4 Things That Rock About Military Life

1. It’s an adventure!  You live in places you never would have seen otherwise. So far, we’ve had the privilege of living in Florida and Hawaii.  I never dreamed I’d even get to visit Hawaii in my lifetime, much less live here.  There are so many things you are able to see and experience.  It seems strange to have someone else telling you where to live all the time, but you get used to it.  It actually takes the pressure off–it’s a huge decision and it’s not on your shoulders.  You just wait for orders, and off you go.  You find yourself getting the itch to move after 3-4 years, ready for the next adventure.  After awhile, it gets hard to imagine staying in one place longer than that!  You get to see the world and that is pretty amazing.

2. Seeing your husband in uniform.  We’re going on 8 years of his military career and it’s still not old.  Not only does he look good in it, but it makes me so proud of him.  He went through basic training, and tech school, and years of working on the flight line; he’s earned every one of those stripes.  Every time you attend a promotion or awards ceremony, you find yourself getting teary-eyed.  He looks sharp in those blues, and you are so unbelievably proud of him.  He is part of something incredible, part of the reason this country is free.  Besides, who doesn’t love a man in uniform, amiright?

3. Friendships.  One of the advantages of moving around all the time is that you meet all kinds of amazing people.  Military friends know exactly what you’re going through; they know what deployments, TDYs and PCS moves entail.  They just get it.  They are in the trenches right there with you.  A fellow military wife knows how hard it can be to hold down the fort while the husband is gone.  The military husbands know how much it sucks to be the one who leaves, missing out on precious time with their families.  Your civilian friends may be able to sympathize, but your military friends can empathize.  When you’re thousands of miles from your families, especially during holidays, your friends become your second family.  Having that support system in place is priceless.  You end up with life long friends all over the country, and it’s pretty incredible.

4. You reach a whole new level of patriotism.  Your pet peeve is when people disrespect the national anthem.  When you hear that familiar tune, you’re on your feet with your hand over your heart, and all the men in women in uniform are standing at attention.  When those jets fly over, you are fighting tears.  You know exactly what these soldiers have sacrificed to keep you free.  You know at least one person who went to the desert and never came back, or a family that had to bury their hero.  You know how hard they work, and you are overwhelmed with gratitude every time that national anthem plays.  The brave men and women in uniform don’t do it for the glory, or because they are huge fan of whatever president is in office.  The government is constantly cutting their funding and lowering their quality of life, but this doesn’t stop them.  It’s more than all of that.  The heart of America bleeds red, white and blue.  It beats for liberty, justice, freedom and the pursuit of happiness.  Our soldiers fight to protect this heart.  No matter who is office, or what shady politics are going on, they don’t give up.  They do it to protect their children and families.  They do it to keep future generations from experiencing the oppression that is so common in the rest of the world.  Being married to your hero is amazing; you’re part of something bigger than yourself.