How many years have you been married?
12
What branch of service?
Army
How many years of service?
17; early medical retirement
Briefly describe your overall outlook on military life?
I loved it but had no idea I would love it. My husband was a prior Marine but we weren’t together then. He always spoke highly of the military and I knew he missed it.
One day he came home and told me he had enlisted in the Army. I was pretty upset that he hadn’t asked me BUT if he had, I probably would have said no and would have missed out on one of the most wonderful opportunities of my life.
What is your very favorite part of being a military spouse?
The camaraderie.
The sense of pride.
The exclusivity of being apart of such a tight-knit community.
What do you do for yourself to maintain a positive outlook as a military spouse?
The biggest thing was getting involved with military life. At our first duty station I was clueless and utterly lost! It took me a while to make friends. The saddest part is I didn’t have children yet so my schedule would have allowed for many opportunities. I just didn’t know where those opportunities may lie.
After some time I got connected with our FRG and became a key caller. This got my feet wet for other things. Then at our next duty station I discovered PWOC and those friendships and the time of fellowship helped keep me grounded in the midst of any chaos. Submerge yourself, don’t hide inside your house!
If you could go back to the beginning of your service member’s career, what advice would you give yourself with the added benefit of hindsight?
- Get out and find ways to volunteer, make friends, and be involved!!! The military is as fun as you make it.
- Don’t mourn being away from family. Instead make close friends who can fill that space for you.
- Don’t spend deployment money foolishly. It’s a shorter window if time than you think and it goes by quickly. The opportunity to save and invest is short in the grand scheme of things.
- Don’t be scared of the commissary!! I was so frightened to shop there in the beginning because it seemed so rigid. I spent a lot of money at Walmart until a friend took me under her wing and showed me it wasn’t a scary place and I could save money on groceries.
That’s great advice from Hannah. As a military spouse, are your more of a “submerge yourself” or “hide inside your house” kind of person? Maybe there are seasons for both, but most of the spouses I’ve encountered who are winning at military life have rolled up their sleeves and taken the plunge to get involved in the world around them.
Would you like to share about what a typical day looks like in your role as a military spouse? We would love to hear from you. Click here to submit an entry.
Dependent Diaries 