As we celebrate Military Spouse Appreciation Day on May 6, we honor the contributions and sacrifices made by military spouses like you, and your ongoing support of your loved ones – our Veterans.
The commitment and support you offer help keep our military strong. As the backbone of our Armed Forces, military spouses provide for our troops during missions, deployments and returns. You are essential to the strength of the nation, and you serve our country just like your loved ones.
Well-deserved recognition
Recognizing the importance of the work done by military spouses, President Ronald Reagan issued the first proclamation of Military Spouse Appreciation Day on April 17, 1984.
“Their contribution is critical,” said President Reagan of military spouses. “The understanding and encouragement they give our servicemen is something we must all be grateful for.”
Fifteen years later, Congress officially made Military Spouse Appreciation Day part of National Military Appreciation Month in 1999. In the years since, the Department of Defense standardized the date by declaring the Friday before Mother’s Day every year as Military Spouse Appreciation Day.
A career where you are valued
You may not be on the front lines, but as a military spouse, you’re fighting your own battles at home every day. It is that spirit of dedication, resilience and adaptability that makes military spouses like you so valuable, not just to your families, but to us.
At VA, we recognize the unique skills that you bring to the table. As the spouse of a service member or Veteran, you have a distinct perspective on what we do at VA and how to help our patients. That’s experience other candidates just can’t duplicate.
We know military spouses like you are educated, qualified and ready to serve the nation’s Veterans and their families. That is why VA partners with the Department of Defense (DOD) Military Spouse Employment Partnership program to help recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses in meaningful careers at VA.
We have also partnered with DOD’s Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program, which provides education and career guidance to military spouses worldwide. SECO offers comprehensive resources and tools related to career exploration, education, training and licensing, employment readiness and career connections.
Valuable benefits
When you bring your talents to VA, you’ll have a balanced, flexible work environment and benefits focused on your unique needs.
- Education and development. We offer ongoing leadership development through every level of employment. All leadership programs align the organization around a set of core competencies that facilitate career development through continuous learning, coaching/mentoring and assessment.
- Competitive salaries. We offer our employees strong starting salaries based on education, training and experience. We also offer steady growth, with periodic pay raises that address inflation and local market changes.
- Flexible schedules. Our employees receive 13 to 26 paid vacation/personal days, as well as 13 sick days annually with no limit on accumulation, and we celebrate 11 paid federal holidays each year.
Work at VA
As we celebrate Military Spouse Appreciation Day and show our appreciation for the sacrifices you have made, take a moment to consider joining our team.
- LEARN more about VA’s commitment.
- READ about our efforts to reach military spouses.
- CONSIDER the benefits we offer.
- SEARCH for your VA career.
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