November is Military Family Appreciation Month and in this week’s episode Susan Guthrie speaks with Kristina Kaiser, who shares her insights into the challenges faced by the families of our military members, as well as some of the difficulties that can arise when facing divorce within a military family.
We often remember to honor those who serve, and rightly so, but the family members, especially the spouses of our active military members also make sacrafices in the name of our country and deserve our thanks as well. In honor of Military Family Appreciation Month, Kristina Kaiser, herself the former wife for almost 30 years of a Marine officer, gives an insider view into the many ways that our military families give of themselves, often to their detriment, while a family member is in active service. Facing many moves and relocations, job limitations, unpaid volunteer work expectancies, co-parenting alone and more, the spouses and children of military personnel also can be affected by the military life. Beyond that, divorce can be extra complicated when an active or former member of the military is involved. The pensions, benefits and more that are one of the highlights of military careers are limited in some ways in being divided during the divorce process and the non-military spouse may end up receiving less than the might have if they were not dealing with military benefits. Whether you are a member of the military, a military family member or one of those who owe themour thanks, this episode is a wonderful reminder of all they sacrifice for their country and why those thanks are deserved!
IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode is meant to honor our military families and to give a glimpse of the hardships and sacrifices that they make for out country. We mention some of the issues that can arise in a military divorce but if you are divorcing and military benefits are at issue, it is strongly advised that you seek counsel from an attorney in your area who is well-versed in military benefit in divorce.
GIVING TUESDAY is DECEMBER 1, 2020: As mentioned by Kristina in the episode, the Tuesday following the release of this episode is Giving Tuesday. If you would like to donate to one of the charities mentioned here are the links:
MISSD.co
RXISK.org
USAPatientNetwork.org
Charities Supporting Military Members and their Families:
Gary Sinise Foundation
Give an Hour
Children of Fallen Patriots
More Information About This Week’s Special Guest:
Kristina Kaiser Gehrki has more than 20 years of professional experience in communications and education and serves on the board of the USA Safe Patient Network. Her advocacy work to reduce medical errors and prescription drug harms began after the avoidable death of her teenage daughter, Natalie. Kristina has provided FDA testimony, authored several publications and an accredited akathisia course, and is a presenter at national and international conferences focused on communicating crisis and risk.
Kristina previously worked for several nonprofits, corporate headquarters, and school districts. She developed marketing curriculum for the Virginia Commonwealth and was recognized for exemplary teaching and leadership as a scholar-in-residence and national fellow by the Association for Career and Technical Education. Kristina holds a bachelor’s in journalism, a master’s in strategic communication, and multiple teaching certifications.
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SUSAN GUTHRIE, ESQ., the creator and host of The Divorce and Beyond Podcast, is nationally recognized as one of the top family law and divorce mediation attorneys in the country. She is one of the Co-Chair’s of the American Bar Association’s DR Section Mediation Committee and is the Founder of Divorce in a Better Way which provides a curated selection of resources and information for those facing divorce and other life changes. Susan has created a website of curated resources for those facing divorce. Find out more at www.divorceinabetterway.com.
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For more information about Susan Guthrie and The Divorce & Beyond Podcast visit the website at www.divorceandbeyondpod.com
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