#military-spouse

#military-spouse

For 22 years, I was a military wife, putting aside my needs to support my husband's career - all for the promise that after retirement, when our children were grown, we'd travel the world together. In 2018, retirement finally came, and not long after, our nearly 25-year marriage crumbled. When his military career ended, it felt like he lost his sense of purpose. I tried to hold things together, but the unhappiness and bitter fights left me drowning, too.

Travis, previously an Air Force flight surgeon, had matched into a military-sponsored orthopedic residency in Houston. With a 1-year-old and a newborn in a brand-new city, Erin paused her career as a labor and delivery nurse to support her husband's residency and get the family settled. Unpacking was the easy part. Making the unfamiliar feel like home was the real challenge.

Part of me is at peace, but another part is full of resentment. I feel pushed into this choice - pushed by DOGE. It's been such a stressful, emotional decision.