Strong Spouses....Army Strong

Tap in Thursday's

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:54:00 +0000

Last week we posted our Tap in Thursday's premier. Please join us today and remember to come back to tell us who was your favorite post or who provided the most helpful information!

Last Tap in Thursday,

Semper Pi to Apple Pie gave a great website to find a house/apartment to rent, "militarybyowner.com" This website is useful for all branches and all duty locations! Thanks so much!

a doxie a noodle and their family seems to have the best location to find housing on post/base or off post/base with a breeze! WOW! Gotta love White Sands Missile Range! Thank you!

This week's theme is "Restaurants, DFAC and Take Out!" Stay tuned for next week's "Pampered like a Puppy" Please make sure you leave a comment about which blog posted the best piece of advice!

1. What are your favorite restaurants near post?
2. What restaurants are family friendly?
3. Where would you go to watch 'The Game?'
4. What take-out restaurants would you recommend to your best friend?
5. If you've eaten at your DFAC, how would you rate it?
6. If there are any restaurants that aren't worth eating at, which ones are they? Why?

Milspouse Weekly Round UP

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 14:16:00 +0000

Like Sunshine After Rain is hosting this week's MilSpouse Weekly Round Up! She is a super host! We appreciate her and Riding the Rollercoaster! See you next week!

Remember to check us out on Thursday for Tap in Thursday's! We would love your input! Thanks for stopping by!

Blizzard Blog Hop 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:05:00 +0000

We really want to thank House Hold 6 Diva for her blog hop and the Blisdom Conference in Nashville Sponsored by Blissfully Domestic! How fun to meet you all in this way. Please go over to HouseHold6Diva to join the bloghop. It closes sunday January 30,

The story of how we (Radarette, Red Leg & Sapperette) met is a special one :) All three of our Soldiers were in Basic Training at the same time. However, they were not all at the same "boot camp." Sapperette & Red Leg's soldiers met at Basic Training at Fort Knox and became instant battle buddies. Those two soldiers met up with Radarette's soldier at Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, which is where OUR paths finally crossed :) If you want to read more about this amazing journey, read THIS

Our Blog started as a way for us to share our stories, but as we have begun this journey, we really want to have input from other spouses too! We want to make Tap in Thursday's something every military spouse can come to look at for information on her next location. We want it to be an outlet for families to share their favorite restaurant on base. It's essentially a sisterhood and we want you to celebrate with us!

Below are our names and backgrounds.

Radarette - Hi! I am the proud wife of a Signal Corp Officer. We have lived at Ft. Gordon, GA, Ft. Sill, OK, and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. I was an independent career driven woman until I decided to follow my husband around the world, but I wouldn't trade our life for anything. My husband is currently deployed to Iraq and I am back in Colorado with my family...and back to my career girl ways. Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with. Although I've only been an Army Wife for a year and a half, I've already been FRG leader and with the help of the other lovely ladies on this site I've learned a lot about the Army and what, exaclty, being an Officer's wife really means. You may also find me at Oaks and Roosters.

Red Leg - Hello, Milspouse blogging world. I am a proud Airborne FA Officer Wife. I enjoy the sounds of artillery... unless it's at 3am. I have lived in Ft. Benning, GA, Ft. Sill, OK, travelled to Camp Casey, Republic of Korea and Ft. Drum, NY. Training experiences include, OCS, FA School, Airborne School and soon to be Ranger School. I have survived my first non-combat deployment and am currently going through our first combat deployment.

Sapperette - Hello there! I am a proud Sapperette Officer Wife. I am a mother to a beautiful Lily. I have lived in Ft. Benning, GA, Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, and Ft. Richardson, AK. Training experiences include; OCS, Engineering School and plenty of PCS moves. I am currently going through my first deployment. Please email me anytime with any questions you may have. You may also find me at My Family Blog.

Tap in Thursday's

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:19:00 +0000

Yesterday, we posted our Tap in Thursday's premier. Please join us today and remember to come back to tell us who was your favorite post or who provided the most helpful information!

