More than two-thirds of military couples are facing challenges building their families — and many say the military lifestyle is directly to blame. In this episode, two military spouses who have dealt with fertility issues share their stories, including the high costs of treatments not covered by Tricare.
About the guests:
Ellen Gustafson is co-founder of the Military Family Building Coalition and a social entrepreneur, author, activist and, most importantly, mom and military spouse. She has done extensive work toward food system change, including by authoring “We the Eaters: If We Can Change Dinner, We Can Change the World,” co-founding Food Tank: The Food Think Tank, giving four TEDx Talks on food system change, and advising big food businesses such as Barilla and start-ups like Food Stand. She is the co-founder of FEED and the FEED Foundation, an early give-back fashion brand that has helped provide over 100 million school meals to children around the world and was the co-director of the Summit Institute, which applies creative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges and has helped create diversity, inclusion and anti-harassment programs at multiple companies. Gustafson is on the board of We the Veterans, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization created by veterans and military family members united for democracy and committed to building a more perfect union. She is also the mom of three miracle toddlers and lives with them and her husband in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Megan Philpot is a nonprofit professional currently working for a large military service organization and pursuing a graduate degree in nonprofit leadership and management. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Philpot currently lives with her active-duty Navy husband in central Illinois with their two dogs, a cat and too many plants to count. When she isn’t occupied with work or school, she can probably be found running, reading or eating.
About the podcast:
The Spouse Angle is a podcast breaking down the news for military spouses and their families. Each episode features subject-matter experts and military guests who dive into current events from a military perspective — everything from new policy changes to research on family lifestyle challenges. The podcast is hosted by Natalie Gross, a freelance journalist and former Military Times reporter who grew up in a military family.
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