Tillman Center hosts panel discussion in celebration of Military Spouse Appreciation Day Military spouses often face situations and challenges that most civilians don’t — deployments, long periods of separation and adhering to codes that sometimes can stifle human emotion. But with adaptability, dependability and a good set of ears, those issues often can get worked out, said one Arizona State University military spouse. “There’s many challenges that I was not prepared for and that we were not aware of,” said Army veteran and ASU alumna Karen Cruz, who is married to Melvin Cruz, also an Army veteran and ASU graduate. “But we learned along the way.”