CHARLESTON, W.VA. –
Financial planning is a crucial aspect of life for many families, but for dual-military families like Sgt. 1st Class Ari Shuemake and Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Shuemake, it takes on an even greater significance. With five children and two careers in the West Virginia Army National Guard, the Shuemakes have developed a meticulous approach to managing their finances.
The Shuemakes have been married for several years and share five children. Ari is the readiness noncommissioned officer (NCO) for the 153rd Public Affairs Detachment, and Aaron is an NCO with the 1528th Forward Support Company (Special Operations) (Airborne).
“I’ve been a member of the WVARNG for over 16 years,” she said. “I enlisted into the 111th Engineer Brigade in 2008 when I was a junior in high school. I’ve been full-time with the WVARNG since 2011 and have served in various positions since, including a deployment as the unit S1 (personnel) with the 3664th Support Maintenance Company.”
Balancing military careers with the responsibilities of raising a large family is no small feat, said Ari.
“We both take financial responsibility very seriously, and we work hard to teach our girls to have a similar mindset so that they can have as much financial freedom as possible when they join the workforce and eventually live on their own,” Ari said. “It’s important to us that they know the tangibility of money, and both its possibilities and limitations. They earn and spend money through chores and extra tasks around the house. I think this is the best way to ensure they know that money isn’t just going to be handed to them when they’re adults, and it helps them learn to prioritize where they spend their money, too.”
Ari said that with being a military family, financial planning isn’t as nuanced for them as it is for others with jobs that have irregular income, and a large household adds its own set of challenges.
“The approach I take is setting and adhering to a budget that is realistic for our lifestyle, strict in areas we agree upon, and flexible when needed," she said. "A huge part of our financial planning success is that we are both like-minded with how we handle and spend money, and we work together as a team to determine the financial goals we have for our family.”
Looking further ahead into 2025, the Shuemake family has specific financial goals.
“One of the biggest goals we have is to finalize the purchase of some land,” Aaron said. “We also plan to continue building our savings while paying down debts.”
Both Soldiers have experienced military deployments and sometimes months-long training or schools away from home. Ari said that each adult being financially aware of all the bills and able to manage the entire household's finances independently is the key to their success.
“I know it might sound like a strange concept for one partner to not know how to pay bills, but both mine and my husband’s parents are in that exact situation,” she said.
Being a dual-military family is unique, and Ari said, and friends and family help make it work.
“We are both very thankful to have the support of our unit leadership and full-time supervisors,” she said. “I’m also fortunate to have the support of my mother, who is always happy to keep the kids if we both have to work or be gone for drill, etc.”
“It can be difficult to manage two different and equally busy military schedules,” Ari admits. “We use a shared family iPhone calendar to keep track of everything, and that has been a huge help. It seems like there’s never a dull moment, someone always has something going on, and when we get home from work, we are going non-stop pretty much until everyone is in bed and our heads hit the pillow.”
When it comes to other dual-military couples, Ari offers this advice:
“As it is with any other stressor in life we face, we are open and trusting of one another, and we’re able to sit down and talk through strategies on how to tackle the issue together,” she said. “Have open and honest communications with your significant other to determine what each other’s outlooks are on finances, determine the approach that works best for you and your significant other, and if you are facing financial hardships, there are resources available to you through the National Guard.”
The West Virginia National Guard offers many resources to Airmen and Soldiers in various areas to help those who may need additional assistance. One such resource is the Financial Management Awareness Program (FMAP), which offers free financial education programs to help members and families make financial choices, overcome obstacles, and achieve their financial goals. You can learn more by visiting the National Guard's website. https://www.nationalguard.mil/Leadership/Joint-Staff/J-1/Family-Programs/FMAP/
Other tools and resources for Guard members include:
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). This can help with Financial and legal protections for active-duty service members and their families including reduced interest rates on loans taken out before military service. To learn more https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/legal/servicemembers-civil-relief-act/
Family Assistance Centers: A referral-based service, including emergency financial services, legal information and crisis intervention. To learn more: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/millife-guides/national-guard-family-program/
Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program: Education and career guidance, resources, and online tools for military spouses as well as Personal financial counseling: Help with financial basics, debt coaching, college savings, retirement planning, tax services and budget planning. To learn more: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/millife-guides/financial-management/
There are many different tools and resources available for Guard members and their families. If you need more information, you can reach out to your Family Programs or Military OneSource.