This week's Mili Mondays features the lovely Mrs. S! So glad to have her as a guest on my blog, and I hope you enjoy her post! Don't forget to leave her some love here and on her blog!
I was asked by Mrs. Gambizzle
forever ago to do a post. She suggested I do a post about transitioning from civilian life to military life and I thought, “Oh, easy!” What am I thinking now? “Um, what was I thinking?!” I have also had more than a month to do this post and now I’m sitting here, nearly hyperventilating because not only do I adore her blog and I want to do it, along with all her other guest bloggers justice, but I am so stinkin’ new to the military life that I just don’t feel qualified. I also don’t think that the civilian to military or civi to millie transition is
ever complete. There is always a new roadblock to get around, there is always a new burden to carry, there is always a new situation to navigate, there are always new orders, more deployments, new neighbors, new plans, oh scratch those plans, lets try something else…. There is always SOMETHING.
Mr. Superman and I had been married for a little over a year when we started getting feelings and promptings that we needed to look into the Air Force. It wasn’t the first time or even the second but all the other times, it just never felt right. We had recently moved to Utah and both gotten great jobs. A few weeks later, we both got laid off. We prayed and went to talk to a recruiter. He took the ASVAB, blew them all away with his score, and signed papers about a week and a half later.
Making the announcement,
jumping through hoops, not having things work out the first time, waiting, and finally getting in gave us our first tastes of the unknown, the frustration, the waiting and everything else that comes along with this military world. Shortly after everything was official and we were awaiting his leave dates is when we lost our Angel Baby #2. I was seriously terrified he was going to have to leave before I was healed, recovered, and okay.
While Mr. Superman was at BMT we hit a few roadblocks. I had to have surgery which was no cakewalk without having my husband by my side. We also weren't one of those lucky couples who got a lot of phone calls and such. We had four phone calls over 9 weeks, two of which were less than two minutes. I would go weeks without letters and for someone brand new to the military life, living in a completely civilian world with no support system of fellow millies, it was really hard on me. Attending his BMT Graduation and spending time with him was absolutely incredible and one of my proudest moments. We had an incident that was semi Air Force related in October of last year that tested us as individuals and as a couple. It nearly broke us but we came out stronger and I daresay, better for it. We were assigned to our first duty station and arrived 2,000 miles away from everyone and everything we knew and loved in November 2009 and started our new life.
Its been hard. Its been lonely. Its been aggravating, frustrating, and at times, down right depressing but you know what? Its been incredible. I have been doing this for and because of my husband. We are now in a new transition period. The transition of pre-deployment. It was unexpected and the way its come about has been a bit unfair but it is all a part of this life. This unpredictable, roller coaster ride of a life that we chose. Sure its tough. It is also so worth it. I'm already looking forward to our next transition. Next year, when I get to welcome my lovebug home from Afghanistan and we get to fall in love with each other all over again will be a fabulous time. It will be a uncharted waters and I'm prepared to get annoyed and overwhelmed but its a transition that will be amazing.
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Rachelle Organ-Steele
http://simplysteele.blogspot.com