Thanks for joining!!

Today's questions are themed "Quarters."
Next Thursday will be "Restaurants, DEFACT and TakeOUt"
Remember to come back to tell us who gave the best answer and we will highlight them next week!

1. Name an instillation you have been stationed.
Fort Sill, Oklahoma

2. Did/do you live on or off post?
We lived off post in Lawton, Oklahoma. We rented from our next door neighbor there. We shared a roommate, but our backyard was spacious, our kitchen was big and we were only about 10 minutes from post.

3. What would you recommend for newcomers to do about housing?
If you cannot get on post housing right away, I would suggest looking at apartments near cache road. They have decent sizes. They also gives you a break for military when you need to break the lease.

4. Where is an inexpensive place you can stay off post while waiting for on post living?
St. James Apartments There main link isn't working right now. We have a good friend living there now and he enjoys it. He is single though. There might be a better kids place.

5. How is the housing office? Do you have any recommendations or specific people to speak with?
Unfortunately, we weren't married at the time and I do not have any experience with this.

6. How is the wait list?
Even though we lived off post, we had friends who got on post within six months! I would say that was pretty quick!

I am sure Radarette and Sapperette will be able to add to the post later today. They are in different time zones, but I wanted the east coast peeps to get a head start!
Thanks

Click here to read about us!

Tap in Thursday's Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:17:00 +0000

Calling all Military Spouses, Girlfriends, Boyfriends, Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers! We have a new Meme starting on Thursday's. We are calling it Tap in Thursday's. Why the name
Tap in Thursday's?

Taps is the "lights out" song heard around every military instillation at 5pm. The way we see it, we hopefully have a place we call home at that time. Since home is where the military sends us, we thought this phrase was fitting! We want to know about the area where you call home.

You heard him say it, "We have new orders hunny!" Your mind goes into milspouse mode; checklists, to do lists, call the landlord, get boxes, USPS change of address, and the list goes on. Wouldn't it be nice to have a resource where you knew a little bit about the next location before you got there and asked around? We know we would like to know where we should get our hair cut, is there a doggy day care, what is the school system like, where are the good doctors, exercise places, how is the weather, housing, neighborhoods, are you leaving a job and moving to a new location?

This meme will be something brand new and exciting. We haven't seen anything like it before. We want to help all of us military spouses who have to PCS in a moment's notice. We want to provide the information before hand to make things a little less complicated. Every Thursday, we will have a list of questions about where you have lived and the experiences living there. You do not have to say whether you currently live there or not. After you answer the questions, link your blog here for others to take a look. As time goes on, we hope to use this information to provide a larger database for us to reference. Please come back to take a look at others and vote who had the best information to give each week. The following Tap in Thursday's we will highlight that winner. Please take the button below and place it in your sidebar or on the post to encourage others to take part.

For concrete information about Military instillations, you can also look to Military.com's information guide. There are a lot of phone numbers and general information about the area. Hopefully our meme will promote more detailed information.

Thanks for joining!!

Tomorrow's questions are themed "Quarters."
Next Thursday will be "Restaurants, DEFACT and TakeOUt"
Remember to come back to tell us who gave the best answer and we will highlight them next week!

1. Name an instillation you have been stationed.
2. Did/do you live on or off post?
3. What would you recommend for newcomers to do about housing?
4. Where is an inexpensive place you can stay off post while waiting for on post living?
5. How is the housing office? Do you have any recommendations or specific people to speak with?
6. How is the wait list?

Military Monday Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:21:00 +0000

For those of you just joining our blog, WELCOME! We are happy you stopped by and we encourage comments. Military Monday (week 10) is brought to you by Marine Parents, Life with Littles, and Forever Neighbor. Click any of these links to send you to the blog hop! Join! Meet some people! Leave Comments, and Enjoy!! Remember to take the button for everyone to share and join!

Stay tuned for this week with, Thursday January 27 at 12 EST, with House Hold 6 Diva's 2011 Blizzard Blog Hop.

