05/06/2026
I’m not just a military spouse or dependent — I’m the mother‑in‑law of a service member. And lately, I’ve been talking to other moms who are living this life right alongside their children and grandchildren. The stories I’m hearing are heartbreaking… and the worst part is, they’re all the same.
Military families are struggling.
Not because they’re irresponsible.
Not because they don’t want to work.
But because the system makes it almost impossible for them to survive on one paycheck.
And I didn’t want to speak on something without understanding it myself.
So I took action.
I contacted leaders.
I wrote letters.
I reached out to offices, organizations, and anyone who might listen.
Most responses were vague or dismissive.
But I want to give recognition where it’s due:
Florida Representative Deluna and her assistant were the only ones who responded in a meaningful way.
They acknowledged the issue and told me I needed more research — and I appreciated that they took the time to even respond.
So I decided to test it myself.
I wanted to see if what military spouses were saying was really happening.
And after doing my own research, I can say this with confidence:
Everything they’ve been saying is true.
I went through the same job sites they use.
Some make you pay to join — with zero guarantee of a job.
Some send you job listings that don’t match your résumé at all.
And even when you apply to legitimate positions, you get bypassed the moment they find out your loved one is in the military.
With years of experience in the legal and title industry, I applied to remote jobs, hybrid jobs, anything that claimed to be flexible. And the moment you mention your connection to the military, the energy shifts. Interviews go cold. Opportunities disappear. “Remote” suddenly isn’t remote anymore.
And the moms I’ve spoken to?
They’re living the same reality.
They’re surviving on one income.
They’re drowning in childcare waitlists.
They’re competing with locals who’ve lived in the area forever.
They’re starting over every time the military says “move.”
They’re holding their families together while being shut out of the workforce.
And when the government shuts down?
Who suffers first?
Them.
The very families who sacrifice the most.
Is this how we repay them for their service?
People see the uniform, the pride, the homecomings.
But they don’t see the spouse rewriting their résumé for the fifth time.
They don’t see the mom crying because she can’t help her child cover bills.
They don’t see the families praying that one paycheck stretches far enough.
So I want to open this up — because my story isn’t the only one.
If you’re a military spouse, dependent, or parent of a service member:
Share your story.
Share your struggle.
Share what you’ve lived.
This isn’t complaining.
This is truth.
This is reality.
This is a cycle that has gone on for far too long.
And the only way we change it…
Is by speaking up together.
