moved six times and experienced six deployments, described
what thriving means to her and how her idea of thriving supports her own self-care and
happiness:
So, I’ve chosen in some circumstances to “buy thriving.” And what I mean by “buy
thriving” is I buy a landscaper. I buy a maid, a housecleaning service every once in a
while, because those are the things that fall off when you are busy. COVID made it hard
because I used to buy myself time at yoga, especially during deployments. I would go
when my son was at school during a lunch hour or something like that instead of in the
evenings. But to be honest with you, we’ve both gotten to the point in our careers that I
don’t. And by the way, he defines thriving the same way, that he can be fulfilled in his
personal and professional work without my stuff getting in the way. And we’ve reached a
point right now where we can’t both be doing that. And so, he’s getting out.”
Self-Care. “Everything else comes first” was a common response among the military
spouse participants, when they explained how exercise and healthy eating habits factored into
their self-care and ability to thrive. As most of them explained, their level of thriving depended
on whether their active-duty service member was away from home. When participants were
asked what personal strategies and practices they used to support their ability to thrive, 20 of 20
participants described self-care. They practiced self-care to mitigate stress, loneliness, isolation,
anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, 19 of 20 participants described the negative impact of
COVID-19, not eating healthy, not sleeping, and trying to keep it all together, as factors that
challenged their self-care and ability to thrive.
One participant described how she knew when she was thriving because her level of self-
care is high. She explained, “I am walking early every morning, eating healthy, my level of
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anxiety is low, and I am reading books, lots of books.” Another participant described self-care
when it comes first and everything else is second: “I make sure I get enough sleep, go to yoga
regularly, drop what I’m doing only if there’s an emergency, enjoy some solitude, and mostly I
stop rushing, running from one thing to another, feeling hurried.” One military spouse, a veteran,
said she knew an element of her self-care related to feeling “pretty scrappy.” She explained, “I
think military spouses are pretty scrappy individuals and they can get anything. done at any time.
And that they should all be pretty admired for what they can do.”
Mentor. Nine of 20 participants talked about mentors, describing their formal and
informal mentoring experiences, and two of the nine talked about mentoring experiences that
included coaching. When asked in what ways their mentors had helped them, they largely
described having someone to talk to, asking for advice, or guidance in writing a resume,
interviewing for a job, and transitioning. Four of 20 participants described the FIRST mentorship
program, which was started at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in support of military spouses whose
active-duty service member was assigned to First Special Forces Group. One participant who,
along with her active-duty spouse, was involved in the startup stage, described how the program
began:
At the time it was the group commander spouse, the group command sergeant major
spouse, and spouses who wanted to help connect with other spouses. We started with a
few spouses, and it turned into a big thing. It turned into a huge FIRST mentorship
program. We came up with goals, the mission, the vision, types of program aspirations, a
logo, simple things. We’d do retreats. We did DiSC assessments. It turned into a
community that did a lot of social events, developmental programs, and mentoring.
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Another spouse who is a member of FIRST mentorship shared she found this research
study through the program:
Most recently, how I found your research study was the FIRST Mentorship program. …
So, FIRST Mentorship. That was big, both the program, what it does to support spouses,
and knowing about the study, that someone was interested in what I thought as a military
spouse.
A participant provided additional history about the FIRST program. She explained the
overarching goal was to keep special forces soldiers (1st Group) in the formation and part of that
goal was supporting soldiers’ support system. She said,
It’s coming up on its 10-year mark. I think the first 3 years, it puttered along, trying to
gain steam and then we got funded. And then shortly after it got funded, I took over the
program as the volunteer lead, and with the help of many, I think we turned it into this
fantastic program. We meet every first Friday. We have biannual conferences. We have a
logo, and we all know that that’s the FIRST mentorship program. You go places and you
hear people say, “I’ll see you at the FIRST Friday.” The program has meant so much to
me. And it’s an easy way to help embrace the new people. It’s an easy way to learn from
the older ones.
One participant works with ACP, which mentors military spouses nationwide. She
explained the program pairs spouses (mentors and mentees) through an application process.
Partners (pairings of mentors and mentees) commit to 1 year of monthly, one-to-one meetings
and check ins as needed. The program is supported by corporate sponsors. She said,
I started volunteering, mentoring and launched a military spouse, professional networking
at Fort Stewart. And we went from five to 650 spouses in a year. And I think it was my
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activity, running the spouse group, being aware of resources, sharing resources spouses
that led me to ACP and their mentoring program. On a national scale, they were doing
what I was doing at Fort Stewart. So, I started working with them and getting the word
out to spouses about ACP and their program, which was of no cost to spouses.
She added she first started passing out flyers for ACP when she and her family lived at Fort
Irwin. The flyers advertised ACP’s veteran mentorship program. When the nonprofit announced
they were going to open the program to spouses, she put a countdown on her phone for
November 11th, 2018. She was one of the first to apply:
In fact, I was one of the first ones to apply for the ACP mentorship program, which began
in 2018. And so, I was paired with a Forbes coach, global executive sales for Microsoft.
So, it was like having my own personal Forbes coach. So, she helped me with career
exploration, helped me with power negotiation, gave me the tools and everything. And it
was with her help that I actually landed a position. She was both mentor and coach.
Positive Mindset. Seventeen of 20 participants described having a positive mindset and
how it supports their ability to thrive. They talked about being optimistic, hopeful, resilient, and
accepting. In addition, they also talked about how a positive mindset supports their ability to
thrive and keeps them from giving into negativity and hopelessness. In addition, one participant
described a positive mindset as the “you got this” mindset.
One participant, an Army spouse of 28 years, discussed how she thrives by being
Positive; it is her personal strength that has always worked for her, no matter the hardship,
whether explaining why “four sleeps [days] until Daddy comes home” has extended to 124 more
sleeps or buying aloha shirts for six because you have orders for Hawaii then orders change and
you are redirected to California desert, home of Fort Irwin. She said,
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Well, I would say you have to fight for your own path and your own identity, whether
that identity is professional or personal or whatever it is. And you need to be resourceful,
adaptable, flexible, have a growth mindset, open to change, open to integrating with
different cultures, open to learning the locals, and of course open to new relationships
wherever you go.
Another participant described the combination of a positive mindset and thriving:
“I’m able to do the things that I want to do, in spite of the situation telling me that I can’t.” He
explained after his 2018 failed job hunt and 2020 failed job hunt, he decided despite both
outcomes, he, personally, had not failed and would not give up. He decided he would become a
freelance writer. He said,
And I started my own business, a little LLC, with which I have acquired a number of
clients over the last couple of years. And it’s challenging for me because it isn’t
ultimately what I originally wanted to do. But it’s out of my desire to grow, my desire to
work, my work ethic. It pushes me to continue to produce something. And because I
couldn’t get a job, I made my own darn job.
Ask for Help. Twelve of 20 participants talked about their practice of asking for help and
how it helps their ability to thrive. They described asking for medical help for an autistic child
and counseling for anxiety or depression for themselves. They described seeking marriage
counseling, asking for help from their child’s school, and asking for help from the spouses in
their same unit or command during deployments.
One participant with 22 years and nine moves as a Navy spouse described how important
thriving is to her well-being. She remembered what it was like during her first years as a Navy
spouse. She learned the importance of community and spouses depending on each other, asking
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for help. The submarine commands were small, and the groups were tight knit. She described
putting oneself first, and by doing that, helping everyone else:
You’re not able to go out and have social interactions and be engaged with others, if
you’re not taking care of yourself first. To me, that’s really the core of it, because if I’m
okay, then that impacts my children. If I’m not able to go out because of stress or
anxiety or whatever concerns that I am having, then I’m not able to go out and interact
with my community and build those support systems, which means I need to ask for help.
Another spouse relocated with her active-duty spouse from the east coast to the west
coast, from the west coast to the South Pacific, and from the South Pacific back to the west coast
during the last 7 years. She described ways that she found to reach out and where to ask for help
when she moved to a small island in the East China Sea. She explained a military spouse seldom
knows anyone at a new assignment, and if she does, she’s lucky, especially if the person is a
friend. She said,
So, I think for a military spouse who may not have the option of knowing someone
at a new location, I would recommend reaching out on social media or Facebook groups
and researching community resources that way. And between you and me, church
communities on base at the base chapels or in the local community are places where you
can ask questions, get help, learn where everything is and who to talk to.
One spouse described her experience when she asked for help with taking care of a baby,
her first child, when her husband was deployed. She talked about the Army’s new parent support
program. The program provided a home visitor who came to her house every week after her
husband was deployed and made sure she and her baby were eating breakfast every morning.
The participant said,
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My very first piece of advice is always use the free resources that the Army provides to
you. If you don’t know where to find them, ask. My next piece of advice is don’t be
afraid to ask questions. Ask where the library is, ask where the Army Community
Services Building is. Ask where the welcome center is, because almost every base will
have a newcomer’s brief or a tour. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be afraid to
ask for help.
Travel. Fourteen of 20 participants described the opportunities that travel afforded them
and their families. They shared how travel made them feel connected to people and places,
supporting their ability to thrive. They explained if it were not for their military lifestyle, they
would never have met the people, seen and explored the places, or learned the perspectives that
they had by living in a variety of states or countries. As one military spouse remarked, “It
definitely opens up a new world.” Another spouse, currently living in Hawaii, described her
travels which have taken her around the world:
I’m always astounded by the sheer number of people we know in different places
because we’ve lived in these different places. And when you meet all these people and
