#14: A Military Spouse’s Perspective: Is a Military Spouse Stealing Respect? - with Richelle Futch
Description
Synopsis:
Today my guest is Richelle Futch. Richelle has built and scaled multiple ventures across technology, education, nonprofit and service based industries. She is a sponsorship specialist, an author, a public speaker and a trainer.
Richelle is a former Marine, current military spouse and advocate for military employment, preventative mental health care and reform. She has worked with congress members on policy reform and has been invited to the White House on behalf of her work and advocacy efforts.
Together we explore some of the similarities between a military family and a family where a partner is a humanitarian for example. We touch on the aspect of calling, or vocation which means physical separation from spouse and children. Non-Military families can learn from what helps military families succeed.
In this Episode:
- Richelle explains why she wrote her post (which later went viral)
- She shares challenges military families experience.
- What Richelle thinks military families need to succeed.
- Richelle gives us what she has learned in her solo parenting journey.
- What Richelle would say to the family of a humanitarian going to a country at war for example.
Resources mentioned in the episode
- Berry's acculturation model (see example here)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (see explanation here)
- www.herruck.com
Contact Richelle
Richelle’s LinkedIn Post: Full Text – Posted on 16 August 2022
"This past week I've been seeing some harsh posts in some social media groups about military spouses.
I have seen quite a few folks completely obliterate military spouses for identifying as military spouses. Saying "You don't serve." Or ask, "Why do you put that on your profile or resume?" Followed by hurtful bashing remarks disguised as humor.
Just some insight from my experience as both a veteran and military spouse...
When I say my spouse is active duty, I am not trying to say his accomplishments are mine. Not at all. What I am conveying is, as the spouse of someone who has been to war... multiple times, has a high optempo job, is dealing with a lot of stuff they can't always control or discuss, and is gone... a lot, I am impacted by this and it requires me to pivot my plans last minute, solo parent for months at a time, adjust, re-adjust, be emotionally intelligent, maintain my interests/career/friends/boundaries/ all knowing that the needs of the military comes first ...so, my plans while good in theory really are never completely solid. That is quite a mouthful, so it is easier to say I'm a military spouse and hope that the person receiving that understands 'Oh there are outside factors impacting their life that are different (or the same) as mine'. There is transparency in that statement. It means my family belongs to a culture you may or may not understand.
My point is, identifying as a military spouse is not stolen valor.
That is all :)
United States