Mostly Mondays are not the best day of the week. It doesn't help that where Red Leg is at it's -24 degrees without wind shield. However, it's days like today when I appreciate not working. I can stay in my jammies, footie socks, ugg slippers, quilt warm around me and not worry about traveling outdoors. Do you ever have days like this? Too bad my hubby wasn't home or else we would cuddle together! I guess this just goes on the record of one more thing we can endure while our Soldiers' are deployed!

Keep House Warm. CHECK
Shovel snow for five days straight. CHECK
Don't get frostbite. CHECK

If you're somewhere cold, I hope you are finding fun ways to stay warm inside. Go see a movie. Read a book by the sun beaming in your window. Do a puzzle. Anything to keep your mind sane and your heart happy (warm).

Red Leg

Hurry Up and Wait...and Wait...and Wait...

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 01:52:00 +0000

I had heard the expression "hurry up and wait" many times prior to life in the Army but I must admit I never had true appreciation for the phrase. When you are associated with the military, as a soldier or family member, your life will be a never-ending cycle of hurry, hurry...wait. My husband likes to use another military-ism "15 minutes early is early, 5 minutes early is on time, and on time you're late." It would seem the Army has an obsession with time. While I more than appreciate the need to have everyone where they need to be at the exact time they need to be there, it would help if the military ever saw fit to extend the same courtesy to its families. It is probably obvious by now that something is bothering me and has inspired this post.

My husband has been on a combat deployment for 7 months and while we decided we'd like to take R&R in February 2011 before he even deployed last June, it is now late January and he still doesn't have approved leave dates. He has been acting Commander lately (Commander has been on his R&R leave) and is checking frequently, but no news. I love the Army, I really do. I love the opportunities, the adventure and the sense of family you find with so many amazing people, but most of all I love knowing my husband is doing something worthwhile that makes a real difference in the world and that I have a very large role in that too. However, on days like today the Army plain ticks me off! I have a job, and a life, and commitments, and would it be so darn unreasonable to ask the Army to give us just the littlest bit of notice? Apparently they think so. See, that's lesson one I learned about being a military spouse: the Army either assumes you have no life/job/commitments of your own and/or they frankly do not care if you do. PCS, training, deployment, heck even working hours and night and weekend events are planned without the least consideration to military families.

Now, in fairness I must admit they are right. I will drop absolutely everything and go see my husband the moment they say I can. I will move where and when they tell me to. I will make dinner at 9:30 at night and deliver to my husband’s office when he cannot leave. I will quit jobs. I will say goodbye to friends and make new ones, knowing all along I’ll soon say goodbye to them too. I will live my life at the will and whim of the Army. I will do it because I love my husband and I love my country. Today I just would like to point out that the Army’s lack of notice to families makes things a little harder than they need to be. We sacrifice a lot so that our soldiers can serve our country. I wish the Army could be a little more courteous to us.

~ Raderette

Calling all Military Wives!!

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:55:00 +0000

News from Your Soldiers AO

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:48:00 +0000

It is never fun to hear of incidents that occur where your Soldier is. I woke up to a Skype message, a few hours old, and my husband no longer online, that told me there was a bombing near his location. Of course he was "ok," and he didn't even know it had happened until after the fact (he didn't hear it...).

Regardless, I began scouring Google for more and more information on the incident. Come to find out, it had nothing to do with the military at all. It was a total relief, of course, but in the same token, it caused me to realize that bad things happen everywhere... And just because my Soldier is deployed to a "safer" location, there are still terrorists.

Above all else, my husband is lifted up in prayer by me and our family every single day. I know I have friends who pray for him, too. No matter where our soldiers travel to, we need to always remember to lift them up to Him, and ask for angels to protect them day in and day out.

Our soldiers are courageous and bold... I truly could not be more proud! :) I'm sure you all agree!

This weekend, let's say some extra prayers for all of our Soldiers AND their families!

I'm thinking of you, KP, and I hope you enjoy your time with your Soldier! He is in my prayers daily! Love to you....

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:27:00 +0000

Hey All!

