The American military spouse is often described as supportive, adaptable, and steadfast. Words that aren’t heard as often in that description are doctor, author, adoptive parent, fellow soldier, or public relations executive. Fellow military spouse and Niceville resident Elizabeth Smith has set out to shed light on this community she feels is often underrepresented and, at times, a bit stereotyped with her podcast called The American MilSpouse.
“It’s entirely accurate to assume we are a supportive group who is ready to roll with the constant change of this lifestyle but that’s truly such a small part of who we are. Our spouses are passionate about their career and, while we are absolutely along for the ride, we have our own interests, experiences and stories that define us,” Elizabeth says.
Elizabeth and her husband Kyle, who is currently a test fighter pilot at Eglin AFB, live in Bluewater Bay with their two daughters. They have been to six different assignments together spanning all corners of the United States. Throughout their six assignments, Elizabeth found herself becoming acutely aware of the incredibly diverse group of women (and occasionally men) she was meeting and the vastly different backgrounds from which they came. While it was easy from the outside to see a spouse holding down the home front while their soldier was deployed, she was seeing them simultaneously earn a master’s degree or start a business or navigate the loss of a parent.
“While the military directs things like where we live and when our soldier is deployed, life doesn’t answer to anyone. The military spouse community is unique in its challenges, but we are just as human as anyone and we have the same goals when it comes to career, family and community connection.”
Last June Elizabeth launched The American MilSpouse podcast in hopes of diving deeper into the military spouse experience for her audience. Each week she features a different military spouse who shares their story. They discuss a myriad of topics ranging from spouse employment to blended families to impostor syndrome. The discussions are candid, open and honest. Elizabeth says the podcast is created for both the military community and civilians.
“You don’t have to be in the military to relate to the heartbreak of infertility or the challenges of motherhood. As much as I hope this podcast serves as a place for our military companions to connect, I also hope it can be a place for the civilians in our communities to peek into our world and walk away thinking either ‘I had no idea!’ or ‘Wow, me too!’”
At press time, there are 29 episodes of The American MilSpouse available on all major podcasting platforms including Spotify, iTunes and iHeartRadio. New episodes are released each week and you can also see the entire episode library at www.theamericanmilspouse.com.
For more information or to contact Elizabeth, call (219) 781-8715 or email Elizabeth@TheAmericanMilspouse.com.
