Now that I can look back on almost 4 months as a military spouse, there are a lot of things I wish I knew about the military when I got married.  The thing that would have helped the most was a list of things I should do, now that I am a military spouse.  My husband was not much help, because it’s a little different being a spouse than a sailor, and, you know, he does work all day.  So I was on my own.  I wanted to share some resources that were very valuable to me in my quest to figure out what being a military spouse is all about:

- COMPASS. This is an introductory class for Navy Spouses (I know they have a similar one for Marines and imagine the other branches have one too), but you don’t have to be brand new to take it. In fact, the spouses in my class ranged from one month of marriage (me) to 28 years.  It was amazing!  Experienced, enthusiastic spouses teaching other spouses the ins and outs of military life.  It was a lot of information to absorb, but you come away with a ton of resources and websites, phone numbers, etc.  I highly recommend it, and you can check out the website here.

- FFSC.  The Fleet and Family Support Center is really your go-to place for questions and help.  I would not hesitate to visit or call!  They also offer a lot of classes ranging from childcare to car buying to job searching, and the employees are helpful and friendly.  One great example of what they do: when my husband (then fiancee) was first activated from the Reserves, a FFSC representative called me each month to check in and see if I needed anything- now that's service!

- The web.  I have found that military websites are not always the easiest to navigate, but there is information to be found if you are persistent!  Also, MilitaryOneSource is a good organization that can help spouses, families, and sailors with information. 

- Free stuff and special privileges!  I shop at the commissary and NEX, tax-free. I get gas on base (sometimes it’s cheaper than off base, but not always in this area).  I go to the gym for free.  I go to free concerts on base. I take classes.  The benefits are amazing!  It reminds me of when I was a teacher- we always had the opportunity to go to free workshops and classes. One recent spouse benefit I recently discovered is $6,000 available for college courses and training classes for military spouses looking to start a new career or update their skills.  They're called CAA or Career Advancement Accounts and here's a synopsis.

- Social Networking. Blue Star Families, of course, is a great example!  A community of military spouses ready to support you with articles, blogs, forums, and more.  After I found BSF, I noticed that there are military spouses everywhere in the internet and social networking world: Twitter, Facebook, blogs... all you have to do is look!

In short, there is a lot out there for us military spouses, and we are very lucky to have this support system!  I hope many of us take advantage of it.