Co-Founders of Wives of the Armed Forces Blog Share Their Why
Alongside the service and sacrifices made by our nation’s military members, there are similar sacrifices being made by those who stand alongside them. Military spouses especially are tasked with moves, uncertainty and stress as deployments happen or their spouse receives a permanent change of station.
However, the resiliency of military spouses is what brings them together. It’s what brought together Kirst and Jen, two U.S. Air Force spouses, and inspired them to create a platform for fellow military spouses looking to connect, learn and grow together. What started as a blog titled, Wives of the Air Force, to share their experiences and insights to their military lifestyle expanded into Wives of the Armed Forces, with a mission to find empowering resources and support a global community of significant others across every branch who are eager to thrive in the sometimes chaotic military lifestyle.
We were honored to have them join us in sharing YOU MATTER in September for Suicide Prevention Month and were inspired to hear more from them on what patriotism means to them, life as military spouses and our mission at Boot Campaign.
What does patriotism mean to you?
It’s a humbling feeling of respect for the freedom so many brave men and women have fought, and some have died, fighting for. Being first hand witnesses to the kind of sacrifices military families face, patriotism from our peers is what fuels us. Knowing how appreciated the act of service is and how together we can accomplish so much more than our independent selves is the motivation for pushing through the exhausting, devastating, and heartbreaking moments that come with military service.
What do you want people to know most about military spouses?
They are capable. Whether it means finding a solution for employment after a mandatory move overseas, figuring out how to emotionally support themselves and their kids during stints away from their spouse or mustering up the energy to make meals for another military family in need, it is hard to find a more capable and resilient group than a group of military spouses!
What about Boot Campaign’s message resonates with you?
Often in the military, you’ll hear references to the “whole” or the “group” – what we love most about Boot Campaign is the individualized care offered to each veteran! The camaraderie of the group is important, but there is something extremely powerful and life-changing when we peel that back and really see a person for who they are as an individual.
Why is the YOU MATTER message so important as military spouses?
We have witnessed through our peers the weight military members carry due to their service. Being vigilant about meeting their needs to process that weight and equipping them with tools to combat it is the very least we owe to the men and women who bravely step up to protect our country and freedoms.