then they go to different places, and it just makes you feel connected to the world in a
different way. It’s a good feeling, this connection, and part of what helps me thrive.
A military spouse of 26 years, commenting on what thriving looks like and feels like,
shared a story about military spouse well-being and the bonding that took place on a train trip in
the Alaskan frozen north—thriving despite adverse traveling conditions:
I wish that I could say that I cracked the code on thriving. We all need to talk about the
code on a national level. About sense of purpose, living a life that feels fulfilling, making
a positive impact. We lived in Alaska surrounded by Inuits and Eskimos, learning all the
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tribes and the lifestyle of Alaska for 11 years, all the beauty and the sights. During this
time, our service members’ duty away from home was extended and instead of coming
home as planned in late July, they were to be away another 124 days until December, in
addition to heading into the time of year that it was dark all day, every day. Spouses were
frazzled. So, to try to give them all some mental health and a little time away, we worked
with the Alaska Railroad. For the Thanksgiving holiday, we arranged for a train ride from
Fairbanks to Anchorage and then a weekend stay at a spa with onsite care for the kids.
Now, I wouldn’t recommend it because the train was like an icebox, but just the
gathering, getting away, the connection was worth it. Seeing the smiles, knowing the trip
had a positive impact, and what thriving looked like traveling on a freezing train from
Fairbanks to Anchorage.
One participant talked about moving with her family from the west coast to Washington,
DC, where they had never lived before. She talked about how much she loves history, about her
graduate thesis about WWII, how her four children are now old enough to understand and
appreciate history, and how she “drags her kids to all the history things everywhere we live.
Thank you, military.” She said,
And actually, it’s become less of a drag and more of a like. Now my kids say, “Can we
go learn about this?” And now that we’re in DC, they look at all the places that they can
go and learn, like the Library of Congress and get a reader card. And so, we live in a cool
spot, and I love that my kids are up for that.
Finding 6: Military Spouses Seek Employment That Is Meaningful and Related to Their
Profession; However, Spouses Will Choose Underemployment, Rather Than Unemployment
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Twenty of 20 participants who were interviewed for this study described employment
experiences when answering the question related to challenges of being a military spouse.
Fifteen of 20 participants reported they had experienced some degree of underemployment, such
as someone with a master’s in business administration (MBA) distributing flyers, a spouse with a
degree in marketing / advertising doing office clerical work, a licensed social worker working as
a day care provider, a PhD working as an intern in her field of study, and an aerospace engineer
coaching triathletes. Twenty of 20 spouses talked about the difference in the availability of jobs
depending on the location of the installation and the discrepancy in pay from place to place.
Fourteen of 20 participants described their experiences related to licensure and credentialing,
interview bias, being underemployed or employed, education, and resume gaps because of
frequent relocation.
Licensure. Fourteen of 20 participants work in fields that require a state-based
professional license or certification to practice. These credentials are seldom transferable.
Participant professions that require a license or certification include nursing, teaching, social
work, engineering, and neurobiology. Maintaining current licensure or certification to meet the
requirements of the state where a military spouse has relocated is time-consuming and
expensive; it remains a barrier for military spouses. As explained by participants, when a military
spouse can’t easily relicense, they lose time and money, while waiting to complete the state’s
licensure process, and there are times they receive their license or certification just as it is time to
move again.
One participant who had moved seven times and worked in her profession (teaching) at
every new assignment described a strategy she found successful in mitigating the stress of
licensure and certification. She said,
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The first time we moved, my teaching license from North Carolina was not recognized by
Washington state, so I had to apply for a Washington teacher’s license. We arrived in
July, and it took almost 2 months until I had my Washington license. School started in
August and by the time my license arrived, I missed out on several teaching
opportunities. So, I did a lot of substitute teaching. The second time we moved, I applied
for a teaching license before moving. Let time work for me. Filled out applications.
Submitted them ahead of time, too. That strategy worked. I started a teaching job at the
beginning of the new school year. I had my own class.
Another participant was a nurse by profession. She had moved six times, had four
children, and had an active-duty spouse who had served in the military for 16 years. She
described her strategy of working as a contract nurse at a federal facility:
Becoming a contract nurse at a federal facility means my license has always been
accepted. So, I don’t need to switch licenses every time we move. At [my location], I
worked in the ER, and as a contractor, my only options were to work the night shift. So, I
switched to working in the clinic. So, when we move, I can work as a nurse on any
federal facility without applying for the state’s nursing license.
One military spouse held a PhD as a social worker and researcher. She had three children,
and her family had moved eight times. Her active-duty service member had served in the military
for 18 years. She described a strategy she stumbled on after several years of cobbling together a
career as a social worker, researcher, and professor. She said:
I ended up unemployed for longer than I would like to have been, and my professional
identity took a nosedive. And eventually, I ran into Blue Star Families. I started
volunteering. And then, I started as a consultant, and then I started as a staff person. And
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now, I’m actually, I think, in an even better place than I would have been if I stayed in
academia. Blue Star Families accepted my social work license. I work remotely, and I
can work from any military installation in the world.
Interview Bias. Interview bias was common among the military spouse participants.
Sixteen of 20 participants described their experiences with interview bias. The question of
whether to volunteer being a military spouse, to wait for the interviewer to ask, or to hope the
topic did not arise were choices participants said they have to prepare for at each interview.
Through their experiences over the years, they learned their decision as to which course to take
was contingent on the employer’s attitude toward hiring military spouses; either the employer
thought the spouse added value or would eventually move, not staying in the job long enough to
justify employing them.
One participant’s profession was marketing and advertising. She had two teenage
children. Her active-duty service member had served in the military for 22 years. She described
her simple strategy for answering the question about being a military spouse:
I just say, we moved here for my husband’s job, and keep it at that. In my head, I am
saying to myself: This is prejudice. It is bias. It is against the law. The short answer does
not require an explanation.
Another participant worked in the field of family advocacy. She had moved three times,
and her active-duty service member had served in the military for 9 years. She decided that if the
job were on a military installation, then the strategy is full disclosure (“Yes, I am a military
spouse”), which had worked for her and also encouraged her to apply for jobs on military
installations. She said,
So, you’re told, “Don’t be forthcoming in job interviews about being a military spouse.”
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Yep, I hate that. That’s something that has to be said, but I mean, I think it was to my
advantage in my most recent interview because, I mean, I was interviewing to work for a
military unit. Being a military spouse meant I understood some, and I was definitely able
to articulate that it made me able to understand systems and processes, acronyms, and
rank structure. In my most recent interview, I think that was advantageous for me
Underemployment. Twenty of 20 participants have experienced underemployment,
which means throughout the years, they have accepted positions for which they are
overqualified. Participants explained moving to locations with limited opportunities, having
employers with a bias against hiring military spouses, or the inability to align skills and
education with job opportunities are factors that explain military spouse underemployment. One
participant, who holds a masters degree in social work, described her choice to accept a job for
which she was overqualified: “I’d rather work at the day care job than sit at home and twiddle
my thumbs.” Another participant described her decision to accept a job tutoring high school
students to prepare for the SAT test, though she holds a PhD in research methods: “We PCS to
Kentucky, and I end up unemployed. I went from being Dr. [last name] and a professor at [a
university] to SAT tutoring for $15 an hour because that’s what I could find.”
A military spouse shared her underemployment experience while living overseas, where
the SOFA is in effect. The SOFA is the agreement between the United States and any country
where the United States has an installation located. It includes a section about the employment of
foreign nationals and local hires. A certain percentage of foreign nationals (depending on the
country) must be hired at businesses located on the installation. The agreement leaves few jobs
available for military spouses who are considered local hires, living on or in towns near the
installation. Germany is a SOFA partner. A military spouse shared:
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Well, we were stationed in Germany first. Possibilities in terms of employment, they are
super, super limited. The hiring process to get hired as a government civilian can take a
very long time. By the time you’re hired and you feel comfortable in a role, it’s time to
leave again, which then makes you feel like, is it even worth my time to go through the
whole process? I think I got lucky. My friends that I had in Germany really, really
struggled to find what they considered to be meaningful employment to them. The first
year I took a job that I didn’t love because I wanted to be doing something, instead of just
staying home twiddling my thumbs. I mean, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree and
wanted to be doing something. I took a job I didn’t love (day care employee).
Another military spouse participant shared her perspective about underemployment. She
tied the pandemic, childcare, and employment together as to the reason spouses are
underemployed. If a child were sick, she would be the one to stay home from work because her
active-duty spouse could not leave his job, and she had no other childcare option. In addition, if
the childcare provider could not work or the day care closed because of COVID-19, the military
spouse would stay home with her child. If she wanted to work, her options were limited. She
explained:
So, if a kid is sick or needs virtual schooling, or if there’s quarantine, what have
you, the service member can’t call in sick. So, it’s the spouse that has to be flexible. I
feel like that’s one of the reasons the spouses are often underemployed because the jobs
that are more flexible are not the jobs that they want, that match their career expectations,
and so forth, are maybe not as flexible. And so, they won’t be able to take those jobs. Or
they end up taking the per diem job with the thought, I’ll take whatever job you give me
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so I can work today, even though I won’t get paid nearly the same as I would if I could be
that person who comes in every day, who has a routine.
In sum, 20 of 20 military spouse participants chose underemployment over
unemployment, accepting jobs that they are overqualified for to have the opportunity to be
employed.

