Being a military wife pros and cons? Please help!?

Question

My husband has been working long hours in a crappy titanium factory to support me and our daughter. Now he lost his job and he does not know where to go from here. He is considereing the military (either Army or Navy) and I'm extremely nervous about it. I know he would be really great at that because he is so smart and strong and very strong mided, but I'm so scared of him getting killed and him being away. Can anyone tell me how it is being a military wife?

Answer 1

Its a way of life that is either going to make your marriage or break it. Its not all roses all the time and yes there will be late nights or overnights in the field or some other place. There will most likely be deployments, those will test your marriage and your strength in yourself! There are always draw backs to being an army wife. It will just depend on your determination in your marriage and in your life together! Not everyone is cut out to be an army wife, however right next to being a mom its is the most rewarding job you will ever have!  

Answer 2

con: you may not be able to see him very much. pro: he is a hero for joining the military because he is helping america be a better place. you should be proud of him!

Answer 3

i am a military wife and my husband has been working here for almost 2 years, and believe me i was scared too, but its not too bad i mean when they goo to school ( because my hubby is on the navy ) their hours are from 6 am to migth be 4 or 5 depending how good is he, and after that he works for them from 6 am to 3 or 5 again depending how good is he..

after the second time they go to school they are send to the sea but only to practice, nothing more.....

and since my hubby is a nuclear mechanist whe will never be on the battle field...

so dont worry and belive me the navy is the best .....

Answer 4

The hardest part will be basic training, 10 weeks with him gone, and probably will only get 5-10mins on the phone every sunday.  Then there is AIT, depending on his MOS (army job), it can range from 4 weeks to a year depending on what he picks to do.  AIT is like basic-light.  He'll be able to call you every day, you can come for visits on some weekends, and he'll be able to go out on fridays/saturdays (but has a curfew).  But there is still Drill Seargeants and lots of stupid rules that are frustrating.

After that, its actually a pretty sweet deal.  You'll have to move to a base, and he'll work from 6:30-5pm pretty much.  PT in the morning is 6:30-7:30 (usually), Then 90 mins for breakfast/change clothes, then work from 9-11:30, then 90 mins for lunch.  Then 1pm-5pm.  

If you are worried about him being in harms way, I'd urge you to research it really well, and have him pick a job that is relatively safe.  He won't have the glamour of being an infantrymen, but there are tons of very important jobs in the army that don't get in the heavy combat.  And he will be trained by the best of the best in the world on how to deal with situations in the off chance that they would occur.

Overall I would say this: Basic/AIT was really hard on my family, my AIT was 7 months long, so I was basically gone for 10 months, only seeing my loved ones 7 times during that time.  But now that it is over, and I look back on it, I'm so glad I did it.  It was more than worth it.  The army can do so much for you and your husband, more than you'd ever imagine.

I got a huge signing bonus, I get paid well, I'm getting lasik surgery for free next month, I'm getting free college tuition from Penn State to complete my bachelors degree online at night.  And by the time my 4 years is up, I'll have a bachelors, and an MBA, and 4 years of awesome experience in my chosen job field.  And a leg up on any competition finding a job in the future.

And the best part, is wearing the uniform.  I thought it was just some dumb thing people talked about.  But the first day I wore the uniform in public (at St. Louis airport), people walked up to me and shook my hand to say thank you, it was the greatest feeling ever, and when you see your husband with the flag on his right shoulder, US ARMY on his heart, you'll tear up too.

If have any questions (and I know there is a TON, because I had so many) about ANYTHING with regards to going to a recruiter, MEPS, paperwork, programs, basic, AIT, MOS's to pick, whats fun, what sucks, good or bad, I'd be happy to answer them.  And I'm not a recruiter, I get no benefit if he joins or not, so I promise I'll be honest.  But please email me at [e-mail], and I'll let you know whatever you want.  

Answer 5

It can be tough im guessing UK here.

Wifes live with their husbands on camp (well close by) with other families. Its pretty much the same as civiee street other than if your husband goes into theater he will be gone for 6months.  

Answer 6

My husband has been active duty for ten years. We have been married for five. I can tell you that it all depends on his MOS (job). My husband is Infantry and is gone 15 months, home 12 months, out 15, home 12. No, everyone is not like this. Deployments are hard but if you trust, love, respect, encourage and have great communication it will only strengthen your marriage. You will never take each other for granted. I think the separation is the biggest con. But there are so many things to make the deployment go by faster and to show your husband how proud you are of him. There are so many pros: free medical, housing, education, food allowance, tax free on post, cheaper groceries... I could go on for a while. Don't get me wrong is isn't all fun and games. Every aspect of BOTH of your lives will rest on your shoulders. You will have to be strong enough to handel it all. And you will be able to, trust me you will find strengths you never knew you had. It will be important that your hubby knows you will be there for him. Even if you don't want to you have to be positive about it all. This lets him now that no matter how hard things get, you in it for the long haul. There really is some much to say on this answer. If you have more questions, give me a shout I would be happy to give you a better insight.  

Answer 7

Well, all I have ever known is being married to an army soldier, so it's just my normal.

It's a lot like any other marriage that I have seen. We move more. He has good days and bad days. Good bosses and bad bosses - they change quite frequently in his unit.

The time apart is horrible. People tell me that army wives have to be strong, but I doubt it's much different than any other wife or mother dealing with daily drama. You just deal. You count the days and you wait. You cant think about him being in danger. I just tell myself that he is trained to do what he does - this is what he is good at.

One piece of advice I do have if he does join the military - dont go infantry!!! My neighbor's husband is infantry and he is deploying in October. There are so many other MOSs (jobs) that he can get into that arent as dangerious.