A program developed by the Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce has become a national model in a campaign to encourage local businesses to hire the wives and husbands of people serving in the military. Backers say that too often, military spouses are bypassed for jobs because employers think they're going to leave in a year, when their husband or wife is reassigned, or because they want to reserve jobs for "local" people. It's a big issue, according to Navy officials -- the inability of spouses to find suitable jobs is a major factor prompting midcareer soldiers and sailors to leave the armed forces. To combat this, the Marysville Tulalip chamber has won pledges from all local governments in Snohomish County not to discriminate against military spouses when hiring, and it's compiled a list of companies -- including Costco and Best Buy -- that also have vowed to treat them fairly. Pentagon officials were impressed enough to invite chamber leaders to explain the program at national meetings this summer.