KALISPELL — Montana has a large population of veterans, and with that comes many veteran spouses. One woman in the Flathead has started a group for veterans' wives to come together.
“The military lifestyle, in and of itself, is very different from the civilian world. And then when you get out of the military, that is even more different than when you were currently in the military. It's not an experience that a lot of people resonate with,” said Christine Childs.
Childs started Flathead Wives of Veterans Coffee and Conversation group a year and a half ago.
“So that women could feel like they had friends that were going through similar experiences post military,” said Childs.
The group meets once a month to have coffee and discuss the good, the bad and all things that come with being the wife of a veteran.
“And I have found it to be really, really helpful to have a group of women to be able to bounce thoughts, feelings and experiences off of so that you're not feeling as alone in your experiences,” said Childs.
This group is unique from other veteran caretaker groups in that it is open to any wife of a veteran who has served in any branch of the military for any amount of time. This group is not put on by any veteran service agency. It is simply a group of wives who get together to talk about life.
“You know, if there's just a rough week or a rough month that's going on, whether it be for our spouses or for ourselves, just having the support, knowing that there's people listening, and also being able to give advice or comfort in those times, is extremely helpful,” said Childs.
The next Coffee and Conversation is scheduled for January 11th at 10 am at Black Rifle Coffee Company in Kalispell. Any wife of a veteran is welcome to attend.
