Officers’ wives face informal duties that can affect their husbands’ careers

Evidence

Other family support roles are now filled by paid “Morale, Welfare, and Readiness” staff, as well as psychologists and other civilian employees dedicated to supporting troops and families. But the wives of officers still face expectations to lead and mentor the families of lower-ranking officers and enlisted personnel. “To decline these responsibilities, many wives worry, might harm a husband’s career,” writes the historian and former military family member Anni Baker. Retired Army colonel Douglas Macgregor explains, “There’s the expectation that the commanding officer—whether he’s a captain, colonel or general—that his wife will set an example by doing things consistent with her husband’s responsibilities … Wives are under enormous pressure.” The wives of enlistees frequently face similar pressures to participate in base life and support other families in ways ranging from emergency child care to offering comfort and help during deployments and in the wake of a service member’s death. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 460