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Chapter Five: Recommendations
The purpose of this study is to describe what thriving means to military spouses and how
factors in the environment impact a military spouse’s ability to thrive. Factors in the environment
described in this study include military lifestyle, COVID-19, employment, childcare, and
healthcare (well-being). This study was designed to give voice to the experiences and
perspectives of active-duty military spouses, as related to thriving, what it feels like and looks
like when a military spouse is thriving, what it looks like and feels like when a military spouse is
not thriving, and thriving subsequent effects on the military spouse, their family, and the decision
to remain in or to leave the military.
A military spouse’s ability to thrive has a significant impact on their well-being. The
ability to thrive—the experience of living life with meaning, purpose, and a sense of
accomplishment—underpins their capacity for feeling good about themselves and their military
lifestyle. For this study, thriving is defined as the experience of living life with meaning,
purpose, and a sense of accomplishment in response to opportunity or adversity (Brown et al.,
2017). In this chapter, findings for the following two research questions are discussed:
1. What personal and environmental factors influence a military spouse’s ability to
thrive?
2. What strategies and practices do military spouses employ to mitigate stress and
thrive?
The findings of the study were grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s (1992) five ecological
systems (see Table 6). Chapter 5 provides a discussion of the findings, recommendations for
further support of military spouses, and suggestions for future research.

