Because I have good blogger friends :)

So many (if not all) of you know that I'm a military wife. I follow a few blogs of wonderful ladies who have the same "occupation" as myself, and I had at attach a very wonderful blog post by one of them today. The funny part? It's "recycled" on her blog - as in, she doesn't have time to write today, so she's posting an old one. And IT'S the one I HAVE to post a link to at the bottom of this post.

It's part of the answer to a question I was asked a month or so back by a good friend and new military wife... "Who's in the military?" It was multiple choice... A) Hubby. B) Both of us.  My answer was a resounding "B". With a caveat. I know... you aren't supposed to combine multiple choice with essay answers, but I don't care.

It's obvious why "A" could be correct - Hubby is MOST DEFINITELY in the military. By why should "B" be my answer? What is it to be "in the military" and in this case... "in the Marine Corps"?

1) You move every three years (or so)
2) You go on deployments
3) You're in training whenever you aren't on a deployment
And you're doing it all for the love of God, Family and Country
(and more yes, but still... those are pretty big components)

Why wouldn't I fit into those categories?

Every time Hubby is told to move, I move with him. I uproot any connections or jobs that I have at the time, pack up my stuff and head out of town. And I do it because there's no way I would be able to let him move away from me. I do it willingly because he's not moving on a whim, he's doing it as a duty to his country. God, Family, Country.

Hubby has only deployed once (I consider that luck, him not so much), but it will happen again. Just because HE'S the one that goes to the "sandbox" doesn't mean that my life here carries on as usual. I only get to talk to HIM as much as he gets to talk to ME. I only get letters as often as he does. I get JUST as many e-mails from HIM as he gets from ME. I serve a deployment each time he does, and I do it because I love him, and am proud of his love of country. God, Family, Country.

Training is a HUGE aspect of the military - and I am constantly in training also. Am I learning hand combat techniques or how to shoot a gun? No... well, not always. But I am learning the finer points of our finances. I am learning how each of the tools in the garage works. I am learning what all those acronyms mean so I understand what he's SAYING when he gets home. I'm also learning how to sleep in such a big bed by myself. How to tuck myself in at night without a goodnight kiss. How to get up and get about my day, knowing that I'll be eating dinner by myself tonight in front of the TV before putting myself to bed, alone, again. But it's a sacrifice I'm willing (though maybe not EAGER) to make. I give it up to God, for my Family, who's serving my Country.

So I am part of the military - I may not be an officer like Hubby (nor would I want to be), and I may not fight in wars like they do (nor do I want to), but the Military is a family, and I am part of it. My sisters are my military wives, my neighbors and friends, and we are all serving our God, Families and Country - right along side our husbands.

I do not hate the Marine Corps (anymore), and I might have to disagree slightly with Birdie when she says the "The Marine Corps doesn't care about the wives" - they do care... just not a lot :-P. But you will find no stronger, self reliant, independent, loving, supportive, sacrificial woman as a Military Wife.

So check out Birdie's page to see what inspired me to write this post - because she says it better than I do :)