Married to the Military

When my husband was entering his senior year of high school, he signed up for the Army. It always amazes me that he knew he wanted to be in the military before he had even graduated high school... he was so sure of what he wanted out of life at the delicate age of 17!

When I met him, he had just finished his 4 years in the Army and was now attending college through the Air Force ROTC track. I thought that it was interesting that he was a military man, but I honestly did not give it much thought. He was in college, I was in college... I was not thinking of much else. He was though-he is always thinking of more.

He was commissioned an officer just two weeks prior to our wedding. I knew we would be in the military, but I did not know truly what it all entailed.

We have all heard the description of a military spouse as being "married to the military." This statement is brutally true. I am married to a man, who is so committed to the military-to this country, that essentially means that I am married to not only him, but to what defines who he is... the military.

As our lives progressed in the military, I began to learn more and more about what it meant to be married to the military.

• It means watching your husband achieve great things, and also being there for him when you have to watch him fail.


• It means getting excited about a new assignment only to have it be in some horrible location, but going with a smile on your face and a "home is where my husband is" attitude that makes it all bearable.


• It means standing on a platform next to a runway and watching your husband fly off to different locations around the world at the crack of dawn...


• It means being frightened-but placing that fear in the corner of your heart because you know that living in fear for your husband's safety is not something you can dwell upon while he is gone or you will go crazy.


• It means buying a new dress to greet him in when he comes home.


• It means supporting your fellow military spouses.


• It means loving other military families just as much as you love your own biological family-because most of the time, your military family is the only family near you.


• It means spending Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Thanksgiving, and the 4th of July without your husband... but at least I have the kids with me, he is alone.


• It means wearing red, white and blue to every ceremony because you have so much trust and pride in those colors.


• It means moving 7 times in 13 years.


• It means being Hailed by new friends at a new base, and Farewell'd by old dear friends at your old base.


• It means that you will get so angry you can't see straight when the evening news runs a criticizing story about our troops.


• It means feeling a bond with every military member out there.


• It means loving those who serve with your husband for the simple fact that you know they have his back.


• It means saying "no problem" when someone needs you.


• It means supporting our President, because he is the Boss.


• It means being a supportive partner to your husband when he can't talk about what he did today at work.


• It means sending care packages and cards


• It means teaching your children to respect the flag that their dad fights under.


• It means teaching your children honor, commitment and dedication to this country.


• It means having an American flag wave in your front yard-not just on patriotic holidays-but every day of the year.


• It means having a heart that can burst with pride when you see your husband in his uniform.


• It means standing up and clapping for all Vets.


• It means learning from those who have been where I am right now, and have done it with grace and poise.


• It means always being proud to be married to the military.

Happy Memorial Day~God Bless our Troops and their families!