I know today is reserved for our veterans. I respect them all. I’ve written about my family’s long history of service starting with those who came over from France under General Lafayette to help General Washington and his troops defeat the British for this country’s independence to my great great grandfather who survived Andersonville during the Civil War to my grandfather who served in World War II to my husband who currently serves, among many others.
This year, I’d like to recognize the families. November is Month of the Military Family. Current rhetoric is that all of the high ranking officials support our military families. You may be saying, “but the families aren’t veterans.” You’re right. We’re not veterans in the combat sense, but if you want to support our military and our veterans, their families need support too. These men and women cannot go off and leave their families, and do their jobs effectively knowing that all is not well on the homefront.
Our military members need to be secure in the fact that the public (and even those within the military community) won’t degrade the spouses left behind by saying that the spouse is only in this life for the pay check (which if often meager). That military life is nothing but glorified welfare. That when a military child acts out because their military member parent has been deployed or sent TDY, yet again, they can get the help that they need. Not have the parent left behind told that the job they’re doing is inadequate and the child just needs some more discipline. It’s been said before, and never is it more true than during deployment, “it take a village…”
We all need to spend more time coming together as a community – military and civilian. We need to spend a little more time walking a mile in the other person’s shoes. Support one another. Uplift one another. Just be that ear when needed without judgement or saying your situation is worse. We’re all allowed to have a bad day. We’re all allowed to vent. In the end, I would hope that we all try to leave the military and our communities a little better than how we found them.
Hooah?
Yeah, my sister-in-law was in charge of the kids, all three, while her husband served, pretty much through their entire marriage….I have a whole new respect for military families as I had no idea.
My family has a long line of service also. I thank God for those who serve and for those who run the home front while they are gone!
Faythe @ GrammyMouseTails´s last [type] ..Observing Veterans Day 2011
As a military brat I can totally vouch for this. Great and insightful post. I’d like to mention that when your husband or dad is in the military anything you do or don’t do is reflected upon them. I remember we couldn’t even have an overdue library book or my dad would get in trouble. Lot’s of entertaining at the officer’s families expense as well. Your life isn’t your own so I really respect the sacrifices you and your family makes..not just having your husband put his life on the line.
Christine Mack´s last [type] ..When Autism Meets The Pain of Being Me
As a fellow milspouse – Navy – I just want to say thanks for putting this out there. This is our sixth deployment, but first with kiddos on the spectrum. It truly does take a village – and services – to make it through this det with relative amounts of sanity left intact.
Many times civilians claim their lives are similar to military families: their husbands work long hours, too; sometimes they go whole DAYS without seeing their spouse; a DH had to work a weekend! Not to minimize their difficulties, but, unless their spouses are first responders, I always try to point out that their spouse isn’t risking being shot at by a sniper on their way to the office, their spouse doesn’t leave for six months – or, God forbid twelve months plus – at a time. They tend to live in closer proximity to family than we do.
It’s different.
It’s hard.
It’s soul crushing at times.
And our spouses do it so THEIRS don’t have to. (Jumping off my soapbox now!)
Kelly Hafer´s last [type] ..Controversy, Here I Come