Military spouse shares advice to families as UK operations step up in wake of Iran war

When tensions rise in the world, the military community and their families often feel it first. 

So much is happening each day with the unfolding situation with Iran, but what we are seeing right across the military community is people reaching out and supporting one another and acknowledging it's a nervous time.

Jess Sands is one of those people. She founded the Milspo Network back in 2018, a global group which connects and supports UK military spouses, partners and other halves who are building businesses amidst the challenges of military life. 

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As a business owner, military wife and mum, she shares inspiring stories and offers support for juggling family, business and finding your place within the military community. 

The community is pulling together

She's been posting on social media asking her network to share their best advice with each other because she knows just how difficult it is for many at times like these.

Jess said: "When it's operations, it hits differently. There's that worry that we never normally have, and it's that constant knot in your system.

"It's that constant feeling in your stomach that makes you really start to worry about what might happen and what's happening and not knowing.

"So the fact that the community is pulling together in the way it has done to support each other is so important because a lot of us know how it feels."

She added: "We really want to support those that have not done it before, because it can really make the difference between making military life feel awful and just making it feel a little bit better.

"We all have to support each other because I genuinely believe that is the way that we can get through these things."

People understand and want to help

After reaching out on her Instagram page, advice from the military community poured in. Jess said there are so many things that she would recommend.

"Get out of the house, talk to people, get that family support, reach out to those welfare people if you need to, and your doctor if you need extra support."

She said: "Just be gentle with yourself; it's really tough, it's really hard, it can get very dark, but a lot of people understand it and a lot of people really do want to help you, so make wise choices and do the things that work for you."

Those who have experienced what it's like for their partners to be sent on multiple operations over the years know why it is so important that they make an effort to support those who have just started out in military life. 

They know that together, the military community continues to prove its resilience and its determination to lift each other up in uncertain times.