Posts Tagged military spouses
Job Fairs Join Spouses, Employers
Posted by carol.bowers in Family Matters on August 1, 2012
By Lisa Daniel
Tomorrow marks the start of an open season of sorts for job fairs for military spouses in what one Pentagon official calls the “high-touch” part of a “high-tech, high-touch” process.
Meg O’Grady was a military spouse herself, having moved 13 times in 17 years, when she began working at the Pentagon just before the June 29, 2011, launch of the Defense Department’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership. Read more. Today, she is its acting program manager.
The partnership hosts an online job portal where military spouses can search for jobs, post resumes and receive education and training, and where employers can post openings and search for new talent. The site has posted more than 500,ooo job ads in the past year, and has 220,000 ads on any given day, O’Grady said. That’s the high-tech part.
The high-touch part gets under way tomorrow as MSEP’s partner, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes program, ramps up its “touch” tactics by sponsoring numerous job fairs in the coming weeks in military-populated cities such as Hampton, Va.; Minneapolis; Utica, N.Y.; Sugar Grove, Ill.; Lake Charles, La.; and Quantico, Va., to name a few. Click for the full list. The DOD and Chamber programs compliment that of Joining Forces, a program started by First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden that also works to improve military spouses employment.
The job fairs not only bring employers to job seekers, but also offer forums for helping spouses with resume writing, networking and the like, Laura Dempsey, director of Hiring Our Heroes, told me. Dempsey, too, is a military spouse, and so knew the potential of those who mostly have been an untapped resource in hiring. Read the rest of this entry »
Fathers Get Well-Deserved Attention
Posted by ldaniel in Uncategorized on June 15, 2012
By Lisa Daniel
American fathers, and especially military fathers, are getting some overdue attention lately with Father’s Day coming up this weekend.
President Barack Obama took time out of his regularly packed daily schedule to sit down to lunch with two dads — Army 1st Lt. Bill Edwards and Army Capt. Joubert Paulino, as well as two local barbers here — as part of the “Fatherhood Buzz” campaign sponsored by the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse and the Department of Health and Human Services. The campaign aims to connect fathers with local fathering resources through barber shops across the nation. Read more here. Watch the video.
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta also has celebrated fathers. In his Father’s Day message to troops, Panetta thanked fathers serving in uniform for their loyalty and dedication to the country, and for balancing the demands of military and home life.
“I’ve seen how you focus on the mission while enduring extended periods away from loved ones,” he said. “Through it all, you’ve shown courage on the battlefield and tenderness to your families at home.”
Indeed, Panetta noted that not only are fathers “bettering our military and securing our nation,” but also are helping to raise and nurture families.
Edwards and Paulino are just two examples of standout dads, balancing service to their country with service at home. Another amazing military dad is Jeremy Hilton – voted 2011 Military Spouse of the Year by Military Spouse magazine. Hilton, a former Navy officer, gave up his career as a submariner to support his Air Force officer wife and their two children, one with special needs. He is the first father to receive the spouse award. Read more here.
Father’s Day was not recognized as a national observance until 1974 – 58 years after Mother’s Day began. But today’s dads are showing they truly are worthy of the recognition.
As Panetta said, “To fathers and husbands of those who serve: we simply could not do our jobs without your love and support. It is never easy to deal with the challenges and concerns of a deployment, just as it is always hard to take care of everything back at home.”
Career Fair to Focus on Military Spouses
Posted by in Family Matters on January 9, 2012
By Elaine Sanchez
Jan. 9, 2012
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is hosting a career fair in Washington, D.C., this week dedicated solely to helping military spouses find jobs.
The Hiring Our Heroes – Military Spouse Career Forum will feature a host of national and local employers specifically seeking qualified military and veteran spouses, as well as resume and interview coaching, and resources for starting a business. The forum is scheduled for Jan. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
Spouses of active duty and reserve members, retirees, veterans and fallen service members are welcome to attend.
Job seekers and employers can register for this free event and learn about other chamber-sponsored career fairs around the country at hoh.greatjob.net. Be sure to upload your resume when registering. For assistance with registration, email hiringourheroes@uschamber.com.
The Chamber of Commerce launched the Hiring Our Heroes program last year. This yearlong, nationwide effort is aimed at helping veterans and spouses find employment, with a goal of conducting 100 hiring fairs across the country.
The chamber also is involved with the Wounded Warrior Transition Assistance Program, Student Veterans Internship and Employment Program and a Women Veterans and Military Spouses Employment Program.
This “aggressive agenda,” officials noted on the chamber’s website, “focuses on one measure of success: jobs for the 1 million unemployed veterans in America.”
Scholarship Paves Way to Better Future for Army Spouse
Posted by in Family Matters on December 8, 2011
Milena Mateo-Ortiz earned her bachelor's degree in health administration with help from a National Military Family Association scholarship. Courtesy photo
By Alicia Brown
Dec. 8, 2011
Army Sgt. 1st Class Lizandro Mateo-Ortiz suffered serious injuries when he was run over while serving in Iraq in 2007. At the time, he was the family’s sole breadwinner, supporting his wife and two teenage daughters.
