After Facing Isolation as a Navy Wife, She Created a Lifeline of Support for Military Families
Her own struggles inspired a nonprofit helping military families build stronger connections
Crystal knew the stress of being a military spouse — being constantly on the move made it difficult to put down roots or build a steady support network. But when she realized military spouses received far less help and support than their partners, she felt called to action! Here, she shares her story with Woman’s World.
As a clinical social worker, Crystal Bettenhausen-Bubulka knew she needed help. Her husband, Joe, was captaining a ship on the Persian Gulf, leaving her alone in Bahrain with three kids — including a two-month-old.
“How can I get help for my postpartum depression?” she asked at the base, but there were no resources. Eventually, Crystal called the States for help.
“Suicide hotline,” they answered.
“I’m not suicidal,” she said. “But I really, really need someone to talk with.”
Crystal didn’t grow up in a military family, so when she married Joe, she didn’t know what to expect when her husband graduated college and joined the Navy. She’d hoped to finish her own degree in Gerontology, but they were soon stationed in Japan, and it was difficult finding a program from halfway around the world. When they returned to California, finding a job became even harder.
Finding a new purpose
“You’re perfect for the position, but you’ll likely get transferred after a year,” Crystal heard again and again.
Her girls attended a different school nearly every year, and making long-term plans was impossible. Crystal was constantly packing and unpacking—making new friends and joining PTAs. And as soon as she felt settled, “I got a promotion…and a transfer,” Joe would say.
In Hawaii, degree in hand, Crystal finally found a hospice job. But the job was in administration and she yearned for one-on-one patient contact. So it was back to school, this time studying clinical social work.
As her studies progressed, Crystal realized how strong a need there was for clinicians who understood military life — the constant upheavals, the isolation and stress.
So when Crystal got her social work degree, she set up a practice specializing in helping military families. She also reached out to others studying social work, mentored them in the military specialty and offered the hours of supervision they needed to become licensed.
But one day, her intern, Andrea, arrived in tears.
“My husband’s retiring and we’re moving back to Colorado, and none of my supervision hours will transfer. I’ll have to start all over.”
Crystal tried to help, but she learned there was only one exception. If Andrea had been supervised under a nonprofit, her hours would have transferred.
Crystal couldn’t help Andrea, but she was determined to help others like her.
A helping hand
“I’m going to start my own nonprofit,” she told Joe, and reached out to the Pat Tillman Foundation, an organization that invests in U.S. military service members, veterans, and military spouses through scholarships and leadership development so they can become the next generation of public and private sector leaders.
With their mentoring and scholarships, Crystal was able to start Strength in Service, so she could join the effort to help other military spouses and their families.
After recruiting other social workers nationwide, Crystal and her colleagues began offering internships to others interested in helping military families.
“It’s difficult to go into therapy and spend so many sessions explaining why you can’t make lasting friendships before you even get started with actual therapy,” she explains during regular webinars and tele-counseling sessions.
Crystal also meets with military officials to highlight family needs that are too often overlooked.
“Our goal is to help people build connections before they’re in crisis,” she says. “That way, when something happens, they already have a support network to fall back on.”
This story first appeared in the March 23, 2026, issue of Woman’s World magazine
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