Spouse Spouts

Well we had to change things up a little this week. Due to illness, conflicting schedules, and meetings, our show is a little shorter than usual, but it still has the charm of Susan and Dave!  We're talking holidays and holiday traditions. We might even throw in a little early Festivus celebrations!  Join Susan and Dave for Spouse Spouts the holiday episode and laugh until you cry with us! It will be a great time and fun will be had by all!   

As we learned in our last show, the holidays can be a stressful time for so many. Sometimes it's finding the perfect present, or having the perfect holiday.  For those of us who have lost a friend or family member, the holiday season can serve as a remind of what we have lost.  On today's show we have guests from the Tragedy Assistace Program for Survivors or TAPS (http://www.taps.org/) and Give An Hour (https://www.giveanhour.org/) sharing ways we can honor the person we lost and still enjoy the holidays.   

It's the holiday season. It's supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year! For some it isn't. For some people, this is a stressful and lonely time. For our military, who is far from home, deployed, or has lost a loved one, the holidays can be some of the darkest times. Join Spouse Spouts for a three part series about the military, mental health, and the holiday season.  Today will be talking about teens and young adults in regards to mental health. Join us to learn more about mental health and the holidays.     

It's Thanksgiving! It's a time for parades, food, football, and family. For military families stationed away from home, Thanksgiving can be a lonely time of the year. As always we rise to meet the challenge.  Join Susan and Dave as they share their Thanksgiving stories. You will laugh, cry, and enjoy the show the day before the holiday where you stuff your face, and fall asleep afterward. Please take the time to call in and share your Thanksgiving story. We are looking forward to hearing from you.  

Call-in line: (323) 870-4358. Did you know that not all healthcare is covered by TRICARE, the military's health insurance? That's right. We have children who are repeatedly denied access to quality and timely healthcare.  Children end up depending on charities and crowd-funding like Go Fund Me to cover the costs of healthcare.  People like Susan Reynolds have been actively advocating for change for years. Others, like Jacob Angel, founder of the Military Health Project have done both. Jacob's organization advocates for changes in the policies, while providing coverage for military children who are denied healthcare coverage.   

It's been an insane election year. So let's talk about it. Let's talk about the highs and the lows and everything in between. Susan and Dave aren't poltical strategists, we're regular Americans trying to get by in life. However, we can still have a civil discussion about the elction and our newly Commander in Chief.  There's a lot going on in the world, what do you think is the most pressing issue for our military? What do you think is the most pressing issue for our nation? It's time to talk about the election.  Susan Reynolds and Dave Etter are Spouse Spouts! 

Come and hang out with Susan and Dave as they discuss military housing. The Stars and Stripes newspaper published a recent article about military housing and the finding from an Inspector General report. You can find the article right here: http://www.stripes.com/news/inspector-general-report-finds-widespread-hazards-at-military-housing-1.435535 In other words, we have military service members and their families living in housing and they are being exposed to radon, mold, and more. So what can be done? Call in to find out Dave and Susan's military housing stories and how you can report the issues you have with your housing.  Spouse Spouts is an online radio show brought to you by Susan Reynolds and Dave Etter. For more information you can check us out at www.spousespouts.com

In our third installment of spouse employment, today we have Amanda Crowe on the show with us. Amanda is the Executive Director for In Gear Career, a military spouse employment and networking organization. In the last year, In Gear Career partnered with Hiring our Heroes and the US Chamber of Commerce to better help our military spouses in their quest for employment.  Two weeks ago, IGC, hosted a first of its kind event called AMPLIFY! You can read about the event here:http://nextgenmilspouse.com/amplify-2016-is-a-game-changer-for-military-spouse-employment/ Amazing event which helped spouse kick their career search into high gear!.  Dave Etter and Susan Reynolds are the voices and people behind Spouse Spouts. We are here each week at 0930 EST for you. You can follow up on Facebook and Twitter @spoutspouse. 

Episode 12 was the first part of a three part series on Spouse Employment. Why is this topic such a big deal? What is being done about it?  As usual military spouses have taken matters into their own hands and done something about spouse employment. On today's show you will hear from Sue Hoppin, the founder of National Military Spouse Network. She'll share her struggles and triumphs in the world of spouse employment, and tell us about her upcoming event.  We will also hear from Liza, who is one of the founders of Mad Skills, a military spouse employment hub. Spouses and share their resumes, and search for careers.  Make sure you tune in and hear about the great things that are happening within the military spouse community.  Dave Etter is the 2016 AFI Army Spouse of the Year and Susan Reynolds is the 2014 Joan Orr Air Force Spouse of the Year. Together, they are the team that is Spouse Spouts. Each Wednesday morning at 0930 Eastern Time you can listen to Dave and Susan wax poetic. 

Spouse Spouts is tackling military spouse employment. But why? Is it that big of a deal? Short answer? Yes! Well, what are the barriers to finding gainful employment? Is state licensure one of those issues? Yes! What about lack of education? Yes! What about lack of employment opportunities in certain duty stations? All of this and more!  Today's show is bringing in perspectives from spouses from Military Spouse Juris Doctorate Network or MSJDN and Lakesha Cole, the 2014 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year and Entrepreneur and owner to She Swank Too.  We will be talking about spouse employment and what is being done to help spouses in need.  Spouse Spouts is the premier podcast for military spouses by miltiary spouses. Brought to you by Susan Reynolds, 2014 Joan Orr Air Force Spouse of the Year and Dave Etter, 2016 AFI Army Spouse of the Year. 

Spouse Talks! What's That All About? Listen to Susan and Dave so you can find out more.

Mentoring is such a great way to connect with other people. Does it work in the militry spouse community? eMentor is leading the way when it comes to mentorship and military spouses. Is there room for other organizations? Do spouses want mentoring? Is social media the only way to connect? Is face to face mentoring something people still do?  Tune in to find out what Susan Reynolds and Dave Etter have to say about mentoring spouses and their experiences within the military community.  Spouse Spouts is a military spouse affilated show. If you or someone you know would be interested in joining in on our discussion then don't forget to call in at 9:30 EST for Spouse Spouts with Susan and Dave! 

Since Military One Click is doing a voting push and since it's getting close to the cut off for absentee ballots, let's talk about voting. Why will you, or why not? Call us and let's talk over some coffee!

We military spouses make plenty of sacrifices, but what do YOU do for love? Do you venture out of your comfort zone? Do you make your spouse do something new? Let's talk about it, in preparation for the upcoming Military Spouse Wellness Summit in October

It's back to school time! What did you feel this time? Did you cry? Did you dance the happy dance? Did you crack open that bottle of wine? Maybe something stronger? We wanna know! Call us and tell us everything!