LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- This weekend, many will honor military men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. But soon Kentucky will also honor the military families who make sacrifices far from war to support the service member in their family.
Sheila Brookins has mastered the mission of a military spouse. She topped the ranks in 2018 when Armed Forces Insurance named her the country's National Guard Spouse of the Year.
“You will do anything to ensure that your service member is able to complete his mission and if that means you have to give up something in order for him to stay focused on that then you're willing to do that,” Brookins said.
That "anything" often means putting aside their own career, but Kentucky lawmakers hope to change that.
Late next month, House Bill 323 will take effect. It's a reciprocal license law for military spouses, meaning those with licenses for careers recognized in other states will have those licenses recognized by Kentucky. It speeds up a process that often takes months and shortens it to 30 days for spouses with certificates like that of a doctor, dental hygienist or teacher.
“I think it's amazing,” Brookins said. “It's going to give them an opportunity to keep those licenses and not have to change their careers and basically, for some of them, not have to give up on a dream.”
Not only does it help families by increasing their household income and benefiting morale, but in theory it will also help the Commonwealth fill important jobs like one of Brookins' friends was forced to leave.
“She was a police officer and she was working in Ohio and when her husband got transferred she had to let that career go because she had to start the police force all the way over again in order to continue to be a police officer,” Brookins explained.
Brookins said a large number of military spouses have a college degree but circumstances of moving from place to place and repeatedly starting over means they make 34 percent less than their civilian counterparts.
This bill could serve as an end to that, financially honoring those who stand by the men and women on the front lines.
New Kentucky bill supports military spouses
House Bill 323 would make it easier for spouses in licensed careers to maintain those licenses upon relocation to Kentucky