Military wives don’t always get the same praise as their husbands, but they’re also sacrificing so much for us to feel safe at night. BuzzFeed got some incredible and eye-opening responses from the military wives on their platform.
Here are 12 military wives who tell us what it’s really like
These ladies all deserve praise!
1. They have to move a lot
Moving is a part of life for the wives of our military, and obviously, that’s not an easy way to live. Just when they’ve made a good friend, they have no choice but to up-and-move when their husband is reassigned.
2. Since they don’t get much time with their spouses, they’re always in this “honeymoon-like stage”
Military wife emilyk4c2363362 told BuzzFeed:
“It’s really hard to discuss relationship issues with your spouse because, since you don’t get to see them often, you live in a honeymoon-like stage to make the best out of the little time you do get together.”
3. It’s hard to get hired as a military wife
Statistics prove that the unemployment rate is much higher for military wives, and it’s not because they don’t want to work. BuzzFeed user a49fbd0bd8 explains:
“Military spouses have an unemployment rate FOUR TIMES HIGHER than the national average because often employers think we are uneducated, lazy or won’t hire us because we might have to move. But in reality, we’re smart, budget-savvy problem-solvers who most companies would be lucky to have, even if only for a few years.”
4. They often face life’s big problems and decisions alone
Military wife carrieseiblew opened up to BuzzFeed about the struggles of facing life’s big problems without her husband:
“We often have to experience life’s big moments alone. My husband and I struggled with infertility, and after five rounds of treatment we finally got pregnant! But he deployed a few months later β so he’s missed ultrasounds, feeling the baby move, and watching me grow. I never thought I’d be going through a pregnancy alone, but here I am.”
5. Military wives are badasses
Military wives are forced to learn all sorts of different things, from fixing the car to packing up the house alone. Instagram user @countdownsandcupcakes said:
“Thriving during #deployment is always my goal. How do I do it? Part stubbornness, part help from family and friends and part good ol’ fashioned hard work. This countdown frame doesn’t hurt either! It reminds me that the days do pass and I should make the most of them.
6. Homecomings are so much more than just viral stories
We often see their reunions as heartwarming viral moments, but we don’t get to see the other side of it. User l4c53cc61d told BuzzFeed:
“Counseling makes it easier, but it’s never easy. It takes about as many months to return to normal as he was gone. A six-month deployment means a six-month process just to be a normal, functioning family again.
7. Military wives have their own lives too
Military wives are often overlooked when it comes to things like their own career, but BuzzFeed user jessicab495911d22 tells us how it really is:
“I’m not just a military spouse. I have a career I’m proud of, hobbies I love, and interests that don’t revolve around my marital status. Don’t diminish me into a side note in MY OWN STORY just because I married a man in the military.”
8. Everything waits to break until their spouses leave for deployment
There’s actually such thing as ‘deployment curse’ says BuzzFeed user r4b694ad4a:
“A lot of people don’t know about the ‘deployment curse.’ Every single time he’s deployed, within a week of him leaving, something breaks! Last time it was the fridge, this time it’s the car. I don’t know what it will be next time, but it’s bound to happen.”
9. This all goes for military husbands too
& Lets not forget about #MilitaryHusbands they have to be mom & dad when wives are deployed. #HOOOAHHHH!
— ImWorthIt (@SexxxyKeeKee) July 11, 2013
Twitter user @SexxxyKeeKee reminds us that it’s not just wives who go through this stuff, it’s military husbands as well. They’re “mom & dad when wives are deployed.”
10. It never gets easier to say goodbye to their spouses
One might think that it gets easier for military wives to say goodbye when their spouses leave for deployment, but that’s far from the truth. Ask any military wife, and they’ll probably tell you the last time was just as hard as the first.
11. Non-military wives can be insensitive to the struggle
As people, we can often focus on our own problems rather than what others are going through, and this happens with military wives especially. Just ask BuzzFeed user saslagle17 who said:
“wish non-military families would try to appreciate some of the small things they take for granted. My friends complain when their spouses are an hour late getting home from work…while I sit in my empty home with my spouse overseas.”
12. Dealing with other military wives can be difficult
The worst thing about deployments is being stuck here w/crazy Fucking wives! #deployment #troubles #armywifedrama
— Kasey Auld (@justmekasey13) July 21, 2013
According to military wife and Twitter user Kasey Auld, the other wives can be quite the handful. She posted from her account @justmekadey13 saying:
“The worst thing about deployments is being stuck here w/crazy F@#$%$* wives”
Now that you know how hard life can be for military wives, it should make you appreciate them even more!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
