MilSpouse Survey

I don't think I talk about the military part of my life very often ... and I think most of that is because we're living a very unique situation here in Maine. More than 100 miles from an actual base, and while Portland has a Coast Guard base? This is not a military town in the slightest.

1.       How long have you been a military wife?
Officially, it will be 1 year in October. J

2. What branch of service is your husband?
USMC

3. Active/Reserve?
Active Duty

4. What is his job?
Right now he’s a recruiter … and the rest of the time he’s an electrician

5. How many deployments have you gone through?
Zero.

He did however, deploy to Iraq three times before I met him.

6. Camo or Dress uniforms on your man?
Dress uniform. He looks so important, snazzy, … (read: freakin’ hot).

7. What do you like about being a military wife?
Despite my moaning/groaning … I think unique opportunities to travel and subsequently meet new friends to have coffee with is my favorite part. I learned a long time ago that you can’t walk this road alone, and while I’ve met my fair share of catty know-it-all wenches, I’ve also met some amazing life-altering people.

8. Do you live on base?
Nope – recruiting is a special situation … but I do look forward to living on base at some point.   

9. What is your favorite base so far?
Well, together we’ve only been at one base … loved Camp Pendleton in Oceanside!

10. What is the hardest part of the military life?
Constant change. Long separations. Knowing that my career is in limbo from all the changes and moving. Leaving good friends behind.

11. Do you go to the grocery store or Commissary?
The Commissary in Brunswick is more than 30 minutes away, and I typically don’t have a reason to travel north … so it’s much more convenient (and at this point: inexpensive) to shop at a regular grocery store.

12. Do you work or stay at home?
I work two jobs in fact, but it took me 21 months to find an official office job. I partially blame the economy and I partially blame it on the fact that I live in Maine. I’ve been holding down a job as a waitress at Olive Garden, but let me be the first to tell you that I hate it. It was all fine and good when I was 21 and getting through college … but I’m going to be 25 in less than a month; I really want to put the constant berating behind me and never look back.

13. Do you have a lot of military wife friends?
Yes and no. Yes, because 99% of the wives I meet are through blogging and forums. But no at the same time, because the number of wives I’ve met personally, I can count on one hand.

14. Do you prefer Walmart or the BX/PX/NEX/MCX?
I don’t really discriminate. Depends which one is closer and/or less expensive.

15. How did your husband propose?
at Niagara Falls over Labor Day weekend in 2009 ...
I had absolutely no clue.

In fact? Vis-à-vis, since pictures are worth a thousand words:

16. Did you marry him after he joined or before?
After. He had just hit his 8 year mark.

17. How long have you been together?
Started dating December 2008, married October 2010

18. Any kids?
Just the furbabies, for now. I think the fact that I’m completely infatuated with them is an indication I should wait on human kiddos. Whether or not I actually decide I’m insane enough to be a parent is a question you’ll have to ask me closer to age 30 and when my husband and I don’t have a combined total of $7,000 debt, and two vehicle loans.

19. Any kids yet to come?
Highly unlikely.

20. Is your husband one of those "I am Marine hear me OORAH" kind of guys?
Absolutely not. ;) He calls me his little mo-tard.

21. Have you ever done combatives with your husband?
Nope. I bruise easy.

22. How many bases have you lived at?
Camp Pendleton in Oside, CA.

And we’re here with the Recruiting Substation Southern Maine.

Next stop, if I have things my way? Is the Marine Barracks Washington D.C.

23. If you could change one thing about the military?
It’d be super awesome if the government could do its best to NOT move at a pace slower than death. Especially when it involves things like correct amounts on one’s paycheck.

24. Do you like military balls?
Not really. If you’ve been to one, you’ve been to them all. That, and the drunken debauchery is a real social turn-off for me.

25. Where does your family live?
My parents live in Orange County, CA … but the rest of my extended family lives in the Mid-Atlantic region. Drew’s contingent of extended family lives in Maine or Pennsylvania.

26. What do you do for a job?
I’m an admin assistant for a radio … but the real answer is that I’m a jack of all trades, master of none. I kind of do a little of everything, from commercial trafficking to working with accounts payable. And then of course, there’s my night-gig as a waitress that I hate with a firey passion.

27. Have you ever gotten in a fight with an NCO's wife?
I got into a fight with a SNCO’s girlfriend once… but she was the one that picked it with me. Because she’s stupid.

28. Name one thing you do when your husband is gone.
World of Warcraft LAN party! :)    Who’s a geek? Oh yes. That’s me.

29. Do you think other wives do that too?
Probably not. But I tell you what: I’m absolutely not opposed to many many many girls’ nights.