I have had the wonderful opportunity to partake in a compilation of Army Wife essays thanks to Kate, Martha and Ginna! These three women have come up with the wonderful idea of collecting essays from across the globe to create a book of stories from actual Army Wives. I will keep you posted on the progress and success of this project. If you want to read more about these ladies, you can follow them on their Blog.

Below is my story about my first Army friends (the other 4 women in this blog!), and how WE came to be linked forever!

Army Roots

As a young child, I remember the ease of the school playground. When I was new to school, all I had to do to make my first friend was say, “I like your sweater!” And Angela and I became best friends for the next several years. As years went on, we no longer played on the little kid’s playground, but we gathered in the halls of our high school and were either popular or not just by image, clothing, or a specific social circle. I absolutely loved high school, my friends, boyfriends and my extracurricular activities. I basically “rolled with the punches” all through my high school and college days. Life was simple.

When my husband (then fiancé) and I decided that we were going to begin this Army life together, I was quite terrified. I had lived in a world of comfort and simplicity. I knew everyone, every place, and everything around me. When I heard the term “Army,” much like any other civilian, I immediately thought… DEPLOYMENT! Yes, soldiers in the Army do deploy, but there is more to Army life than merely deployment alone.

When I looked at the world around me, I realized that even though our immediate family and friends were not familiar with the military world, it did not mean that I was alone. Ok – so maybe it took me a while to comprehend that I was, in fact, not alone, but I did, very soon after my husband’s basic training.

In the letters that were written throughout basic training, I got to learn about what soldiers go through in preparation of serving our country. I read about my husband’s thoughts, opinions, and overflowing emotions, but I also got to know who his battle buddies were. It was through these letters that I realized somewhere in Dearborn, Michigan, another girlfriend was learning she was also not alone. This other girl and I crossed paths at Basic Training graduation (Fort Knox), but amidst all of the excitement of getting to see my husband, we were never introduced. She is, however, in the background of several of the pictures I took of OUR Soldiers, and we probably even bumped into each other while taking the same picture of our husbands and their friends.

I flew, several times, from Phoenix, AZ to Atlanta, GA, and commuted on GROOME Transportation from Atlanta to visit my husband at Fort Benning (Columbus, GA) while he was attending Officer Candidate School. Fort Benning changed my life. It was at Fort Benning that my husband and I and his battle buddies, along with their better halves (which included the girl from Dearborn!), were finally introduced. I believe all five of us women could feel the relief. We knew that from that moment forward that we would forever be friends because we were linked to this very special and new experience. This, in turn, also meant we were never alone.

That first night, at dinner, we all exchanged names, email addresses and phone numbers. I had never felt more thankful to finally have someone to email or speak with about how we felt in terms of separation, anxiety, future MOS’s, PCSing etc. Just to have someone on the other end who knew exactly how I felt was comforting. We even had the pleasure of returning to Fort Benning on many occasions to visit our Soldiers. We spent Thanksgiving together, and even lived near one another, though temporary, at Uchee Creek during OCS Graduation.

Looking back on the two years that I have known these four women, we have experienced engagements, weddings, pregnancies and babies, PCS moves, multiple trainings, deployments and every other thing that life handed us. We have stuck together through phone calls, text messages, vacation visits, emails and blogs. Maybe building these friendships was not as simple as playing on the playground and commenting on someone’s sweater, but either way you look at it, God intended for us to meet and I could not be more thankful for these four battle buddies of my own. They will forever define my Army roots.

************************************************************************************

I hope you enjoyed it :) And P.S. I love my battle buddies :)

~Sapperette

Family Readiness Groups

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:26:00 +0000

After becoming an ACS Certified FRG (Family Readiness Group) Leader, I have become even more aware of the importance of this role! For those of you who may not know what an FRG Leader really does or why they are important for you as an Army Spouse or Family member... Please continue reading :)

Question: What is an FRG?
Answer: It is a command-sponsored organizatino of Soldiers, civilian employees, family members (immediate and extended) and volunteers belonging to a unit. (Source: AR 608-1, Appendix J)

Question: What is the FRG's Mission?
Answer: The FRG acts as an extension of the unit in providing official and accurate command information. They provide mutual support between the command and the FRG, advocate for efficient use of available resources, and help direct families to the best resources when an issue arises. *** Please note, FRG leaders are not the people to call to solve your problems or fix things for you. We are simply here to help you find the right resources to solve any issues or problems... And of course to communicate effectively with you and your family about what is going on within your Unit, Battalion, Company ,and/or platoon.