Suddenly, Milena Mateo-Ortiz found her life changed. She now had to find a way to support her family, and knew education was the answer. Their daughter, Stephanie, decided to postpone her college experience so that her mom could earn a degree.
Milena now has a bachelor’s degree in health administration, and is working on her master’s degree, thanks to the generosity of companies and organizations such as Dominion Virginia Power, which recently presented $250,000 to the National Military Family Association. NMFA provides scholarships to military spouses like Milena, who wish to improve their education and become more employable.
Military spouses don’t always fare well against the civilian workforce. According to the Defense Department’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership, 85 percent of military spouses want or need to work, and military wives earn 25 percent less than their civilian counterparts. The program is one of many that experts encourage spouses to seek out for guidance, information and empowerment.
Without the assistance, Milena said, she couldn’t have afforded to pursue a degree that will land her a good enough job to support her daughters and her husband, who remains on a feeding tube. Now she’s also well on her way to what will be a proud accomplishment when she graduates in 2013.
Spouse Attends Career Fair in Hawaii
Posted by in Family Matters on November 15, 2011
Guest blogger Dallas Nagata White, an Army spouse, shares her experiences at a Hiring Our Heroes career fair Nov. 14 on Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Along with more than 50 employers, First Lady Michelle Obama also attended the fair, which was sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as part of a yearlong effort to help spouses and veterans find employment.
By Dallas Nagata White
Nov. 15, 2011
First Lady Michelle Obama attends a Hiring Our Heroes career fair Nov. 14, 2011, on Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Courtesy photo by Dallas Nagata White
As I walked through the Hickam Officers’ Club with my cameras slung around my shoulders, I read the signs on some of the booths I passed by: Bank of Hawaii, Farmer’s Insurance, GameStop.
These businesses were among over 50 employers at the Hiring Our Heroes job fair sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. According to the website, this program was launched in March and is “a yearlong nationwide effort to help veterans and their spouses find meaningful employment.”
Although I tend to first identify myself as a photographer, I will always be proud of my time as an Army spouse, as it has exposed me to the previously unfamiliar world that is life in the military.
I was born and raised in Hawaii, and met my husband after he was stationed here at Fort Shafter. Unlike many military spouses who may marry into the service very young, I was fortunate enough to have already finished my four-year college degree and be running my own business here in Hawaii before becoming an Army wife.
However, as I watch my husband prepare to finish his second enlistment and be out of the military by next summer, I can understand how scary the transition to civilian life can be, especially in this economy. First Lady Michelle Obama, the daughter of an Army veteran, has come out as a strong supporter of veterans and their spouses in post-military life.
Cooking Event Stirs Support for Spouses
Posted by in Family Matters on November 14, 2011
Guest blogger Angee Croxon, a military spouse, describes her experiences at a spouse appreciation event during the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 5. Along with a host of celebrity cooks and exhibitors, Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, also stopped by to visit with military families during the Operation Home Cooking event.
By Angee Croxon
Nov. 14, 2011
Angee Croxon and friends attend a military spouse appreciation event at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 5, 2011. Courtesy photo
As a military spouse I have an enormous sense of pride in my husband and other military men and women’s ability to juggle their duties as service members, fathers and mothers, and spouses. They deserve all the support they get, even if it’s just an occasional military discount at a store or restaurant. When I heard about a military spouse appreciation event put on by Food Network called Operation Home Cooking, I thought it was nice that people are taking time to recognize the sacrifices military spouses make so their husbands and wives can fight America’s wars.
As big fans of the network’s shows my two girlfriends (fellow military spouses) and I decided to go. Not only did I get to hang out with a couple of my great friends — Stephanie Brown and Jamie Powell — but I got a chance to see some famous chefs from Food Network talk to a group of spouses who shared the common experience of being married to the military.
Keeping Military Marriages Strong
Posted by in Family Matters on October 27, 2011
By Elaine Sanchez
Elaine.sanchez@dma.mil
Oct. 27, 2011
I spoke to a spouse last year about dealing with deployments and keeping military marriages strong. Her husband had just returned from a yearlong deployment in Iraq.
She cited an example of the types of issues that can arise when communication falls to the wayside. As the primary disciplinarian while her husband was gone, she adopted a “three strikes and you’re out” rule for their 3-year-old son. Her husband, however, was more of a “one strike” kind of guy, and reinstituted his stricter ways upon his return.
Upset at being usurped from her disciplinarian role so quickly, his wife got angry. “At first I yelled at him a lot,” she said. “I’d correct him more than I’d correct my child.”
In time, she learned to bite her tongue and to discuss the situation with her husband behind closed doors.
Marriage is tough enough without tossing in the additional stressors of military life — frequent deployments, reintegrations, separations and moves, to name a few. But even the toughest military challenges can be weathered with some advance planning and healthy communication skills. And in the process, marriages can grow even stronger.
Spouses Benefit From New Hiring Rule
Posted by in Family Matters on August 31, 2011
Guest blogger Donna Miles is a colleague of mine at American Forces Press Service.
