The "Officially Unofficial" Spouse

Kristie Miller is a former diplomatic spouse and author.

Diplomatic wives, like their corporate counterparts, put in long hours of unofficial labor to advance their spouses' careers. The contribution is not voluntary but an expected activity, and poor performance can adversely affect the couple's future opportunities. Research into the history of the foreign service spouse charts growing dissatisfaction with this state of affairs. Kristie Miller describes moves underway to gain recognition for this "officially unofficial" tradition.