Question: Why do we have FRGs?
Answer: To support soldiers and their families. The FRG assists the commander in enhancing family readiness for whatever stage of inactivation, activation, pre-deployment, deployment, employment, redeployment, etc....Families can look to FRGs for ongoing support, resources, and a sense of belonging!

Question: Why do FRGs need volunteers?
Answer: The FRG is only as strong or as weak as you make it. If you want to have fun family and social events, volunteers are needed to plan events, follow them through, raise money, and to keep the FRG going. There is typically 1 FRG Leader (and maybe a c0-Leader), a Treasurer (and a co-treasurer), Fund Raising Chair, Secretary, and KEY CALLERS!

Question: What is a Key Caller?
Answer: A volunteer within the FRG who is at the top of the Phone Tree. When command issues information to be delivered to each family, the Key Caller calls their Roster and gives the information. Key Callers are not to give any additional information or opinions during their phone calls.

This is just a short overview of what an FRG is and what it is used for. Some FRGs meet once a month, some once a quarter, and some may just be starting their FRGs. FRGs are a great way to connect with other Army families and keep in the "loop" on information directly from the commander. FRGs are not a gossip club, and ranks do not matter here.

I am so so so excited to be our company's FRG leader :) It's going to be challenging, but SO rewarding! Stay tuned for more information :)

~Sapperette

Post Deployment Tips - Faith Deployed

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:19:00 +0000

Speaking to many of my wonderful milspouse family, I have determined that there is an important piece of information to families after deployment.... STICK TOGETHER! :)

Faith Deployed, is a website that parallels the book Faith Deployed. It has some super fantastic advice. First, there is the "37 things to keep in mind" and second, a reintegration balance with extended family. Please take a look and let us know what you do to jump start your routine when your soldier returns from a deployment.

Red Leg

Family Readiness Group

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 20:36:00 +0000

No matter how you look at it, being involved in the Army requires some volunteering... Afterall, as an Army Spouse, we DID volunteer to go along for this ride!

Well, I (Sapperette) have decided to become a huge part in our Company's FRG (Family Readiness Group). How huge is huge? Well, I am going to the the FRG Leader! My responsibility is beautiful. It may be stressful. It may be frustrating. And it may take up more time than I would like it to. But - it is going to be SO worth it! I will be connecting families to the strings that operate their soldier. I will tie family into the word Army so that we can really see what an Army family is.

I cannot wait to report more as I continue to learn all of the tricks-of-the-trade so I can spread the Army Family LOVE to our extended family (YOU!)!

Love Love Love!

Sapperette

household 6 HH6

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:35:00 +0000

What is a household 6? It's you! It's us! We are the commander of the household, the one that keeps the task of washing the velcro ACU, picking up the stinking socks and PT shorts, running to the PX, raising the pets and kids.... you get my drift? HA! HH6 is the one in charge of everything. Apparently, our soldiers use it in sentences too! "I cannot do ______ because household 6 pulled my weekend pass." I think this is pretty clever actually!

Anyway, I wanted to pass that along to you ladies.

Have a really super Friday!

Good luck mrs. m with your last couple weeks with your hubby. We are all thinking of you!

Love,

Red Leg

True Story about Toothbrushes. EW!

