NAPLES, Italy — Samara Sloan turned down a shot at a lucrative investment banking job because a U.S.-NATO military treaty first written in 1951 makes no provision for her to legally work while her husband serves in the Navy.
“That was a huge opportunity that I had to turn down with a very good salary,” said Sloan, who received the potential offer after moving to Naval Support Activity Naples in 2020. “It was a huge financial hit to my family.”
Sloan didn’t have much choice. Italian law makes it practically impossible in most cases for military spouses and children living in the country under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement to work anywhere except on base — and many of the jobs there aren’t open to them.
The agreement was written in an era when women were largely expected to stay home.
As time went on, supplemental agreements between the U.S. and NATO’s member countries addressed taxes, driving privileges and other issues related to U.S. military personnel in a foreign country. But they generally avoided rules on military dependent employment.
The last time the U.S. and Italy agreed on a supplement to the SOFA was 27 years ago, again without addressing employment.
Military spouse unemployment has been acknowledged as a problem by the services for decades, due in part to the nature of two- and three-year tours.
The problem affects many dependents, regardless of age or gender. But it disproportionately affects women, who make up 92% of the military spouse...
Homestead Hospice has reached a $1.93 million settlement agreement for the company’s alleged involvement in False Claims Act violations. U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. recently released the...
