OCONUS Unicorn
by Jennifer Barnhill, Freelance writer
As a military spouse I have had the privilege of living in Japan twice, for a total of 5 years. These two journeys looked very different, one was without kids, footloose and fancy free. The second I arrived pregnant and with a toddler and left pregnant with two toddlers. The experience of living far from home taught me to value the military lifestyle, so much so that I've made writing about it my passion.
However, these experiences didn't come without a cost. My husband is a Navy helicopter pilot and was "forward deployed" for 50 percent of the time we lived OCONUS (Outside CONtinental United States). This complicated my personal life and my professional life.
I was one of the lucky few to get a job within my field in Japan. I was hired as a public relations assistant for Morale Welfare and Recreation, utilizing a military spouse hiring preference. I also picked up freelance writing work for Stars and Stripes. I didn't make much money, but I had a few bullet points on my resume. Military spouses around me were not so lucky. Instead of treating patients, I knew doctors who threw command parties. Instead of running a board room, others ran spouse clubs.
On my second tour in Japan I taught English, kept writing for Stars and Stripes and was a lackluster stay-at-home mom. The few who worked full-time attempted to get on child care waitlists or sent their children to private Japanese schools. This was not a luxury many could afford, so many didn't bother trying.
There were many spouses who ran their own businesses out of their homes but were worried about the legality of doing so. Those who created their own products were not able to ship them to US-based clients because laws didn't allow using a DoD postal address for profit. They were forced to sell their wares locally at spouse-sponsored craft fairs. If they were not sure about what was allowed, they would attempt to talk to the base legal office, but were often told that "we don't handle that." If we wanted a power of attorney or help with taxes (and our spouse could accompany us into the office) they were there, but beyond that we were on our own to unknowingly break the law.
I am a unicorn. I found work OCONUS. But, I also had two huge career speed bumps (two tours in Japan). I could not gain resume momentum. Instead of continuing to pursue one career path, I had to hop around. If we had been stationed stateside for the past 13 years I would have had more control over my professional and educational goals. I don't look back with regret - as all military spouses do, I made it work, and had a blast. But from my current vantage point, I look back and hope for better for those yet to come. Living overseas and experiencing other cultures should be embraced with enthusiasm, not dreaded because of legal and professional hurdles.
Putting us to work is just the first step to solving the military spouse employment problem. What comes next is a bit more complicated, but no less vital.
What's Next?
This year the National Military Spouse Network (NMSN) is focused on supporting the career portability of military spouses overseas (OCONUS). These efforts will directly impact the readiness and retention of our forward-deployed military force. Families are not just dependents, we are partners in this lifestyle and support each other accordingly. If being deployed OCONUS costs military spouses careers, legal freedoms and time with stateside friends and family these sacrifices will negatively impact military marriages, which impacts our all-volunteer force.
As the military spouse workforce turns to remote and flexible work options, NMSN's solution to examine and reduce employer tax burdens becomes all the more vital. Military spouses are pivoting to try to find new pathways to make this challenging lifestyle work, but need policies to keep up with us.
To learn more about NMSN's solutions to these issues and more, check out the NMSN 2020 White Paper.
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Jennifer Barnhill is a freelance writer with a focus on military family advocacy. A military spouse of 13 years, she knows what it is to career-hop and forge her own path to a successful and diverse career.
Jennifer's writing has been featured in Military Families Magazine, Military Spouse Magazine and Stars and Stripes. Her work has helped raise awareness on the issues that affect military families, from the military “widow's tax” to health care challenges to military spouse career development. Her work promoting military spouse advocacy has garnered attention on Capitol Hill, culminating in a meeting with Senator Tim Kaine on the topic.
In addition to being a writer, Jennifer is a full-time federal employee at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California and mother of three. Jennifer graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Professional Writing/Journalism in 2004 and is currently studying at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in pursuit of her Master of Public Administration, with a concentration in non-profit management.