Importance of Wives and Dependent Husbands

[JimmyMack]

Ok, you military dependents. If you are a Faith Writers supporter and your are the spouse of a miltary member, this can include active and retired, we want to know the positive impact of God on your life in this environment. Being a former Army officer myself, I know first hand how important a role the spouse and other family members play.

We want to hear your stories about how God helped you through the often stressful times of military life. Maybe it was the difficulty of playing both father and mother, or the worry associated with your spouse being in harm's way, or maybe it related to getting the family back to normal after their return from a long separation.

Whatever it is, this topic is a place where you can share your joys and sorrows as well as "toot your own horn" for a job well done. Come on, dependents. This is your opportunity. Let's share your celebrations of life in love of country together. We're eagerly waiting for you.

[JimmyMack]

Military wives are frequently thrown into the role of serving as both father and mother during times when their military husband is deployed. And I know this often is the case for military husbands sometimes, but I am singling out the wives here due to their preponderant role in this situation.

When the husband is gone, the military wife is tasked with many roles which require special skills and great care. Tasks such as dealing with the bully on the block who beats up little Johnny while his daddy is away; handling their fears of the unknown while Dad is in combat; not knowing what is happening due to isolation; managing all aspects of family life; and even handling the difficulty or re-acquainting her children and herself to the return of their loved one when the tour of duty is over.

These mothers and wives also have to show "no fear" to their children, even though they desperately miss their loving companion and are constantly worried about his safety. They must show a strength that most of the rest of us take for granted.

Having worked for a time on family support matters whlle on active duty, I want each of you to know that these women are true patriots just like their spouse, and they take their devotion to their God, their family and their country just as serious as the warriors serving in far away lands. And I know that God looks down at them and holds a special place for them for what they do.

God bless them. And I hope that some of the military wives in the Faith Writers audience will respond with their experiences, be they joyous and sad. We can all learn from their courage.

[wandasewell]

My mother loved being a navy wife. I don't know if much happened with my birth father but they were in VA and moved back to MD pregnant with me prior to his departure to France. Both their parents lived in MD. With my step-father, there was the Rota, Spain; Bremerton, WA, Great Lakes, IL and Virginia Beach, VA assignments. While in Rota, I remember mother coming and waking me up in the middle of the night on 3 occasions while my step-dad was out at sea. An earthquake occured in Madrid and it shook out military housing quarters, a mouse was loose in our quarters and on a Christmas Eve someone broke in but was tripping over the presents and ran out without robbing us. I was the oldest of 4 kids and I guess mother was scared and relied on me in these times of crisis. I was around 9 or 10 when these things happened.