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:59:00 +0000

This "True Story" is from the Army Times, page 3 from August 16, 2010. It says:

" It may not be a major recruiting or reenlistment incentive, but the day may come when troops no longer have to brush and floss. The army could sign a contract as early as Sept 1 to conduct an experiment with gum that, when chewed for about 30 minutes, would kill germs, stop plaque buildup and prevent tooth decay. The idea would be to have troops use the gum while deployed to austere and remote environments. The key ingredient is a protein called KSL, developed by the University of Kentucky's College of Pharmacy. The contract will be for a company to develop gum with different amounts of KSL to determine the ideal dose."

Ok, I know some people don't ever go to a dentist because of a terrifying fear or financial burden, but seriously, GUM?!?!?!

What is going on with America? Too lazy to even brush your teeth? Maybe I am a teeth person, but I cannot imagine a stick of gum, no matter the protein amount, working to clean my back molars or the front bottom teeth. I would still feel the plaque! Also, I cannot chew gum because I have horrible TMJ (jaw problems).

I would only chew the gum if it was a promise that I never would have a cavity again!

Red Leg

Moving

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:20:00 +0000

It is inevitable that when you are in the Army you WILL move. Not just once or twice total, but maybe even twice in one year's time. When you are moving to a new duty station, per Army Official Orders, you have the option of using Transportation to coordinate movers coming to pack up all of your household goods and ship them to the next duty station. Well - when you move to a post that has a waiting list for housing, you have to go ahead and find a home to live in in the mean time. You might ask yourself, "Should I go ahead and make this feel like home by unpacking everything?" Your answer should be "yes."

As an Army family, you have to make your house feel like home no matter how long or short you will be there. Afterall, home is where your soldier is!

My husband and I just packed up ALL of our belongings to move about 10 miles (in order to live on post). We are both very happy about the decision we made to move, but MAN OH MAN! Packing everything, moving it, and then unpacking it all within a weeks time is very tiring and time consuming!

I have to admit that we stayed in our new home on Saturday night and it is now Thursday night and everything is unpacked and put away. I am still working on laundry and hanging things on the walls, but it is HOME! All of this with an 8 month old infant and a husband who I told was not allowed to help unpack (he would put things in places just to get them out of the way and I am more of a strategic/organized unpacker). I am pretty impressed with myself so I have decided to create a challenge. Each time we move, I am going to try to beat my time from this move of unpacking. :)

It is so important to make sure that when you move (stateside or OCONUS) you have things with you that make you feel like your house is your home. There is a HUGE difference between the place you reside and creating it into your home. As milspouses, our job is to make sure that we can turn a house into a home no matter how different the houses are from duty station to duty station. Never purchase something specific for your house on one post because it is most likely not going to work out in the next house. Purchase things that seem universal. For example, panels of curtains that can hang nicely on a curtain rod. I recommend this instead of purchasing blinds (unless you live in Alaska and you need blackout blinds for your newborn baby...) because you generally have to have blinds cut for specific dimensions.

Keep a positive attitude during moves! It is, afterall, as good as you make it! So - make it GOOD!

Sapperette

Trials of the Heart & Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:30:00 +0000

As a milspouse (thanks K.P.!), you know that the day is approaching with your Soldier comes home (or, in my case, calls) and gives you the daunting news that a deployment is approaching. The word "Deployment" does funny things to our brain. We autmoatically think the worst, scare ourselves to death, wonder how in the world we will ever manage to hold down the fort, etc. etc. etc.!

On a personal note... My husband just called me to tell me of our 1st Deployment experience. It is, afterall, OURS because we will both be sacrificing. He will be sacrificing his home life, his family, and himself for our Beautiful Country. I will be sacrificing my best friend, my husband, the father of my daughter so that he CAN protect all of our freedoms here in the USA.

Well - I cried when he called to tell me the news... and then I felt selfish for crying. Why did I feel selfish? Well - if you read any of the posts below, you would know that a very close friend of ours husband just deployed for a 12 month tour to a war zone. My husband, on the other hand, is deploying on a 6 month tour to a friendly zone where he will be working on Humanitarian Efforts to improve buildings, roadways, hospitals, etc. The difference: Time and loaction. The similarities: We are both saying good-bye to the single, most important person in our lives.

