You Know You're A Military Wife IF:
. . . your kids point to any airplane or military vehicle and say
"Daddy"!
. . . you remember where your kids were born by duty stations.
. . . you refer to friends by where they live (ex: Cindy from TX, Ann in CA,
etc.)
. . . you have a whole wash load of black t-shirts and socks and another
just of camouflage.
. . . you can sleep through the sound of fighter planes and bombers on
their morning practice.
. . . you can tell what is wrong with flight suits or BDU's before the member
does.
. . . you know more about re-enlistments and assignments than the personnel
office does.
. . . you reach for your ID card upon entering a civilian store. (When entering
the BX and Commissary you must show your military ID card)
. . . you pay $35 to have a baby.
. . . your kids point at anyone regardless of race or gender in BDUs and say
'DADDY!'
. . . your kids walk around with huge combat boots on.
. . . your son looks at an SP and says 'that's a security policeman!'
. . . you feel less-well-protected when you leave the base.
. . . people say, 'I don't know how you stand that military lifestyle' and your
response is 'I couldn't imagine my life any other way!'
. . . you can hold down the fort while your spouse is deployed or in the field,
not because you want to but because you just have to do it.
. . . you somehow manage to pick a group of friends that are more like your
extended family than your own.
. . . you realize you're a much stronger person than you ever thought you'd be.
. . . your kids are asking 'Where's Daddy?' because they haven't seen daddy in
days, months or a year.
. . . you sometimes wonder if the family sacrifice is worth it but realize you
wouldn't have it any other way since your husband loves what he does an you're
proud of him.
. . . you find that you talk military talk (using acronyms) with your family
and friends back home and they think you're speaking a foreign language. (PCS,
POV, MWR, AAFES, MFP, LES, MAC Terminal, etc.)
. . . hearing "I'm proud to be an American" makes you cry because you
realize first hand, that freedom is not free and the sacrifices it entails.
. . . you're living in parts of the world that you dreamed about visiting and
never imagined you'd see, or those you never dreamed of visiting and didn't want
to imagine seeing.
. . . you become an expert at PCS moves. (PCS means Permanent Change of
Station-a big move!)
. . . you can handle anything!
. . . your kitchen is full of Pampered Chef, Tupperware, PartyLite candles,
baskets, and etc. that you buy because that's the only way you see other wives
when the hubby's away.
. . . you dread going to the commissary on payday weekend.
. . . you know exactly when you're supposed to be up for new orders
.
. . . every time something dealing w/the military (i.e. the war in Afghanistan)
shows up on the news, your Mother and Mother-in-law call you up & you have
to gently calm them down.
. . . military homecomings on TV bring a tear to your eye because you can
relate so well.
. . . you plan your garage sales for the payday weekends.
. . . you have more curtains than JC Penney's (you never know how many windows
the next house will have or what size they will be.)
. . . you know that 'dependent' means anything but.
. . . You know what and where Minot ND is, and fear it
AND a personal favorite!
. . . you can tell how many times you have PCS'd by the little colored tags on
the back of all of your furniture!!