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Table 6
Bronfenbrenner Ecological Systems Theory: Relationship to Research Questions and Findings
Research question Findings Ecological level
What personal and
environmental factors
influence a military
spouse’s ability to thrive?
Military spouses largely defined
thriving as being happy,
fulfilled, and healthy.
Mesosystem (family, school,
church, peers, neighborhood)
Military spouses face several
core challenges to thriving, but
some benefits were present.
Exosystem (extended networks,
family, and neighbors)
Macrosystem (attitudes and
beliefs)
For military spouses, the decision
of the active-duty service
member to remain in or leave
the military is influenced by
the impact of the military
lifestyle on family stability.
Exosystem
Chronosystem (time; changes
that occur over time)
Microsystem (military spouse)
What strategies and practices
do military spouses employ
to mitigate stress and
thrive?
Military spouses establish and
maintain relationships by
building social support
networks in their military
community and local
community, which align with
Brofenbrenner’s theoretical
framework for an individual’s
relationships in communities
and the wider society.
Mesosystem
Exosystem
Macrosystem
Military spouses implement
personal strategies and
practices to support their
ability to thrive.
Mesosystem
Exosystem
Finding 6: Military spouses seek
employment that is meaningful
and related to their profession;
however, spouses will choose
underemployment rather than
unemployment.
Macrosystem
Chronosystem