We have moved across the country in support of our husband's feats, we have made a home where Uncle Sam ordered us to, and now we have to pick up all of the pieces and continue to live our lives as though none of this affects us.

I feel fortunate that two of these girls involved in this blog have husbands who have already left the country to serve, and can give Jenn and I the most support that they know how because they have already gone through it (or are wrapping it up!).

My story is a little different. I have a daughter. She is our first child, and her first birthday will be during this first deployment. That is where my sadness lies. I have amazing family and friends who I know will be there for me without a doubt, but the one person I truly want to share that first birthday with is my beautiful little family. My husband will be missing my birthday, Halloween (the 1st for our baby girl), Her 1st Birthday, Thanksgiving, Birthdays (all of our parents and his), Our 2nd Anniversary, Christmas, New Years, and the sheer joy of watching our baby grow. Out of all of those things.. it's the 1st Birthday that breaks my heart.

I think I'm doing pretty good, right?! Please pray for me, for us, for my friends and their husbands, and of course all of the Soldiers who are taken from their families to protect our freedoms!

Sapperette

beyond the call of duty

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:41:00 +0000

I was inspired today.... another one of our men deployed this week. The year long climatic "see ya later" for the Anderson duo ultimately came on Friday. I hope she doesn't mind me sharing this. BUT (and the army always has buts) the amazing part of this story was how strong she stayed. She resisted the urge to curse, complain and moan about how the army takes FOREVER to decide when and where they are going to deploy. I am not saying she is perfect, but she handled it the best way possible and I admire her. She did not "hide" how she felt at church when the priest and the congregation prayed for the soldiers deploying. She proudly stood by her newly promoted 1LT for FIVE hours waiting for their bus. Now ladies, I believe that is an Army Strong Spouse. If you are a milispouse waiting for your husband to deploy or if you are waiting for him to return, we understand. Keep your head up!

God Bless and thank you Mrs. A. for your example.

Red Leg

Memorial Day 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Mon, 31 May 2010 20:44:00 +0000

Looking back in History, Memorial Day was known as "Decoration day." It was and is still a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories to this special day's beginnings, and there is also evidence that women played a role in remembering fallen soldiers in the south. These particular women were decorating graves, and a hymn was even published in 1867, called "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping," by Nella L. Sweet.

Spouses, especially women, play a large role in the military. We are our spouses biggest supporters, most devoted friends and lovers, and the backbone of the ever-changing household. We work very hard to keep everything balanced and "normal" at home, but inside, we grieve for those who have already lost their lives because we fear for our Soldiers safety.

The Soldiers who served and sacrificed their lives in all of the previous and present time wars are loved, missed, and truly respected. Those Soldiers who sacrificed precious time with their families to protect our freedoms are continually respected and thanked by each and every one of us.

Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. It is also about coming together and recognizing all of the great things those fallen soldiers did for our country.

Embrace those you love, every single day. Tell them you love them as often as you can. Live life to the fullest and appreciate what life has to offer, every moment of every day!

Happy Memorial Day!

Sapperette

Army Wives Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:09:00 +0000

Army wives prayer

Dear Lord,
Give me the greatness of heart to see the difference between duty and his love for me. Give me understanding that I may know, when duty calls him he must go. Give me a task to do each day, to fill the time when he's away. And Lord, when he's in a foreign land, keep him safe in your loving hand. And Lord, when duty is in the field, please protect him and be his shield. And Lord, when deployment is so long, please stay with me and keep me strong. Amen.

Custom Made Military Bags!

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:39:00 +0000

As a stay at home mother, I have a lot of time to "Surf the 'Net," and I come across some of the coolest things! However, this COOL thing I want to pass along to you all is something I actually saw being sold at the Post Wide Garage Sale at For Richardson, AK...

If you visit the website: http://www.custommadebymelissa.com/ , you will see some of the neatest ideas for totes in support of your Soldier (or yourself!). Her next batch of orders will be taken on June 15th!

Definitely check them out :) She has a sign-up e-mail for a reminder about the upcoming order date, so you could sign up for that, too!

