Life of a Former Navy Wife

This post by a young lady inspired me to write about being a former Navy wife.  Maybe I should start this off by saying that I spent 9 years as a Navy Wife.  I will say it is not an easy job nor is it a fun job. Just because I say it is not easy or fun does not mean that I regret having spent all that time as a Navy Wife because I don't. Be prepared to move and often.  We were lucky we had three different duty stations including his schooling after boot camp.  Being a military wife made me the way I am today and allowed me experience other parts of the United States that otherwise I would not have gotten to experience. Yes, the benefits of being a military wife are nice. It does have it's ups and it's downs. Depending on what type of boat or submarine your husband or boyfriend is on will depend on how long he is out to sea.  I have never really written much about this before.  When my husbands enlistment was up he decided to go out into the civilian world and not stay in.  He did reenlist soon after joining and I will say that is the best thing that he did. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the time he spent in the Navy. It just meant a lot of time away from home.  We estimate that in the 4 years he was on a carrier he was home about 18 months of that time.  Just because they are gone 6 months out of year does not mean they are always home during the time they are home ported. They will do numerous cruises that can be as long as 1 or 2 months working up to the 6 month cruises. Also if there is a hurricane coming they will evacuate the ships so they do not cause damage to the piers. My husband spent two 6 month tours overseas without me based on an aircraft carrier. I recommend joining a military wife support group they help not only can you speak with people who know what you are going through but, I met some of my very good friends in just that way. Also I recommend getting a job whether it is part time or full time does not matter but having a job also helps you meet people and keep your sanity. I recommend regularly writing your boyfriend or spouse.  Even though you may not be getting letters quickly continuing to write helps them know what is going on at home.  It takes time for letters being sent from overseas so don't panic if you do not hear from him every week.  I have had letters from my husband that were written two weeks apart arrive on the same week.
  I am grateful for having a support group to attend as I was not a military child.  My parents moved twice in my 22 years before I got married and moved away.  My husband was not in the Navy when we met he only joined when he decided that he needed some discipline.  He was flunking out of college because he wanted to spend more time partying than going to class.