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Discussion of Findings
An analysis of the interview data related to military lifestyle revealed (a) married military
spouses are single parents during deployments and training in terms of the functioning of their
household; (b) more years of service equate with increased responsibility and often more time
away from home; (c) moving from one location to another adversely affects military spouse
employment, resulting in spouses choosing to be underemployed rather than unemployed; and
(d) frequent moves impact family stability. Stability is directly related to moving and
compounded by service members’ time away from home, fear of service member’s safety,
spouse employment opportunities, childcare affordability and availability, and social support.
Consequently, military spouses and active-duty service members’ decisions to remain in or leave
the military affects recruitment, retention, and ultimately, the nation’s defense.
Participants described challenges and benefits of being a military spouse. Challenges
included frequent relocations, spouse un/underemployment, active-duty members’ time away
from family, and COVID-19. All participants discussed frequent relocations, spouse
employment, active-duty members’ time away from family, and COVID-19 as the challenges of
being a military spouse. Nineteen of 20 participants described affordable childcare as a
challenge. Participants also discussed the benefits of being a military spouse. Benefits included
pride in their active-duty spouse, social support networks, opportunity to travel stateside and
overseas, and financial security. All participants described their feelings of pride for their active-
duty spouse. Nineteen of 20 participants talked about how they relied on social support networks.
Sixteen of 20 participants described the opportunity to travel stateside and overseas. Fourteen of
20 participants discussed financial security as a benefit of being a military spouse.
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The pandemic led to opportunity and adversity. One opportunity was that due to the
pandemic, everyone was home from work and school beginning in March 2020 and for the next
12 to 18 months, depending on the state or country in which military spouses were living during
that time. Adversity included limited and affordable day care. Blue Star Families (2020) reported
the opportunity and adversity was the same for military spouses’ civilian counterparts.
The domino effect (COVID closing childcare centers, combined with day care provider
shortage adversely impacts employment) influenced military spouses’ decisions about work.
COVID-19 hit, and the military spouse could not find childcare. If they could, it was not
affordable, so they had to quit their jobs. They opted out of the workforce, like many of their
civilian counterparts.
An analysis of the interview data showed when describing thriving, all participants
included self-care, maintaining their own identities, and meaningful work. All participants cited
stress and described stress caused by different issues. Stress included being “the default,” the
army of one; the stress of uncertainty about employment; the stress of finding the best care for a
special-needs child; the stress of deployment; the stress of financial instability when two incomes
become one; and community stress. According to Lowe (2022), some community stresses, such
as deployments, military accidents, withdrawal from lengthy combat missions, or death, are
unique to the military.
In the analysis of the participants’ responses to “what thriving looks like or feels like”
and “what thriving does not look like or feel like,” the data demonstrated two key findings: (a)
six of the same words or phrases were responses for both “thriving” and “not thriving,” and (b)
the six words supported the study’s definition of thriving as related to opportunity and adversity.
Table 7 provides an overview of the data’s two key findings.
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Table 7
Participant Responses to “Thriving” and “Not Thriving” in Response to Opportunity and
Adversity: Six Recurring Themes
Thriving/not thriving Opportunity Adversity
Relocation Travel
See new places
Meet new people
Learn new attitudes and beliefs
Stability disrupted
New house, new community
New school, new friends
New military unit

