NAVIGATING THE MAZE

It was the kind of support system I imagined I’d have when I became a military spouse. The foundation is still there—programs, briefings, Facebook groups—but the warmth, the personal connection, the day-to-day support isn’t always present. Over and over, I have heard from spouses and families who didn’t know where to start when they needed support—who to call, what was confidential, or how the chain of care actually worked.

When I’ve offered resources I’d learned about through my KSM training, I quickly realized that while many had heard of certain programs or acronyms, they didn’t actually know what those services did—or more importantly, when and why to use them. It’s one thing to know your unit has a KSL or a Shirt; it’s another thing entirely to know which situations call for which support. And in our age of instant information, if something couldn’t be easily Googled—or required a phone call to figure out—it often just didn’t happen. The resources existed, but they felt buried under layers of unfamiliarity and hesitation. And families were left navigating the hardest parts of military life without a clear guide.

What I’ve learned from this experience is that even small tools, shared with intention, can create real impact. When families understand who’s in their corner and how to reach them, they’re more likely to ask for help—early, confidently, and without shame. And when leadership supports that effort, we shift from reactive care to proactive readiness. This is what it means to invest in our force holistically: not just the mission, but the people who carry it—and those who carry them.