If You Had It All to Do Again Would You Be a Military Wife Again

She turned her head towards me and uttered the words I dreaded most, "You knew what you were getting into right?"

I always detest getting asked this question considering, in a way, I did know what military machine life would be like–frequent moves, separations and the overall feeling that life is a like a revolving door.

But at the same time, I didn't Actually know. Take marriage, for instance: you lot have an thought what your relationship will be similar years later on, but you don't fully grasp it until he'south covered your entire house in gear vomit for the tertiary time this week.

The same goes for parenting. You can read all the books on toddler discipline and prepare for ages, but nil really prepares for a toddler flinging poop at your head y'all until you experience it first hand.

Another perfect example is going to college and landing your first job. You study and programme to knock your kickoff job out of the park, but inevitably, you will fall down, make mistakes and have customers "question your abilities."

(photograph credit: Sgt. Joshua Spalding / DVIDS)

This is life.

Information technology's filled with unexpected surprises each and every step of the way. Before becoming a military wife, these are 47 things I never thought about…

1. The first deployment is a fell shock to the system.
2. Each subsequent deployment or separation will turn yous into a bag of nerves, despite adequate planning, prep and support.
3. Deployments don't go easier, you merely gain more tools to cope with deployment separations.
4. You will spend nearly the entire time at your current duty station speculating about where yous will go next.
5. Someone volition enquire for your address history and you will virtually pass out.
6. Your ID card volition get an extension of your body. Without it, you'll feel lost.
7. At some point, you'll get a citation for not pulling your weeds, cutting your grass or leaving a stroller exterior your door when living on base housing.
8. Learning acronyms and abbreviations will get your second language.
9. Some duty stations will feel similar the worst identify EVER, right until you meet your BFF…two months before your rotation date.
10. Patriotism will root itself deep into your eye.
11. Getting your taxes done at the base revenue enhancement centre will be the scariest thing y'all do all twelvemonth.
12. You will travel insane distances to see your friends and family dorsum home.
13. On top of that, y'all'll bulldoze 8 hours to run into your service member for 3 hours and this will seem normal.
14. Y'all'll spend the majority of your time as a armed services spouse either unemployed or underemployed.
15. People will say a lot of lightheaded things to y'all like…"I could never practise what you do." And yous volition observe a mode to reply with grace and tact.
16. Homecoming will feel like falling in love on a blind date. First comes the honeymoon phase, so it only gets awkward.
17. Yous'll make a program only to make a new program over and once again.
18. Something volition e'er break down during deployment. E'er.
19. At some point, y'all volition feel lonely and wonder what in the globe yous are doing with your life.
20. Military life will take you lot to the highest of highs and lowest of lows emotionally.
21. Your ability to handle tough situations will rise exponentially.
22. Attending the annual military ball will experience like prom…for adults.
23. PCS stickers will remain on your piece of furniture indefinitely. They're everywhere!
24. Something extraordinarily important to you will receive major damage during a PCS move or it will get lost completely.
25. Yous will try to explain your life as a military wife to a civilian and they won't get it.
26. The family readiness group is going to aid you when you least expect information technology.
27. Any savings yous get from the commissary will get cancelled out by all the rotten produce they sell you.
28. Moving overseas will give y'all a panic attack, merely then yous'll do it and actually dearest it.
29. Having a pet will complicate your life…from finding a pet-friendly home to securing a safe identify to kennel your fur babe.
30. Finding a homecoming outfit will take an ungodly corporeality of time.
31. Upon arriving to the military base gate , y'all'll either forget your ID card completely or you'll paw them a credit card.
32. The number of long-distance friendships y'all maintain will far exceed the number of friends living in your electric current duty station.
33. Determining the perfect fourth dimension to start a family will feel similar advanced college calculus.
34. Talking about possible funeral arrangements, living wills and military widow death benefits will happen early in your human relationship.
35. You lot'll become pregnant and he'll announce he's leaving on deployment…correct before your due date.
36. Military gear will take over your unabridged home before and after every deployment.
37. People you barely know in the military customs will do extraordinary things for you at the drib of a lid.
38. Your heart volition feel an overwhelming sense of pride each time someone thanks your service fellow member for his sacrifice and service.
39. Amazing friendships doesn't even begin to describe the relationships you lot will form with other spouses.
40. Taking calls at 3 am from halfway effectually the globe will seem normal.
41. After living in the same place for 3 years, you'll be itching to move again.
42. Y'all'll have a good deployment meltdown at least in one case every deployment.
43. Reinventing yourself will become an annual thing.
44. Hearing gunshots and bombs won't phase you fifty-fifty a lilliputian bit.
45. Resilience, strength and backbone will become the core of who you are as a person.
46. Your armed services matrimony will grow autonomously and dorsum together over and over again, and information technology will turn you into ane helluva strong couple.
47. It'll be hard, challenging, brand y'all want to quit and piss yous off royally, but in the stop, you be and so glad you did information technology.

Want more on war machine life?

• Are Military Spouses Unknowingly Violating OPSEC?
• How to Find a Stunning Armed services Ball Apparel for Nether $100
• The Near Surprising Thing You lot'll Miss During Deployment
• Ane Phrase That Volition Reconnect Your Military Marriage

Are you new to this community? Showtime here, friend.

I'm Lauren, a armed services spouse and Linguistic communication of Listening® primary parent motorbus. I write virtually my crazy parenting adventures, discovering happiness in motherhood and navigating the ups and downs of war machine life. I spend my days re-heating java while chasing my kids around the firm. Hang around for a bit and bring together the fun!

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