Childcare Accessible
Available
Affordable
Nearby
Day care closed because of COVID
Day care provider shortage
Cost of care is prohibitive
Location not nearby

Employment and
underemployment
Meaningful work
Sense of fulfillment
Second income
Adverse effect on well-being
Adverse effect on identity
Financial impact on family

Identity Feeling of well-being
Sense of belonging
“So and so’s spouse”
One identity: Military spouse
Military spouse: one of many
identities
Anxiety and depression

COVID-19 Family together
Reset family after active-duty
spouse returns from deployment
Family members get sick or die
Negative impacts on job
Too much togetherness
Schools and businesses closed
No childcare

Deployment Happy family
Saying hello
Together again
Fear of injury or death
Saying goodbye
Loneliness back
Missed events

Furthermore, 20 of 20 participants shared strategies and practices that they learned to use
to mitigate stress and thrive. The one recurring strategy shared by all participants was self-care.
The remaining five strategies included “buying thriving,” having a mentor, practicing a positive
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mindset, asking for help, and traveling. Seventeen of 20 practice having a positive mindset.
Fourteen of 20 participants travel, 12 of 20 ask for help, nine of 20 have a mentor, and one of 20
“buys thriving” to mitigate stress and thrive.
Recommendations
The following section describes two recommendations in support of military spouses and
their abilities to thrive, whether in response to opportunity or adversity. Each recommendation
further builds on programs, policies, and or initiatives that are currently in place.
Recommendation 1: Develop, Establish, and Facilitate Military Spouse Mentor Programs
at Military Installations Stateside and Overseas
To provide context for this recommendation, it is important to describe what a mentor is
and why mentoring is helpful. A mentor is a trusted advisor who listens, counsels, guides,
supports and encourages (Merriam-Webster, 2020). Mentors are important because they support
growth, are willing to listen, serve as a source of knowledge, have relevant experience, help set
goals, maintain accountability, provide constructive feedback, and serve as models (Elliott et al.,
2018). Individuals serving as mentors involved in mentor programs established at military
installations would support military spouses in areas such as employment (e.g., writing a cover
letter, creating a resume, practicing answering interview questions), finding resources to support
family needs (e.g., childcare, schools, medical care), and connecting with military and civilian
communities. An example of a mentor program at a military installation that has been successful
is FIRST, which is celebrating its 10th year. Special operations military spouses of 1st Special
Forces Group, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Seattle-Tacoma, created a pattern card for this
recommendation. The philosophy of the group is “Keep great people. Take care of family”
(Author, Year, p. X). The goal was for military spouses to become involved in the unit mentor
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program and social activities and eventually find employment. The program grew from the desire
of spouses in the unit to get to know one another and foster a sense of belonging combined with
the result of a commander’s conference to create a program. It is a unit program funded by
OSASOC Preservation of the Force and Family (DOD, 2022). As one spouse explained,
“Leadership understood that spouse happiness is related to force readiness.” Another spouse
personalized the impact of the mentor program and said, “Spouses understand how lonely this
life can be. So, to have [military spouse] connections, the camaraderie, it matters.” The program
started with the First Group commander’s spouse and the group command sergeant major's
spouse who looked at military spouses in the unit as untapped resources. FIRST met the first
Friday of every month, focusing on networking and social support, which were the heart of the
mentor program and included socials followed by a retreat. In addition, DiSC assessments were
administered to spouses and debriefed with the goal of helping each spouse understand their
leadership style and how to improve workplace teamwork. The program included participation in
cross governmental and cross-county programs, discussion of spouse issues (e.g., employment,
state licensing, education), scholarships for school and fostered the growth of their mentor
program. The First Group mentor program, FIRST, can be duplicated from state to state to
support military spouses.
A second example of a successful military spouse mentorship program was started in
2018 by Sidney E. Goodfriend, who founded ACP in 2009, in support of veterans transitioning
from the military into the civilian workforce. ACP headquarters is in New York City and is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In an opinion commentary, Goodfriend (2018) stated,
“Employers ought to make it easier to keep jobs when families have to move” (p. X). Goodfriend
created the ACP’s Military Spouse Mentorship Program to provide support to military spouses.
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The program provides one-to-one mentor partnership, matching a military spouse mentor with an
active-duty spouse mentee. Both mentor and mentee are matched by career path or profession
and are vetted by the ACP. Mentoring topics include resume review and interview preparation,
career exploration, work-life balance, networking, small business development, and leadership
and professional communication. Mentor and mentee partnerships are for 1 year. For spouses
whose service member served prior to 9/11 or have separated from the military, the ACP offers
free career guidance from thousands of volunteer career Advisors (Goodfriend, 2022) Author,
Year).
The FIRST mentor program at Joint Base Lewis-McChord was started at the unit level by
military spouses and supported by command, then grew and became very successful, celebrating
its 10th year. It has the potential to be duplicated on a national level. The second mentor program
example is an offshoot of a successful veteran mentor program sponsored by the ACP, has grown
37%, from the original 400 mentor volunteers, and operates on a national level through the
support of corporate donations. Both programs provide examples of the success and interest in
military spouse mentor programs.
Recommendation 2: Mitigate the Childcare Crisis for Military Spouses and Provide 24-
Hour Day Care.
The effects of COVID-19 combined with issues with childcare (i.e., accessibility,
availability, and affordability); childcare centers closing; day care providers leaving their jobs
throughout the United States; and cost of care rising all resulted in work-family infrastructure
shock (Ladge & Little, 2019). Military spouses (and their civilian counterparts) working outside
the home felt the impact of either losing their job, reduced work hours, working remotely, or
resigning because of the lack of childcare. Military spouses, like their civilian counterparts, work
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at jobs with nontraditional work hours described as day care to nightcare or “day care moving to
the nightshift” (Cho, 2012, p. X). The stress of finding childcare when working odd or overnight
hours affects military spouses' decisions to stay in the workforce or step out of the workforce.
In 2020, two members of the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee,
ranking member Representative Mac Thornberry and Representative Trent Kelly, introduced the
Military Family Readiness Act (Shane, 2020). They called for military leaders “to establish a
common definition of family readiness to ensure standardization of services and assistance” (p.
X). Representatives Thornberry and Kelly stated there are military installations and locations that
need 24-hour childcare to support families and military readiness. They explained, “And it’s
really a problem where that is not available. But that may not be true at every base” (p. X).
This recommendation is for childcare centers to be open for extended hours, 7 days per
week and for piloting 24-hours per day (24/7) day care at installations with the largest military
populations, representing each of the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. For example,
installations with large concentrations of military active-duty service members and their families
are located at Camp Pendleton, CA, Naval Station Norfolk, VA, Fort Bragg, NC, Joint-Base
McChord, WA, and Schriever Space Force Base, CO. Providing extended hours, 24/7
availability, and addressing affordable childcare supports military spouses whose service
member is deployed, TDY, or works unpredictable hours, while at the installation.
This recommendation includes beginning with an assessment to decide which of the five
installations would pilot a 24-hour day care program. In addition, a team of 10 members, seven
of whom have experience, training, and education in the field of day care or early childhood
education, and three of the 10 members represent the installation commander, community
commander, and the Judge Advocate General (JAG; a lawyer representing the command). The
112

