Written by Angela Caban

When my husband deployed in 2008, I had no idea where to turn. We lived off post and the nearest post to us was about 30 minutes. At first most of my resources actually came from me getting online and speaking with other spouses. I read a lot of books, it really only takes a few books to make someone an expert. I slowly realized, is this it? There has to be more to this. My husband’s deploying unit FRG rarely met, help events or contacted spouses. I think the most we ever received was a weekly email, which was great but I needed more interaction with spouses and families.

Whether you are living on post or not, you can join any spouse support group near you. And I honestly recommend you do so. If not for you, do it for your spouse. I know this may sound strange since your spouse is deployed, but they can sense a change in your overall attitude when you have information and are involved.

What type of support is offered?

At a spouse/family support group, the command sponsored organization is made up of family members, volunteers and soldiers. The group provides many different avenues of mutual support and assistance. They also have a network of communications among the family members, the chain of command, chain of concern, and community resources.

Where do you join/contact?

For most Active duty families, all you have to do is visit your family assistance office on base. But for Guard and Reserve families, depending on your branch of service, there are various ways to locate a spouse support group.

Army

http://www.armyfrg.org/skins/frg/home.aspx?AllowSSL=true

Air Force

http://www.afrc.af.mil/library/family.asp

Navy

http://www.cnic.navy.mil/CNIC_HQ_Site/WhatWeDo/FleetAndFamilyReadiness/FamilyReadiness/FleetAndFamilySupportProgram/index.htm

Marines

http://www.usmc-mccs.org/upfrp/

Coast Guard

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg1/cg111/ombudsman.asp

For more on Angela Caban, visit her website at www.angelacaban.com.

Join me and other military spouses on my Facebook, Twitter or MySpace fan page.