Family

This is the story of the people behind this soldier. It could be anyone's story just with different versions. When a person is in basic training, they are told many times that if the military had wanted them to have a family they would have issued them one.

Fortunately for us, nobody listened. However, being a military spouse is not the easiest job in the world. You are expected to be everything from a doctor to a plumber. You must know the chain of command (for your spouses sake) as well as all the terminology that will engulf your life. From PCS to TDY, you will be able to talk with the best.

However, there will be times when the heartache will tear you apart, yet with that despair comes happiness beyond belief. There will be times that your pride will overflow. Not only for the accomplishments you make while your soldier is gone, but pride for your spouse, pride for your country, and pride for the select group that you have chosen to be a part of.

For the spouses that are left behind, it's a difficult road to hoe. There will be times that it takes everything you got just to get out of bed. Simple daily tasks become monsterous, and having patience is something you have to muster up ~ even if you don't have any. Spouses sacrifice more than probably even the soldiers know about. If you happen to live on post you will soon find that you and you alone have been delegated to do the chores. Get out the gloves and the hedge trimmers. They will soon become your best friend. As with anything else in this world, it has to be done. Think of the military as your mother, and you are living on her property and must do what she asks. I can say from personal experience that the military changes you. It makes you grow up. To this day, there are still ways that I go about my daily activities that prove that the military never leaves you.

The military teaches you to become very independant very quickly. So much so, that once you get out, your significant other will depend on you to do everything for awhile. It's not that they don't want to do these things, it's just that they've forgotten how too. Especially if they went into the military straight out of mom and dad's house.

The best thing I can say is this. You either adapt or you will not survive these ranks.