Is that why you decided to get involved with the Veterans BRG?
Yes! My husband and I have met veterans from other branches who are discharged with injuries. He worries for them. They’ve spent so many years training and they may struggle to transition back to civilian life. Sometimes, those skills don’t easily translate to a civilian job and veterans can struggle to find employment.
I think that’s an important part of the Veterans BRG’s mission—to hire more veterans at Moss Adams. It’s been great to meet others at the firm who have served in the military, or maybe are in a similar situation to me as a military spouse. It’s reassuring to know there’s a community I can reach out to when I need it.
Can you talk about the challenges, or sacrifices, you’ve faced as a military spouse?
It’s obviously very different because my life isn’t on the line, but a military spouse signs up to be a supportive partner. There are times when I’m counting the days until my husband is back because I don’t know how much longer I can handle it on my own.
For example, there was a time I was parenting alone and felt totally overwhelmed. I said to myself that I couldn’t do it anymore, then that same night my son had a medical issue. Sometimes, Karl is unreachable or can only call me once a day. He’s great at supporting me from afar, reaching out to our parents to help when he’s unable to.
Still, it gets really hard. I sometimes think about how my grandmothers were at home living in fear while their husbands were overseas at war, which makes me worry about Karl being deployed. I know there’s that risk, but that fear is in the back of my mind. It’s not our reality right now. In the end, I realize how much more capable I am than I thought.