Your spouse may be the one transitioning from service, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be transitioning changes for you. From figuring out employment options to planning your next move, a ton of resources are available to help spouses during their transition process. Here are the tools you might not know about:
MySTeP: Military Spouse Transition Program
The Military Spouse Transition Program (MySTeP) is made for YOU—a military spouse—to support and encourage you throughout your service member’s time in the military. MySTeP will help you plan, prepare and be ready for the life your family wants after transitioning out of the military, whenever that time comes. The information, tools and programs highlighted in MySTeP will connect you with valuable resources at the right time to help you successfully navigate military life at every stage of your service member’s career.
This website offers free, short instructional videos that will guide you through every step of your transition and answer important questions about transition funds, mentoring, financial help, retirement, relocation and more.
To learn more, visit myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/mystep.
Transition Employment Assistance for Military Spouses and Caregivers
Need assistance with planning and preparing for your job search to pursue your career goals? Consider registering for Transition Employment Assistance for Military Spouses and Caregivers (TEAMS) workshops, which are instructor-led and done virtually.
The Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service created TEAMS workshops to assist military spouses in their career endeavors with training on employment essentials tailored to their unique circumstances. TEAMS workshops are stand-alone training modules. You can take all the workshops or just a few and complete them in any order that fits your schedule.
To learn more, visit dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/tap/teams-workshops.
USO Pathfinder Transition Program
The USO Pathfinder Transition Program offers professional development services throughout the service member or military spouse’s career, as well as when they transition out of the military and settle into their new communities.
The program assigns you to a transition specialist who can help you to develop a personalized action plan and provide you with all of the services and resources that will be best for your unique situation. They advise in areas such as employment, education, mentorship, finances and veteran benefits.
To learn more, visit uso.org/programs/uso-pathfinder-transition-program.
Hiring Our Heroes
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes lists resources for military spouses on their website. It offers virtual workshops that allow military spouses to engage in world-class career curricula from anywhere and fellowships that place highly skilled and educated military spouses with employers committed to hiring them.
To learn more, visit hiringourheroes.org/career-services/military-spouse-resources.
MilitaryOneSource’s Plan My Move
Visit MilitaryOneSource’s Plan My Move to create a custom checklist for your move. What’s remarkable is you can customize the list with information about the tasks you need to complete and how to achieve them. Your checklist is tailored to the unique needs that you or your family have. You can save, download and print your list to update during your moving process and use it for future moves.
To learn more, visit planmymove.militaryonesource.mil.
Blue Star Families
Want to connect with your civilian neighbors and organizations to create strong communities of support for military families? Visit the Blue Star Families website, which has tools for job and career training, family care and support plus community building.
Blue Star Families is committed to strengthening military families by connecting them with their neighbors—individuals and organizations—to help them overcome the isolation and alienation of frequent moves, deployments and reduced support from the government. Even after your veteran’s service is up, Blue Star Families provides information to veteran families regarding how to navigate their transition.
To learn more, visit bluestarfam.org/veteran-family.
Sources: Department of Labor, MySTeP, USO, Blue Star Families