Military Spouse Rules Spoken and Unspoken

Maj. Terrence Adams salutes during a retreat ceremony May 15 at Ali Base, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Sabrina Johnson)

There’s nothing worse than being the “new person” like a spouse who is new to military life and working to learn the proper etiquette. Thanks to Off the Base contributor Jackie Dorr for bringing the following to my attention, an online resource on Military Spouse Etiquette from eHow:

Life in the military world is full of challenges. While many of these challenges are faced by the one who is serving, military spouses also have rules, both spoken and unspoken, that should be followed to reflect well on the military member.

Some of the shared tips:

• Walk on the left side to make it easier for your military spouse to salute a higher rank with their right hand.
• Learn recognize ranks and the proper way to address them.
• Always RSVP when asked and write thank you notes.

Here are five suggested companion articles:

• How to be a Military Girlfriend
• Military Rank Etiquette
• Pros and Cons of Being a Military Wife
• How to act with a man/woman in military uniform
• How Deployment Can Effect a Military Spouse

Civilians can certainly learn from the articles because fewer families are rooted in military tradition.

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