It's all a matter of perspective, I suppose.

[NomadicMama]

Question:  What about the military lifestyle do you take for granted as "normal" but really isn't when compared to a more typical civilian lifestyle?

I have to share my giggle for the day.   

On another board, someone posted that they are moving very soon.  Another poster responded with good thoughts and support.  She shared that she'd moved cross country in 2011 and that it was stressful (but once settled, all was good).

Exchanges like this make me realize how different the military lifestyle can be.  Granted, for most moves, the military provides resources that many folks don't have/use (professional packers and movers).  But still.

Let's see. . . 

August 2006--we moved cross country (2,600 miles) mere days after our wedding (as in wedding was on Saturday and the packers showed up first thing Monday morning).

March 2007--local move from town onto post (though, post was 40 miles away).  DH was TDY on the other side of the country for five weeks, this move was all mine to oversee.

June 2008--cross country move (2,500 miles).  This was done right after three back to back infertility treatments.  I was so hopped up on synthetic hormones, my body acted as though it was pregnant.  On our cross country drive, I had to stop every ninty minutes to pee.  Longest road trip ever!!!

February 2009--a near "local" move, only 630 miles!!  Oh wait, I was nearly 20 weeks pregnant.  Awesome!

May 2010--another near "local" move, only 660 miles!!  Fun times with a ten month old!

March 2012--our biggest move, over 4,000 miles, to Germany!  

Gosh, it seems 2011 was the only year in which we have not moved!  (Though, it appears that we will be "move-free" in 2013--yeah!!!)

It really makes me laugh when I realize that my "normal" is some people's nightmare.  

And, to be clear, I am not belittling the stress of moving.  The military does make part of the process marginally easier.  It's simply the fact that some of of do this so damn often.

I also realize that not all military folks move as much as others--but, for some, that comes at a cost too.  It seems that some career fields don't PCS but are frequently away on missions or deployments.

[G22]

Question: What about the military lifestyle do you take for granted as "normal" but really isn't when compared to a more typical civilian lifestyle?

For me currently, is the free healthcare. I've been put the ringer lately being poked and prodded for this fertility stuff. And we haven't had to pay for anything to date. That will change as were slated to start IUI in the next month or so, but still. Its easy to take it for granted that we don't pay for health care, yet pretty much everything is covered. Oh to not have to worry about a deductible!

I also agree with the moving. Our moves have all been relatively stress free. Minus the stress I feel getting ready for them, they actually have all gone pretty smooth. Mostly in part due to the military packing up and moving everything for us.

[meltoine]

I agree with the moving part. We've moved every calendar year since we got married, 2010, 2011, 2012. The first was two weeks after our wedding. The second was with a three week old. I hope 2013 is move-free.

I think I also take for granted having a lot of SAHM friends. I don't know any mil spouses who have kids and work. Sometimes I forget how abnormal that is.

[softspot]

I'm having total shell shock over the monthly cost of health, eye & dental coverage. I've had my share of hating on military provided care but holy shit, private healthcare is expensive.

[Dory1988]

I've gotten to see a great deal of the United States and I know it is, in part, due to my husband's career. If we didn't live in California I probably would not have had the desire or motivation to see the place but, I'm glad I have. Same goes for our trips across country, some of which included some sightseeing.

[beachy]

Mar 7, 2013 11:05:33 GMT -5 Dory1988 said:

I've gotten to see a great deal of the United States and I know it is, in part, due to my husband's career. If we didn't live in California I probably would not have had the desire or motivation to see the place but, I'm glad I have. Same goes for our trips across country, some of which included some sightseeing.

Yep.  I never had any desire to go to Seattle before, let alone live there.  But I absolutely loved living there and saw so much from when we lived there, including Whistler, Vancouver, Portland and California.

Also we've done two cross country drives and I've seen parts of the country and things I don't know how or why I would ever see before.  Like Mt. Rushmore, I don't see myself ever being in South Dakota for any other reason than in the middle of a drive.  

[amaristella]

How about the assumption that (when there is a partner) both spouses will be entirely present for the entire (moving) process. Any major thing that we plan to do, I have to get a special POA that will allow me to do it myself, just in case.

Like, I'm thinking about it. In 35 years my parents have never needed a POA for each other.

[sushi]

I shared this on CEP the other day. H called me around lunchtime, I thought maybe he was calling to see if we could get together for lunch (he rarely calls midday, . No, he wanted to know if it was ok for him to volunteer for a deployment. I just thought it was a semi-interesting random to share, just because, well, it was really random.

And then, given the responses, I realized that such conversations are so far outside of people's normal that their reaction was to "deploy" whereas mine was to laugh because it was a 180 from the food I was hoping for.

[crimewatcher]

So many things.

(1). Young Families. Back home is very abnormal to see married families <25. In the Military I feel like an old fart having our first child at 26.

(2). Wills/POAs/Last Care Directives.

(3). Distance. People back home still don't understand how we can survive deployments and constant TDYs.

[Smurfette]

The security that H will have a job tomorrow.

Health care has become something I will forever be thankful for. Surgery and tons of office visits and not a penny out of pocket. Some people don't get that lucky.