By Donna Miles
Aug. 31, 2011
It’s hard enough being the spouse of a fallen service member, or a veteran declared 100 percent disabled.
But for many of these spouses, well-meaning federal rules that gave them up to two years after their loved one died or became disabled to take advantage of special hiring authorities for government jobs just wasn’t enough.
Too often, two years was too little time before they were ready to enter the workforce. Many were still grieving or were preoccupied with the challenges of caring for their children or disabled spouses during this difficult time. Others were enrolled in educational or training programs to prepare them for new careers to support their families.
Officials at the Office of Personnel Management recognized the problem, and moved today to make things right.
OPM published final regulations today that give these spouses as much time as they need to apply for a federal job under the military spouse noncompetitive hiring authority.
That authority, which has been in effect since Sept. 11, 2009, allows qualified spouses who aren’t already federal employees to apply directly to agency job opportunity announcements, without having to compete with other applicants.
This could prove to be a big deal in helping more spouses benefit from the hiring authority designed to help them when they need it most. The first quarter the hiring authority was launched, only 58 spouses took advantage of it. Between October 2009 and October 2010, 887 military spouses were hired under the program.
OPM Executive Director John Berry is hoping the new final regulations will help more spouses by bringing them into the federal workforce.
“Military spouses make countless sacrifices for our nation through their dedication and support on the home front while their loved ones are serving,” he said. “In recognition of their sacrifice, this rule will help military spouses find employment in the government.”
My Husband’s Reintegration
Posted by in Family Matters on August 29, 2011
Aug. 29, 2011
In this post, Sheri Hall answers questions about how she supported her family while her husband, Army Maj. Jeff Hall, struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after his second tour in Iraq, and shares how she encouraged him to seek help through the Deployment Health Clinical Center’s specialized care program. The center is part of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, and offers care for those experiencing PTSD and reintegration concerns.
Q. What was your reaction when your husband returned home?
A. I noticed he had a deep, dark, hollow look in his eyes. I asked him if he needed to talk to someone. I let him know that I was supportive but he wasn’t receptive at the time. I think he felt he needed to be the “macho” soldier.
Q. What was the impact of his post-combat stress on you?
A. I was never fearful for Jeff’s life while he was in combat, since I knew that he trained himself well. When Jeff returned and was having suicidal thoughts, I couldn’t sleep. I was so worried I would sit in bed and watch him. I feared he would just leave. I lost 15 pounds in two weeks. When I’d take the kids to school, I would race home to make sure Jeff was where I last saw him.
Q. How did you try to communicate with your husband during this time?
A. I told him that while I didn’t know the effects of combat, I knew that something was wrong. It was hard because he kind of pushed me and the girls away. Finally, I sat down with him and said, “If you kill yourself, how do I explain it to your daughters, your mother and father, and my family?” It was like a light bulb went on, and that’s when we looked into the DHCC program.
Q. What would you tell military parents about how to communicate with their children?
A. Encourage children to be vocal; tell us what’s bothering you. I put on a big front when Jeff was experiencing PTSD and never told the girls about my sleepless nights. If I had, we could have communicated better.
Q. What advice would you give a military spouse experiencing similar challenges?
A. I tell military wives to keep that line of communication as open as possible. Then, if something is wrong, a spouse will immediately know. I wish I had stood firmer with Jeff and said, “No, you’re going to get help” when he resisted. Don’t just let things be.
Hall recommends people dealing with reintegration check out the free resources offered through the Real Warriors Campaign and the Defense Centers of Excellence, such as the Outreach Center’s live chat. The feature instantly connects users with trained health resource consultants who can help with psychological health concerns.
Click here to view the Real Warriors and Families video profile featuring the Hall family.
(This post originally appeared on the Defense Centers of Excellence blog.)
Spouses Can Honor Employers With Award
Posted by in Family Matters on August 16, 2011
By Elaine Sanchez
Elaine.sanchez@dma.mil
Aug. 15, 2011
Civilian spouses of Reserve and National Guard members often must rely on the flexibility and support of their employers, particularly during deployments.
While most employers will grant a time-off request and, in some cases, a shift change for their spouse employees, others go above and beyond in their support. They may arrange for the family’s lawn care during a deployment, send care packages overseas, or create telework agreements so parents can be at home more with their kids.
In the past, a thank-you note or email would have to suffice. But now, a Defense Department program is offering spouses a more visible way to express their gratitude.
The Spouse Patriot Award, established by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve agency, honors extraordinarily supportive employers of reserve spouses. Initially open only to employers of National Guard and Reserve members, the Patriot Award program expanded earlier this year to include their spouses.
“We had so many spouses asking us to expand the program, so we did last year,” said Beth Sherman, ESGR spokeswoman. “Little attention was being paid to the employers of their spouses, who also were doing their part.”
The program is open to all National Guard and Reserve spouses. To submit a nomination, visit the ESGR website and fill out the spouse nomination form.
For more on this program and employers’ contributions, read my American Forces Press Service article, “Patriot Award Honors Outstanding Spouse Employers.” Do you have an exceptionally supportive employer? If so, I’d love to hear about it.