More than 50 percent of veterans are married. With a majority of American households now requiring two incomes to support a stable standard of living, any solution to help veterans transition out of the military must take into account the talent inherent in their spouses.

Our returning veterans display tremendous levels of knowledge, skill and experience for their age, and they are more than eager to continue contributing to society. Throughout multiple deployments over the last 10 years, their spouses have been living with the same commitment to dedication and sacrifice.

When a veteran’s duty station changes, military spouses are not necessarily ready for a career change. One Air Force spouse quoted in Blue Star Families’ 2013 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Report indicates that she has had to turn down “numerous promotions due to PCSs [Permanent Changes of Station].” She adds that it’s “impossible to move up; I’m constantly starting at the bottom when I look for employment.”

The average military spouse’s resume rarely tells the whole story. More often than not, employers need to push past the paperwork to find out that the candidate they are reviewing has an unusually strong set of skills and attributes. One way to accomplish this is through networking—taking the time to meet military spouses.