Why don't many military wives work? Does this contribute to the large amount of military on public assistance?

Question

Are some of you not able to read a question right? I said many not all. Public assistance means food stamps and such. I am not condemning you, just wondering why many don't work.

Answer 1

Beingin the military (navy) and being married i will tell you this. A large number of spouses are not trained for a good proffesion. Those military spouses who are trained are leary of starting a career when their husbands are still in due to the limited upward mobility. When their husbands have to transfer every 3 or 4 years. Employers will not promote someone who is not going to be around.

As for public assistance. The military is real good about giving just enough pay to make this nearly impossible. When I was an E-4 who just got married with one kid on the way I had to move into a lower quality apartment complex because all the newer really nice complexes were government subsidized low income housing. My basic housing allowance made it to where I made 15 dollars more than the cut of for a family of 3. Our housing allowances are targeted towards ensuring that we do not fall into welfare incomes unless we have inordinatly large families.

Edit- Oh and when child care runs about 110 dollars a week per child for an enlisted person, and you add in factors like eating out more often and fuel costs from running vehicles to too jobs the spouses usually winds up working for the same amount as they spend or less.

Answer 2

I am the spouse of a E-five and I believe it's cheesy for a army spouse to put on her husband's rank.Rank is earned via the carrier member no longer the partner. While as a partner you earn admire you continue to shouldn't have a rank. Now you continue to subject as a E-four spouse and I wish you understand that. There does come a few admire for those who have persisted extra time, or who is husband leads seeing that of the time and sacrifice made. I would not permit it hassle you. Remember because the spouse you're a right away mirrored image of your husband. If the opposite other halves wish to put on their husband's rank..first-class. It is their selection. If you do not believe it's correct..than do not do it. Good Luck!

Answer 3

OK navy wife here and to be honest the reason many are on public assistance is that at the LOWER ranks the pay is pretty grim add in a few kids and you are really getting tight.

BUT I also agree with you in that a HUGE amount of navy wives have little to no interest in actually getting any sort of job and use the kids blah blah as an excuse BUT when you hubby goes off for 6+ months at a time where exactly are you meant to put your kids at that time and then of course you have the fact that pretty much every 2 ish years you are VERY likely to be moving.

I have come across all aspects of the spectrum in navy wives, the ones that at 5 mins past midnight n pay day load up the FIVE kids and pull out the money and dash off to walmart and the other end of the scale where they are very well educated and hold excellent jobs, be they teachers and a couple of lawyers etc etc........a lot of if JUST boils down to the actual female and not the fact that they are a navy wife.......some are lazy and money grabbing and some are very much part of a team effort JUST like in the outside civvy world.

Regards

Answer 4

Why I don't work:
1. Teaching jobs are hard to come by when you 10+ years and they have to pay you for your experience. I'll go back to my career when he retires!
2. I contribute to my community by doing volunteer work, helping out other Air Force families. Trust me, I'm saving the taxpayers plenty in the long run!
3. What would I do if the kids are sick? Someone has to stay home and hubby can't.
4. I provide the stability in our home. Hubby works long hours and long weeks, if the mission needs him. He is also gone for periods of time for mission needs. My girls need me at home for them.
5. Someone has to cook the meals and do the laundry and clean the house. See above!
6. Travel is much easier if he is the only one needing to take leave.
7. Day care costs, if you have little ones, are prohibitive! Cost of day care on base goes up as the rank goes up!!

Personally, other than WIC, I've never seen a military family on public assistance. And, if you've ever looked at the guidelines for WIC, the income is pretty high.

Also, many spouses are pursuing college degrees, preparing themselves for a career. Many others have careers that you wouldn't really think of... freelance writers and photographers, home day care providers, medical transcriptionists, caterers, etc.

So... until you've had to be a single parent, even though you're married, you've lived through your spouse missing yet another special event in your child's life due to work, wake up to your spouse being at work and then go to bed to him still being at work, worried about your spouse going on a business trip from which he might never return, had to pick up your house and family and move them every 3 or 4 years to somewhere unknown, with no friends or family on the other end, and even no house to move into!, you have no right to make a judgement call on the military spouse!!

