A military spouse should expect that the U.S. military has the power to change your life in many ways, regardless of your druthers, at a moment's notice. It is possible you and your spouse will be separated for long periods of time when he is deployed. Deployment may mean your spouse is overseas during the birth of your baby or in the event of a family emergency.
Basics
Recruit Training Command, a Navy Boot Camp website, lists the basic responsibilities of a military spouse. It is your responsibility to enroll your family in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System so you may receive health care. You, and every member of your family, including children, need a military identification card to gain access to military bases and commissaries. Have your spouse place you as a beneficiary on his life insurance and expect to need to know his Social Security number for all sorts of paperwork.
Peers
Whether you live on the military base or near one, enlisted soldiers and their spouses are likely to be a part of your life. Women represent 95 percent of military spouses and 80 percent are younger than the age of 35, according to 2002 demographic statistics from the Military Family Resource Center. Thirty-seven percent of military families have on average two children. This group is ethnically diverse and spouses come from countries around the world.
Transfers
Military transfers from base to base are a fact of military life, according to the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network. As a military spouse, you may have to give up your job each time you move. This can reduce your chances of advancing within a company and relegate you to lower paying entry level positions. This temporary loss of secondary income may cause financial hardships.
Home Form Deployment
When your spouse comes home from deployment in a war zone, do not expect her to adjust to home life immediately. Anticipate that she may do many day-to-day things differently than she used to. She might be hurt at how well you run the home in her absence, cautions the American Red Cross. Anticipate that immediately returning to the previous level of intimacy between the two of you may feel awkward at first.
Death After Service
If your spouse dies after his military service, you are entitled to certain benefits according to information provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. You may receive payments from the Dependency Indemnity Compensation and the Death Pension program. You are also eligible for the Home Loan Guaranty and Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program.
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