Things Military Spouses Don’t Know

Military life is crazy. Ca-Ray-Zee. I can hardly keep up most of the time. I throw my hair up in the messiest bun ever and roll with each punch. Family and friends (and many times strangers) ask me lots of questions – none of which I have definitive answers for. I can speculate but really I don’t know the answers for sure. These aren’t necessarily things you can’t ask (here’s a list of things you shouldn’t say) just know that I probably don’t know 100% the answers to these questions.  Here are a bunch of Things Military Spouses Don’t Know…

Things Military Spouses Don’t Know

1. Where my spouse is.
2. When my spouse will be home.
3. What my spouse is doing.
4. When we will move.
5. Where we will move.
6. If my spouse will be home for Christmas.
7. Or Easter.
8. Or our young child’s birthday.
9. When we are ‘getting out.’
10. All the acronyms.
11. If we will buy or rent at our next assignment.
12. If we will homeschool, public school, private school, or all the above. (Military Families are TWICE as likely to homeschool)
13. How my kids will respond to all the moves.
14. How my kids will respond to another deployment.
15. When my spouse’s next training is.
16. Or even what training will come next.
17. Or if the Air Force will pay for us to go along – Oh wait, I know that one, they won’t. Ha!
18. If we can bring our dogs on our next assignment (grandparents would be temporary family for dogs if we can’t)
19. What missions my spouse has been apart of while downrange.
20. If we’ll be able to see any family for the holidays.
21. If we’ll be able to see family before our next move.
22. How far in advance from our next move we’ll get orders.
23. If I can paint the walls at the next house.
24. If we know what ‘second career’ my spouse will have after we’ve ‘gotten out’
25. If he’ll come home this time.
26. Your friend in the military. The military is a small community – but often not THAT small.
27. If my spouse will be home for dinner.
28. Or breakfast.
29. When we will talk to my spouse again.
30. If I will move the family by myself or if my spouse will be able to help.
31. If I’ll buy our next house with a power of attorney in place of my spouse.
32. How many more deployments he’ll go on.
33. If he’ll have to do a remote tour.
34. How many missions he’ll run this year.
35. If I’ll be able to find a job at our next assignment.
36. If my current certifications will be any good in our new state/country.

What we DO know: Nothing, nothing, is certain. We live on the edge and our plans are constantly changing. We go with the flow and do our best to keep our smiles on our faces. We do Love the Military Life and all that it offers.

Are you a military spouse? What other items would you add to this list? What uncertainties do you face?