team of 10 members could meet to create a plan and timeline for establishing a 24-hour day care
on the installation. In addition, the plan should include methods of information gathering from
already established 24-hour day cares (e.g., best practices, required resources, budget, staffing,
licensure, age-appropriate programs, and lessons learned) and surveying stakeholders to assess
needs of the installation/military community.
Once the information gathering and needs assessment are completed, the team can design
the plan to establish a 24-hour day care on the installation, presenting it to the installation
commander, community commander, and JAG, followed by announcing the plan to the
community, meeting with stakeholders, finalizing the plan, then establishing the 24-hour day
care pilot on one of five installations with the large military presence, such as those mentioned
previously.
Limitations and Delimitations
Limitations are weaknesses in the research that the author acknowledges, so future
studies will not suffer from the same problems (Creswell & Creswell, 2017). Limitations of this
study include the small sample size of military spouses, difficulty in recruiting from all branches
of the U.S. Armed Forces, difficulty in recruiting male military spouses, and potential
interviewer bias.
Delimitations were choices made by the researcher, such as research questions, target
populations, and data analysis techniques. Delimitations in this study included choosing active-
duty military spouses as the target population. These delimitations narrowed the scope of the
study and made the study feasible, set boundaries, and made the research study possible to
complete (Merriam-Tisdell, 2016).
113

Recommendations for Future Research
Future research is needed to continue to educate policymakers, corporate America, and
nonprofit organizations to advocate for military spouse programs, funding, and legislation that
can best support issues such as childcare, employment, and well-being. Two recommendations
follow for future research,
First, conduct a study to learn more about how workplaces have shifted and evolved
because of COVID-19 in support of military spouse employment. Military spouse unemployment
is at 22%, nearly 7 times the national average with a 26% wage gap. The military spouse
unemployment rate has remained statistically unchanged for the better part of the last decade
(NMSN, 2022). Every time a two-income military family relocates, they become a one-income
family, which places financial stress on the family. Military spouses’ employment and career
paths are disrupted by a relocation. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an additional disruption
to military spouse employment. During the pandemic business leaders learned that there were
advantages to working remotely, as did military spouses. A few of the advantages—flexibility
(military spouses can often work whenever they can, as long as the work gets done), work-life
balance (motivates and fosters well-being), and portability (ability to work anywhere in the
world)—support military spouses remaining employed. Leveraging lessons learned from the
shifts in how work is done, combined with remote work, will provide solutions to military
spouse employment.
Second, recommend conducting a study of active-duty spouses 18 to 30 years of age,
representing all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces in order to learn about this population, which
represents 700,000 military spouses, approximately 44% of active-duty spouses. Based on the
demographics and understanding how military spouses ages 18 to 30 and their families can be
114

best supported, it is important to (a) examine the relationship between the 700,000 active-duty
spouses ages 18 to 30 and future employment needs, resources, and programs (e.g., childcare,
well-being) and policies (e.g., funding for a degree or certification); (c) determine whether
current resources are meeting military spouses’ ages 18 to 30 needs, and (c) to report the study’s
findings.
Conclusion
Military spouses serve. From coast to coast and throughout the world, military spouses
serve beside their active-duty service members. If they have one child or many, a military spouse
serves beside their family. Through it all, military spouses seek stability for themselves and their
families. Despite the relocations, deployments, unpredictable work schedules and late hours,
military spouses fear the loss or injury of their service members. Military spouses serve whether
being an army of one, maintaining the home front or weathering the challenges of a pandemic,
and despite childcare issues, underemployment or unemployment. They also thrive in response to
opportunity and adversity. Their ability to thrive provides them with the resources to make new
friends, become part of a new community, build relationships, adapt, and adapt some more,
cobble together a work history or a career path, and know the value of and lean on a strong
support network. The military lifestyle offers many opportunities and requires many sacrifices of
the military spouse and the active-duty service member. As one spouse so poignantly explained,
“I am really proud of my spouse. And someday it will be my turn. Someday it will be my
someday. But not today.”

