Captain: I want nothing more than to stay in the Army -- but is that fair to my wife?

During the
summer, the Best Defense is in re-runs. Here are some favorites that ran in
late 2012 and in 2013. This item originally ran on April 22, 2013.

 

By Capt. Troy Peterson, U.S. Army

Best Defense guest husband

I'm at my 5-year point (initial
commissioning obligation complete) and although I've signed up for ~3 more
years, my desire for an Army career is being seriously challenged by the Army's
career progression model and the inherent difficulty in supporting my wife's
career. The lack of self-determination needed to coordinate our careers is a
major problem for us, and this concern seems to be growing in the younger
generation in the Army.

Like the
Marine's wife in your most recent post on this
topic, my wife is a true professional and a career woman. She's worked on Capitol
Hill, worked abroad for the U.S. government, and now she's getting her master's
degree from an Ivy League school (while we live apart for a couple
years) -- all so she can continue to work in the public sector and we can both
stay true to the ideals that mean so much to us.

Many of my peers face this situation;
married to an educated, professional spouse who can't just pick up every 2 or 3
years to relocate to wherever the Army decides we should be, and continue their
own meaningful professional career. It's a fact of life that opportunities vary
with location -- Fayetteville, NC, and Columbus, GA, don't have the same job
prospects as DC or New York. We don't expect the Army or anyone else to
change that. I want nothing more than to continue my Army career, but if I have
to, I'll find another way to continue serving my country and my ideals while
allowing my wife to do something she finds professionally significant.

From the Army's
perspective, this issue is a major part of the larger concerns
about career satisfaction, retaining talented and strong performers, and
competing with other professions for talent. My question is this: If the Army can have a great program for
dual-Army career couples, why can't we also be more accommodating of
dual-career couples who happen not to both wear ACUs?

My wife's
"civilian" status doesn't mean her desire for a career of service is
any less valid. Instead, the rigid career progression and lack of
self-determination are forcing me to consider leaving the military entirely in
order to preserve my marriage. However, the Army can adjust to prevent this
stark decision from being a reality for many families. I've seen many couples
get good results from the Married Army Couples Program. The answer for the rest
of us isn't another, bigger Army program, but instead to reform the rigid
career tracks and allow greater personal autonomy in job selection and
relocation. Enabling individual initiative and greater personal control would
facilitate dual-career couples achieving greater satisfaction, prevent us from
facing a decision to leave the force just to preserve our families, and allow
the Army to better retain what we so often say is our most precious resource --
our people.

CPT Troy Peterson is an infantry officer
stationed at Ft. Benning. He served previously in the Second Cavalry Regiment
in Vilseck, Germany and Zabul Province, Afghanistan. This article represents
his own personal views and not those of Infantry Branch, the U.S. Army, the
Department of Defense, the U.S. government, nor even the pitching staff of the
Florida Marlins.