A Sailor's Wife and Life

As if it weren't obvious by the title chosen for this blog, I am a sailor's wife and we live a sailor's life. You see my life doesn't completely belong to me because I am married to a sailor and his life doesn't completely belong to him either. During his active duty military enlistment, our family's life is dictated by where the Navy sends us and where they send my husband. This can be very frustrating at times, but tis' the Navy way of life.

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining because he chose the Navy Life and I chose to be his Navy Wife. However, with that being said there are frustrations that do come with that life as a wife just as I know that my husband has frustrations as well.

Every employee has some complaints, but they aren't the same as when you are serving in the United States military. Every wife has some complaints when her husband may be sent away for a business trip, but they aren't the same as when your husband is sent away for a deployment, TAD (temporary duty), underway period (on a boat), or other military training.

Some people claim that a lot of women are "tag chasers"- a woman who purposely goes after a man in the military and I would have to say that the women that may in fact be correctly labeled as such have to be crazy. Heck, the ones that aren't labeled as such and have married into the military may be a little bit crazy. Who purposely marries a man that must leave for long periods of time? Usually one wouldn't think that a woman in love would choose to marry a man who leaves for long periods of time. Therefore they automatically believe this person must be after him for his money and/or benefits and not be in love with him.

Have you seen the average military member's paycheck? We don't marry for their pay! Have you seen the out-of-pocket costs we pay for dental work not covered by United Concordia? We don't marry for their benefits! My husband could make a lot more money and collect much better benefits if he were to do the same job in the civilian sector. Does that make him crazy for serving in the military? No, it makes him proud to serve and defend his country from threats foreign and domestic. Does it make me crazy for being with someone that I rarely see during a sea duty rotation? No, it makes me a woman who is in love and proud of her man for serving and defending this country.