Now more than ever, our country needs military spouses in politics, from the school board to the U.S. Senate…
Military families are often reluctant to engage in the political arena. We are already balancing the unique challenges of military life. There are frequent relocations, single-parenting during trainings and deployments, and trying to construct a career amid the chaos.
The demands of this lifestyle quickly fill the 24 hours in the day. Service members are bound by certain restrictions about what they can say and do in uniform in order to uphold the apolitical norms of our armed forces.
Although military spouses are not subject to these rules, confusion and concern over these regulations often serves as a deterrent. In my work with Homefront Rising, I’ve heard from some of my fellow military spouses that they would never consider running for office, or even volunteering on a campaign, because they don’t want to risk hurting the service member’s career.
Others tell me that they aren’t qualified to serve because they have “only” been volunteering and haven’t worked in a paid role for many years. I’m here to encourage you to put your concerns aside and embrace your leadership potential.
Now more than ever, our country needs military spouses in leadership roles, from the school board to the U.S. Senate. Far from the “dependa” stereotype, the military spouses I know are service-oriented, with problem-solving skills and solutions in hand, and the ability to work with diverse groups to accomplish goals. We organize phone trees and meals for new parents, advocate for improvements to Tricare, fundraise for the unit readiness groups, lead the charge to reduce military spouse unemployment, and crank out care packages, while balancing our family and work duties.
These organizational and leadership skills, whether paid or volunteer, all translate to the ability to effectuate good government.
WE ARE READY
Military spouses are equipped to erase the gender gap in politics. Women represent only one in five members of Congress or state legislative seats, and are vastly underrepresented as state-level executives. With women comprising approximately 85 percent of military spouses, it is critical for our community to engage.
Not only does our country need qualified candidates willing to serve, our military community deserves a seat at the table. Past surveys by HillVets found that fewer than 3 percent of over 3,000 employees working in congressional offices have served in the military.
WE NEED TO BE REPRESENTED
While more veterans are running for office this year than recent years, military families are also a critical voice in this conversation. As military spouses, we understand intimately the effect that government can have in our lives, with Congress controlling:
- Whether our service member goes to war
- Where in the world our service member and our family will be stationed
- What health care coverage will be available for our family
- Access to childcare on base
- Availability of resources for military families
- How much our service member will be paid
- What retirement benefits our service member will receive
Because of this expanded impact on our own lives, we are uniquely positioned to talk about the importance of government decision-making in the lives of our country’s citizens. Many of us have also spent significant time working on solutions to these problems and are poised to apply those problem-solving skills to serve a wider community.
WE ARE LEADING THE WAY
We are fortunate to have inspiring examples of military spouses already leading the way in public service.
- Nikki Haley, Ambassador to the United Nations, previously served as Governor of South Carolina while her husband deployed in the state’s National Guard.
- Tatiana Matta is currently running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, while her husband continues to serve in the Air Force.
- Another active duty spouse, Jinyoung Englund, ran for the Washington State Senate last year while her husband served in the Marine Corps.
- Retired Army spouse Jocelyn Benson is currently running for Michigan Secretary of State.
Many other military spouses and family members are engaged at the local, state, and federal levels, volunteering on campaigns, serving on staff, and leading in various public service roles. They have pushed through the barriers and put their skills to work to serve the greater good.
Military spouses are vested in our local communities: we want access to affordable childcare, quality schools, affordable housing, and opportunities to earn an income. We are also invested in defense and foreign policy decisions impacting our families and the country as a whole. Over the years, we have become adept at calling upon our elected officials to address our concerns, from retirement pay to Tricare coverage to occupational licensing.
But advocacy alone isn’t enough. We need members of our own community among the elected officials making these decisions that affect us all. My fellow military spouses: you are qualified, competent, and fit to serve—it is time for the homefront to rise!
Interested in learning more? Connect with Homefront Rising, a non-partisan initiative that encourages and trains military spouses to speak up and get involved in the political process through advocacy and public service.
homefrontrising@gmail.com | facebook/thehomefrontrising
This article originally appeared in the August 2018 issue of Military Spouse.