Below is a beautiful example of what could be yours!

Photo Courtesy of www.custommadebymelissa.com

Sapperette

No Life Like It!

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Sat, 15 May 2010 13:13:00 +0000

"If the military had wanted you to have a spouse, they would have issued you one." Anonymous

I thought this quote was fitting for us. None of us had to sign a piece of paper promising to serve this wonderful country of ours. However, we did sign a government piece of paper legally binding us to our men in uniform, better known as a "Marriage License." We support our husbands, make sacrifices, pack and unpack, learn ALL of the military acronyms and fight for a better tomorrow for our future children. We do this not because of an order, but because we love our men in uniform; for better or worse. I am pretty sure our "civilian" spouses look forward to building their family's roots somewhere. We know that we must carry our roots with us. We know that knowledge of nailing something in the wall is temporary. Last week my garbage disposal plugged up, the washing machine wouldn't complete the spin cycle and the bathroom shower head leaked into the basement. HA! I have learned to be the "man of the house" as I am sure you also have had to do. I am not saying we are better then civilian spouses, but our country asks more of us. We do what we have to do, bound together by the love of our husband and our friendship with other military spouses.

Life is funny, especially for officer wives. Some of us have been with our guys for a long time... before Army life even existed in our heads. They graduated college, had a job for awhile, then they tell you "Honey, I'm enlisting tomorrow!" (Well maybe not quite so quickly, but still FAST!) Sometimes life appears to be all about them. People will begin conversation with not how are you, but, "How is your husband?" and "Where is he at?" and "Is it hard being away?" Sometimes it takes a lot to control those million questions. I know this is part of the "spouses" job and I gracefully answer their questions...even if I think it's prying sometimes.

I realize our lives as military spouses are tough. I truly believe no one understands this life better then this group of women. I feel a connection and I am blessed.

Hellen Keller said, "What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. ALl that we love deeply becomes a part of us."

Love to you all,

Red Leg (FA Wife)

The Military Life

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Sat, 15 May 2010 00:38:00 +0000

Military Wife

Lots of moving...
Moving...Moving...Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house;
Movingcurtains that won't fit;
Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting...Waiting...Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home, For dinner...AGAIN!

They call her 'Military Dependent',
but she knows better: She is fiercely In-Dependent.
She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...
She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move........all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS;
Locates a house in the desert,The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.
Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into: Decorating,Leadership,Volunteering,Career alternatives,Churches,And friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who comeafter them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee, Rely on the spouse network, Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond: The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands;
his commitment is unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB' He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!

His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD

And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed; the glue thatholds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days, A travel brochure, A long hot bath, A pledge to the flag, A wedding picture, And she goes.
She packs. She moves. She follows.
Why? What for? How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man, Who puts duty first, Who longs to deploy,Who salutes the flag, And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband, She will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.

--Author Unknown

We are blessed to have found one another!

noreply@blogger.com (Spouses ... Army Strong!) — Thu, 13 May 2010 02:39:00 +0000

Five women from different states and from different walks of life, entered into a world of many unknowns. Little did any of us know that we would be beginning the journey of a lifetime full of love, friendships, disappointments, confusion, frustration, excitement, and endless travel. The good Lord brought us together by calling our loved ones (boyfriends, fiancés, and husbands) to serve our Beautiful Country by joining the United States Army as Officers. We endured the initial separation of Basic Training unknown to one another, therefore, we each have different stories, but, we were brought together during OUR Soldier’s Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 2008. Our hearts, minds and souls could not be more happy that God brought us together to share our joys, aches, pains, laughter, and every other experience and emotion under the moon. – We have chosen to put together this blog for other Officer’s Wives and Spouses can follow along with our personal experiences, opinions, advice, and maybe even rants and raves. Please, feel free to follow our blog and share your comments as you please! Remember, we are still learning and adjusting to our ever-changing life…. We don’t have the Army Life “down,” but we are doing our best to survive AND make the BEST of our Army way of LIFE!