Burden of service is great for all
Published 9:00 pm Saturday, November 3, 2001
I would like to say thank you to the spouses of our men and women in uniform. There is no one who has a harder job than that of a military spouse. We have to move our lives time after time for our spouses who defend our country.
Before the tragedy on Sept. 11 they were still there defending our freedom and no one gave it a second thought. Our spouses would leave their families for months on end, missing holidays, birthdays and anniversaries. We have to explain to our children why mommy or daddy can’t be there and we have to take over the roles of both parents. Our spouses are paid very little considering the job they are asked to do. They put their lives on the line day after day without so much as a thank you. They work long hours, as long as 15- to 16-hour shifts, before going on deployment. They come home tired and feeling depleted.
It’s our job to keep them strong even when we feel like giving up ourselves. When they are at sea, we live for the few phone calls and when they do come, we try to reassure them that everything at home is fine and that they have nothing to worry about. And then we cry alone.
We live second to the military. Our spouses are considered “government property” and everything in our lives revolve around the military. Anyone senior to your spouse can do or say anything and your spouse has to accept it, no questions asked, often resulting in schedules being changed without a moment’s notice. We quickly learn that everything is “written in sand.” We are the ones at home being emotionally battered, not by our spouses, but by the military itself.
My husband has less than two years left and I am one wife who counts down the days until he is free – until we are free. Free to live our lives without interference from the military. But to every spouse of a man or woman in the military, I want to say thank you. Thank you for giving up so much of your life for our freedom. You are noticed and you are appreciated!
Everett
