Being a REAL Army Wife
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A couple of years ago when the Lifetime TV channel came out with Army Wives, I thought “hey this is pretty cool… they will show the rest of America what our life is really like!“ This was not the case. It was like Desperate Housewives meets JAG.
The show, while highly entertaining, did not portray what being a Military wife was like, not to mention getting a lot of military protocols wrong. For example, the General’s wife and the Private’s wife will not be hanging out together in a bar, berets are worn incorrectly. If my husband saluted like the Soldiers do in that TV show, his Commander would hem him up.
I am a proud Army wife. I love our life. I’ll be the first to admit, it is sometimes very hard. We endure a lot of sacrifice for supporting our spouses so they can serve their country. Yes, we do get nice benefits and military discounts but I guarantee it’s not as nice as one might think.
Yes it is true that we get a military housing allowance and don’t have to spend any more for our healthcare. I know many non-military people say to me “oh it must be so romantic being married to a soldier. “ I guess it does have a sort of romanticism to it but that is not the norm. There are days when my husband has to work 16 hours a day, get up in the middle of the night to attend to one of his soldiers, etc. A Soldier in the Army is a Soldier 24/7/365!
The worse part of our life is deployments. We don’t get the luxury of knowing where our spouse is, how they are doing, and if they are ok or not. I hear all the time from wives whose husbands travel that they know how I feel. On some level, I’m sure that they do know what it is like to be the only parent in the home for a while. Although, their husband is safe and sound in a hotel somewhere and will not be shot at, blown up, etc.
Even though we don’t wear a uniform, military spouses are expected to serve as well. We serve our fellow military spouses in times of need, participate in the Family Readiness groups, and engage the local military community. We are both mom and dad to our children; pick up the slack in our homes while our spouse is away and making sure that ALL of our soldiers have what they need.
Today, May 8th , is very special day for military spouses. It is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Back in 1984, President Ronald Reagan created this special holiday just for us military spouses in recognition of the sacrifice that we make. I think military spouses should be thanked everyday because for without our “service” the United States Armed Forces wouldn’t be able to do what they do.
So go out and thank a military spouse today and don’t forget that Military Spouses are not just wives! There are a lot of military husbands out there too and they deserve thanks just as much!
When I pray for our military, and I do that a lot, I always include the families as they are serving too.
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Bravo… Well said because it’s not the way they have it pictured on tv at all. There is so much more to being a military spouse then anyone will ever understand unless you’re one of them. Love the blog post.
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Great post Tammy. While I do enjoy Army Wives, it is a bit over the top at times, and attention to detail is completely missing from the show.
Glad they are paying attention to the lives of the spouses, but I still feel like it does not portray Army life accurately.
Ok I’m laughing at myself because I’m sitting here wiping tears from eyes and I don’t know why. I definitely know you deserve appreciation for all that you do as a military spouse! While I wasn’t really involved in the whole Army girlfriend aspect for all that long it was long enough to have a new appreciation for all the wives and girlfriends out there of our military people. It’s definitely not something you understand until you are a part of the situation.
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I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Like to watch Veronica mars episodes and also Lost. I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
I found your post on google as well. I am new to the whole army life, and I’m trying to get as much advice as possible. My husband will be leaving for basic training in a couple months, and while I was excited for this opportunity for him (he’s wanted to serve in the military for as long as we have been together), I am also very nervous. I have a brother in the Army, as well as a brother-in-law, and my step dad served for several years. So this is something my family is very supportive of. But as he’s finally signed his contract, and our future is mapped out for the next few years at least (my husband would like to make a career out of the Army if he can), reality is beginning to set in. I am very close to my husband, as are both of our children, and have never spent more than a couple of nights away from him. I think the separation will be the hardest for me. I am excited about a new beginning for our family, (we’ve gone through several hardships this year), and the community of the Army family. But I guess I’m just hoping you might have some insights of the life of an Army wife for me. I need to prepare myself for my new life, and no one outside the military life can really understand what is in store for me and the kids. Don’t get me wrong, I do not regret his choice, I’m only getting a little anxious as I adjust to reality. I am very proud of him, and I am glad he will be doing something so rewarding for himself. Any advice you have would be welcome:)
I really love Army Wives. It’s even better than Familly guy.
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I have never been interested in viewing an episode of Army Wives. I guess I figured either it would get it right, and then I’d be watching a show about my life which is not something I’d watch to relax or they’d get it wrong and I’d be irritated watching the errors. I’m waiting to see how long this show will go on – I mean we’ve moved 5 times in 7 years, is it really likely that all the spouses on the show would stay on the same post for all that long?
Hooray for the real military spouses! Thanks for holding down the homefront.