Currently, there are a lot of worried senior enlisted families.

In the next few weeks, officials expect to pink slip a large number of senior NCOs who are serving in career fields that are considered to have too many soldiers through the Qualitative Service Program (QSP).

And they way those soldiers are to be chosen, is not exactly fair or clear, from what those of us holding our breath can tell.

The very basic premise of the program is to purge soldiers from the force who are not performing at Army standards, who are not rising through the ranks in a reasonable amount of time and those who simply are in jobs that have too many soldiers.

At the very core, the program sounds reasonable. Not doing a good job? You’re fired. Drinking and driving? Out you go. That’s how the civilian world works, right?

But the news dribbling down the ranks and into the spouse’s ears tells a very different story: that older soldiers who qualify for retirement will be put out for medical reasons, even if they can currently do their jobs better than younger counterparts; and, that soldiers who may have had a bad report years ago, perhaps under the stress of post-war struggles, will be put out as well – even if they are performing above average now.

We have heard that there is a magic percentage of the NCO force that must go – but no one knows what that number is. Instead, the spouses sit on the phone trying to guess how far up or down their husband falls on that list and whether he will be cut or not.

And with all things military, rumors and misinformation rule the day.

But for families who had planned on being years from retirement, at the very core, this program is not good news.

Unemployment among military members is exponentially higher than in the civilian sector. Many military spouses also have difficulties finding work due to their transient lifestyle.

In our house, we are four years from our retirement goal. In that time, I had planned on earning my master’s degree. My husband is working towards his bachelor’s degree. We are paying off bills and saving for the transition time between Army life and the civilian world.

Now, there is a very, very good chance my husband will be forced to retire in May – four years before we had planned. He has had two major surgeries in the last year but has always bounced back and returned to duty. Still, his superiors have told him to expect to be on the list. There is no money saved, no job lined up and no concrete plans.

He has served 42 months in a combat zone, missed countless holidays, anniversaries, birthdays and the bulk of two of my pregnancies. I have served on Army family committees, Family Readiness Groups and my children have all had to undergo counseling because of the stress of being military children during a war.

And now, there is a very good chance that after all that dedication, like hundreds of others, we will be shown the door and told simply, get out.

My friends and I chatter on the phone nervously, comparing notes and leads on jobs for our husbands. We feel abandoned, kicked and bruised.

Many bases are ramping up their suicide prevention campaigns. This past summer, the Army reached the gruesome milestone of marking the most suicides ever. I often wonder how many of those deaths were triggered by news of the impending QSP.

No one can guess who or how many soldiers will be included in the final cuts. But if you think it might be you, stop and breathe.

I initially spent at least a week panicking as I focused on all the really bad outcomes that retiring unexpectedly could result in. Then, I stopped and decided to focus on planning for retirement as if I was thrilled we were finally there.

The Army has taught us all to change gears quickly and make life work. It’s not going to be pretty. It’s not going to be fun. But this will work. And when it is over, you might land in a better place or job than you could ever have had in the military.

The list isn’t out yet. Nothing is set in stone. But we can plan and be ready. Stay with us at Salute to Spouses as we continue to profile the most portable jobs in the marketplace, tips on job hunting and advice on living in and out of uniform.

Together, we can make it better.