"I feel fortunate that I have the opportunity to do many things that not a lot of people get the chance to do," said Stevie Taylor, whose husband, Lt. Ian Taylor, is a student in the mechanical engineering, undersea warfare program. "As a military spouse, I've had the opportunity to travel the world with my best friend by my side."

On Military Spouse Appreciation Day, spouses are honored for the contributions and sacrifices they make every day. Time spent away from home such as deployments, work-ups, and training exercises and not spent with family can be taxing on many families, but the job of a spouse is to bridge the gap and take over the responsibility of the absent spouse.

"The military is a really tight knit community, so every time we move it's like we have instant friends," NPS Foundation Director of Development Meredith Terrian. "You're in a group with people that are facing the same challenges as you, and they're familiar with what you go through as a military spouse."

Supporting a spouse that serves their country and divides their time between family and duty is difficult. Military spouses are the pillars of the families who support our troops during missions and deployments. They are silent heroes who are essential to the strength of the nation, and they serve their country just like their loved ones.

"One of the struggles of being a dual working family is the relocation that you have to do every so often," said NPS Media Assistant and military spouse, Andrew Ward. "The hours are long and it's hard to plan things, but I think that, like many things in life, you need to put one foot in front of the other and take things one step at a time."