115

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Appendix A: Interview Protocol
1. From your first duty station assignment to your present assignment/location, where
have you lived in the United States?
a. If overseas, where?
b. In all, how many times would you say you have moved?
2. What’s it like to be a military spouse? How does it make you feel?
3. What are the challenges to being a military spouse?
4. What are the benefits of being a military spouse?
5. How do you feel about the number of military-connected moves that you have made
from post to post or base to base?
6. How would you describe the impact that these moves and the military lifestyle have
had on you personally? On your own goals?
7. How do you go about adapting to a new environment when you move?
a. Can you share an example with me?
b. Could you describe a move that required you to adapt to a new environment?
c. How did you feel at the time?
d. What did you do to adapt?
8. How would you describe the concept of “thriving”?
a. What does it mean to thrive in your opinion?
b. What would it mean for you to be thriving? What would be happening?
9. Think about a time as a military spouse when you felt you were really thriving. When
you are thriving, what does that look like?
a. What does it feel like?
127

b. How do you know you are thriving?
c. How does thriving affect your well-being?
d. What factors do you feel most influenced your ability to thrive in this case?
10. Can you describe a time as a military spouse when you were not thriving?
a. What was happening or not happening?
b. What did it feel like to not be thriving?
c. How did it affect your well-being?
d. What factors do you feel most influenced your ability to thrive in this case?
11. Overall, would you describe yourself as someone who is thriving? Can you share
more about why you feel that way?
12. Describe personal strategies and/or practices that you use to foster thriving in
yourself.
13. Over time how has your spouse’s military career affected, if at all, your ability to
thrive?
14. How has the pandemic affected your ability to thrive, if at all?
15. What military spouse mentor programs, scholarship programs, resources, and/or
educational funding are you aware of that support military spouses?
Demographic Questions
1. In what branch of the Armed Forces does your spouse serve?
2. How many years has your spouse served?
3. You can answer the following question or not: Which age range do you fall into? 18-
24; 25-44; 45+
128

4. How many times have you (a) moved during your spouse’s military career? (b)
number of spouse deployments/where? (c) shortest and longest tour(s) of duty?

Abstract (if available)

Abstract A military spouse’s ability to thrive has a significant impact on their well-being. The purpose of this study was to understand what thriving means to military spouses, what thriving does and does not look and feel like in response to opportunity and adversity, the challenges and benefits of being a military spouse, strategies and practices military spouses employ to mitigate stress and thrive, and the environmental factors that influence their abilities to thrive. The conceptual framework that guided this study was Brofenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which explains how the influence of social environments affect an individual’s relationships with others, the community, and wider society. The methodological design for the study was qualitative. The specific strategy of inquiry was narrative analysis. Twenty military spouses of active-duty service members participated in the study, representing the five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force). Participants’ age range was 23 to 46; 18 identified female and two as males. Participants represented enlisted, noncommissioned, and officer ranks and were diverse in race and ethnicity (i.e., Asian, Black, Latino-a, and White). Instrumentation used to collect data involved a semi structured interview protocol composed of 16 open-ended and closed-ended questions, four of which were demographic questions asked at the end of the interview protocol. Six findings were revealed by the study: (a) military spouses largely defined thriving as being happy, fulfilled, and healthy; (b) military spouses face several core challenges to thriving, but some benefits were present; (c) for military spouses, the decision of the active-duty service member to remain or leave the military is influenced by the impact of the military lifestyle on family stability; (d) military spouses establish and maintain relationships by building social support networks within their military community and local community; (e) military spouses implement personal strategies and practices to support their ability to thrive; and (f) Military spouses seek employment that is meaningful and related to their profession; however, spouses will choose underemployment rather than unemployment. In conclusion, military spouses serve beside their active-duty spouse and seek stability as a family. They thrive in response to opportunity and adversity. Consequently, the ability to thrive influences the decision of the active-duty service member to remain in or leave the military, impacts retention, and ultimately affects the country’s national security and defense.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Bostick, Renee Yvonne (author)

Core Title Military spouses, military lifestyle, and the concept of thriving

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Degree Conferral Date 2022-12

Publication Date 09/17/2022

Defense Date 07/11/2022

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag adversity,childcare,COVID-19,fulfillment,military lifestyle,military spouse employment,military spouses,OAI-PMH Harvest,Opportunity,relocation,social support,thriving,well-being

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Malloy, Courtney Lynn (committee chair), Phillips, Jennifer L (committee member), Stowe, Kathy (committee member)

Creator Email barkingsands4@gmail.com,rybostic@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC111996062

Unique identifier UC111996062

Legacy Identifier etd-BostickRen-11216

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Bostick, Renee Yvonne

Type texts

Source 20220917-usctheses-batch-981 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu