Let'sTry: what is seriously awesome about mil life

[misshark122]

?

I'll start by all the different places I've had the chance to live! I've lived in DC, VA beach for a few months (a summer I spent on the beach, might I add), San Diego and Monterey CA, Beijing China..... Pretty amazing!

[audette]

Great medical coverage (even if you do sometimes have to squawk at someone to get treatment).

Stable employment.


Full service moves!

[pesci]

I am thankful for the medical benefits. I love the traveling that comes with this life too. I have been to some amazing places I likely would not have been to otherwise. We have been fortunate to only have been at one crappy base in the last 12 years/4 assignments. It's my current one, but I only have a little over a year left before going to our follow-on in Hawaii.

[piper84]

I like this discussion much better than what you all hate about military life -- that one kind of freaked me out

I'm still not officially part of a military family but will be come December, so this is what I think is pretty awesome. I'm looking forward to spending the 18 months in Del Rio being a stay-at-home mom. If it weren't for this new opportunity with my H joining the AF, we would both be forced into keeping our high-paying jobs to pay off this ridiculous mortgage. I'm looking forward to raising my son and not feeling guilty about it

[erin2903]

The friends I have made, hands down. I know not everyone has a good experience meeting people but I really have.

I am also so incredibly thankful for Tricare.

[Deleted]

Job security, health benefits, knowing that I'm being paid as much as the guys I work with for doing the same work, seeing the world, and the opportunity to do my dream job and get paid for it!!!

[amaristella]

The medical benefits have been invaluable to me.

...Actually, all the benefits are great.

Having friends all over the world isn't half bad either.

[delightcoconuts]

Hands down the traveling! I am in Germany and getting to visit so many awesome places.

[meltoine]

In addition to everything that's been mentioned already - I love the patriotism. I was never all that patriotic before I married H. I mean, I love being an American and I love our country, but I never enjoyed the pomp and circumstance at Memorial Day services or any of that.

Now I have a huge appreciation for those ceremonies. My favorite part of H's graduation weekend was the retreat ceremony. I had never seen one before and it was really special. I also love reveille, retreat, and taps. I almost wish we lived on base so I could hear them more often.

[delightcoconuts]

I live on base and I have never heard any of those. I guess they don't do it here. But I agree...I like hearing it.

[mangomama]

I really can't complain at all about the life we have. I love that my husband gets to have a fulfilling career (errr...will eventually, lol) that makes him happy, I get to stay home with my girls, we've met some amazing friends along the way, and I enjoy the traveling and moving.

Plus, I'm with Stan, my H looks smokin' hot in his flight suit

[booyah]

"I'm still not officially part of a military family but will be come December, so this is what I think is pretty awesome. I'm looking forward to spending the 18 months in Del Rio being a stay-at-home mom. If it weren't for this new opportunity with my H joining the AF, we would both be forced into keeping our high-paying jobs to pay off this ridiculous mortgage. I'm looking forward to raising my son and not feeling guilty about it."

Who is raising your son now? Because surely you aren't suggesting that a working mom doesn't raise her own child, right?

[NomadicMama]

I love that our son has the opportunity to attend German kindergarten and to learn a second language when it's still easy (he's absorbing it). This is a gift that we could not have otherwise provided for him.

I have enjoyed getting to live in different places around the country and now Germany.

I have made wonderful friends.

My husband is damn proud of the work he does.

I am appreciative of the opportunity to do IVF at an MTF at a greatly reduced cost

I'm looking forward to flying Space-A. I really hope to get LO and I on a cargo plane at some point--he has recently discovered a love for cargo planes!

I like the extra money that comes with a deployment. I'd rather my DH be home, but since he has to go, the fatter savings account helps.

ETA: I appreciate the opportunity to travel, too, especially since we live in Germany. (As I respond to this poll from Paris! ;D )

[misshark122]

The medical is awesome! especially now that I am pregnant and I see my other friends (civ) with the bills just rolling in.

[NomadicMama]

Oct 24, 2012 14:54:48 GMT -5 misshark122 said:

The medical is awesome! especially now that I am pregnant and I see my other friends (civ) with the bills just rolling in.

Seriously.

My delivery with LO was expensive (emergency c-section for me, then back to L&D for treatment/monitoring of pre-e/HELLP for me and NICU time for LO). It cost us less than $60, for delivery at a civilian hospital.

For LO's speech therapy, once a week, in our home, we didn't pay a penny.

[doombunny]

Definitely the medical, even with the issues of a complicated system or prodding doctors for various referals/treatments. Not having that knowledge of "what do I do if I/he gets sick?", I can't even imagine. I'm a wreck sometimes even knowing we have nearly total coverage for anything vital. Couldn't imagine being without that cushion after 14 years.

And hey, dentals like $12 a month for me, that's almost nothing!

[doombunny]

Oh, sorry to double trouble it, but being able to move all kinds of awesome places is really cool too. I don't know if I'd have ever left my hometown if I hadn't married my Marine (that sounds terrible, but its the norm for non-military where I'm from). Now I've had all kinds of adventures, learned I loved to drive long distances.

I even got the travel bug and ran away to Alaska to work one summer, and the hubby was just like "you go have fun on your own deployment." Because he's awesome like that. Should've heard the rumors in my hometown. "We hear she dumped him and ran away to Alaska!" Only half true, of course. XD

[pennylane]

doombunny, it's absolutely the same way in my hometown. Almost everyone I knew in high school is still there. So yay for us escaping!

Awesome things- I've made dear friends with people I never would have met otherwise, gotten to travel more in the past few years of military life than I ever did growing up, and of course healthcare/dental is great.

[crimewatcher]

Second Medical--- Colonoscopys are spendy and being able to get them every couple of years at no charge will save my life.

Also diddo the flight suit-- My H looks mighty sexy in his.

I am looking forward to moving every few years and seeing the world. Currently H is the only one that is 'seeing the world' via the Air Force. haha

I really love most of the people I've met so far and the family friendly atmosphere.

I'm sure I'll think of more after dinner.

[audette]

Oct 26, 2012 20:52:18 GMT -5 @ojo said:

Nobody mentioned free legal advice and wills!

Sadly, my one attempt at getting legal advice, back at Bragg, was a total bust. They basically ignored me at first, and then told me they couldn't help me. Pretty rude, too.

It was frustrating. I had to figure out some important stuff on my own. They wouldn't even provide recommendations on places to go. (I was dealing with immigration crap...)

I haven't asked for help since. (haven't really needed it, either)

[ilovelamp]

Stan- just curious as to what part of GA your H is from. Near ATL?

[ilovelamp]

When totally clueless people find out I was in the Navy and they automatically assume I was a badass with hand to hand combat skills or a Navy Seal or something. It always makes me chuckle.

[mangomama]

Oct 28, 2012 17:57:06 GMT -5 Stan said:

I am reminded of another thing by my thread on MM.

H is gone so often that i get to be really independent and live my life almost like a single person (in terms of what I eat and how I spend my time and such), but with the knowledge that for the times I do see him, or even when I don't see him but get to talk to him, I have the world's very best (and most supportive) partner in all that I do.

ditto this, major good point Stan! Even though I'm a SAHM with no real lofty goals in the immediate future, I still do appreciate his support and the freedom I get to have when he's gone.
Missing eachother at times has been one of the best things for our marriage.