PS. please explain the large number of people not in the military who are on public assistance when I see stores and shops with help wanted signs??

Answer 5

ARE YOU SERIOUS? I am a navy wife. I am currently unemployed , yes, but! i am also the mother of TWO special needs kids {one is autistic, and ones got aspergers} I dont work, because I have to coordinate services for both children, including daily TSS services, OT, ST, mobile therapist.... and THATS just the daily stuff.. not including, dr visits, dentist visits, and the mundane everyday things like meals, etc etc... enough about me.....

military familys are just like civillian familys.... would you expect a mother of 2, who is married to someone working @ burger king, to get a job, deal with day care {which is a pain in the a$$} just so she can go out and get a job, so shes NOT on public assisstance?????

the reason that there are so many military familys on public assisstance, is because lower ranking military, qualifies as being BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.

if you dont feel that the military is entitled to HELP just like everyone else in the US {thats be low the poverty line}, then maybe you should contact your state reps about giving the military a raise....

its amazing- theres e-1s and e-2s in IRAQ getting shot at AND KILLED for a measly 1300.00 a month...

your seriously worried about the military on public assisstance? you should be thankful that there are men and women out there that are willing to do the job, and DIE FOR THEIR COUNTRY for such a measly amount.

Answer 6

Thank you for your over generalization. The question you need to ask is why doesn't the country pay Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines enough so they don't fall below the poverty level making them eligible for aid? Just curious... And what are you considering public assistance? WIC? Food Stamps? Tri-Care?

But to answer your question... I've moved 7 times in 8 years. I have a master's degree but have never been anywhere long enough to get enough hours to work on my clinical license. I have had to reinvent my career every time. I had a child and have chosen to stay home with her until I get a job. Of course then I will pay Cat IV child care expenses which will be about half of my pay. But what the heck, that's a small price to pay to help support the nation.

Again, thank you for your generalization. Since my hero defends your right to ask idiotic questions please feel free to post another one.

Answer 7

I'm a military wife and I work my butt off. Even with the pay my husband gets, it's still not enough. Just because you don't see them working doesn't mean they don't. Some are putting themselves through school to get a career (I fall into that catergory) Others work from home. You don't know their situation so don't use a sweeping generalization. I for one am offended that you would call me lazy just because of the few who refuse to work. There are more who refuse to work who are on government assistance and AREN'T military. In my job, I see this everyday. People who can afford to buy their kids everything they want while my husband and I struggle to make ends meet and still be able to give our daughter what she needs. I feel like my daughter is getting cheated because my husband is gone a lot and I have to work my butt off. She gets diapers and food but doesn't get her mommy and daddy very often. Then I see questions like this and it makes me angry that I am put into a group that I dont belong in. Just because a few refuse to work doesn't mean we all are like that.

Answer 8

I am a military wife and I don't work. Why? Because I have yet to find an employer that will give me six months out of the year off when my husband deploys. We don't make enough to pay $100 a week for childcare. I'm not going to work to pay for childcare. That's just stupid. Yes, I stay at home and raise my child. I fix the lawn and take care of the bills. I clean the house top to bottom. I make sure my family gets hot meals and clean laundry. So I guess that makes me a nobody in your eyes. My husband is an E-4 and he makes too much money for public assistance.

Answer 9

I personally don't know any military family on any kind of public assistance.

The reasons I'm not working:
1. My husband's deployed and we don't need to have me work right now
2. I will be going to school full time for Nursing
3. But the biggest reason, I'm currently 8 months pregnant and my husband would be irrate if I decided to get a job right now

Answer 10

lol, no.
the crappy pay is what contributes to some military members being on public assistance.
and even IF the wife works part-time...they would be on assistance.
the cost of day-care (if they have children), would suck up ANY extra cash coming into the household from the wife's job.

and to be honest..id rather *I* raised my kids than some daycare thank you very much.

and no we [my husband and i] are not on public assistance. but to be honest...that's what it's there for...military members pay their taxes, serve their country, spend MONTHS away from their family and i think a little bit of public assistance to make things easier is a FAIR deal! at least you know military members are not abusing the system like some ppl, ie. illegal aliens w/20 dang kids.