Right after that last post, we got Sterlings training dates.
He's leaving the end of May/beginning of June. We don't know where his base is yet, that news will come in March (which starts tomorrow, sick).
So first he starts off as an officer at LTC (the same training he went to two summers ago). The good news is that I'll get to talk to him frequently and he may be able to come up for our one year anniversary (awesome!). That ends in the beginning of August and then he'll have some time off (maybe come home...) and then he'll start his infantry basic training at the end of August. That will go until the beginning of December and then hopefully he'll get to come home for the holidays before he starts Ranger School in January.
It's real now.
Hopefully he'll get to stay in May long enough to do our half marathon (on the 22nd).
Okay, I need to study now. Le sigh, such is the life of a grad student.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
I am an... Army Wife?
Army wife?
A few years ago, those words meant that you graduated high school, married and got knocked up (in no particular order) to a guy going off to basic. Don't get me wrong, I do respect those ladies... however, I had more plans for my life than to become a wife who stays home with her three kids whom she's had before she's old enough to even buy a drink to help comfort herself.
But then Sterling joined the Army and my life changed. I realized that the Army isn't just for people who don't know what they want to do when they finish high school. The Army isn't for people with no where else to turn. It's also for educated people. It's also for people looking to make a good career.
So I got used to the idea that Sterling was in the Army. But ROTC isn't the real Army (I like to say that he's playing pretend Army haha...) I got used to hearing him talk about his classes and his officers and yada yada. The Army had infiltrated our home.
Then Sterling and I got married and we got to explain to a lot of people our life plans. They always include him being gone for seven or eight years. But that's in the future. There is no reason to dwell/worry about it now. Let's just get married and have a good time with each other.
And that is exactly what we have been doing. Except... March is creeping around the corner and that is when he will get his first set of real orders. We already know that he is branching infantry (another thing I like to push to the future to worry about), but we have no idea when he will be leaving. It could be June, October, December, or any time in between or longer. The infamous Army waiting game.
I've been really good at putting a good face on about Sterling leaving.
First he'll go to basic officer leadership course (like basic training for officers) and that is about 3 months. Then he'll go to ranger school which is about another 3 months (I believe). Then he'll go to his base to train with his unit... we'll find out where this base is in March as well (right now we are thinking either Kentucky or North Carolina). Sterling tells me that all of that will take up most of his first year. Normally their second year out they get deployed for 9-12 months. Suck. Then he'll come back to live on his designated base. The thing is, for what Sterling wants to do, there are no bases in Michigan. Which is where I'll be. In school. Really busy. Then he goes back and forth between working on base and deployments until his time is up. If he makes it a career, that's eight years. If he doesn't, then that's five years.
All the while, I'll be back here in Michigan.
I'm refusing to get upset until it's actually something to get upset about. But it is really hard. I'm going to miss how much fun we have together. He's not only my husband, but my best friend. I'm going to miss sleeping with him.
It's hard to think about, but I've been thinking more and more on it lately.
One of the officers from Sterling's program said this to me at the Military Ball a few weeks ago:
"If it was easy, everyone would do it"
So true.
A few years ago, those words meant that you graduated high school, married and got knocked up (in no particular order) to a guy going off to basic. Don't get me wrong, I do respect those ladies... however, I had more plans for my life than to become a wife who stays home with her three kids whom she's had before she's old enough to even buy a drink to help comfort herself.
But then Sterling joined the Army and my life changed. I realized that the Army isn't just for people who don't know what they want to do when they finish high school. The Army isn't for people with no where else to turn. It's also for educated people. It's also for people looking to make a good career.
So I got used to the idea that Sterling was in the Army. But ROTC isn't the real Army (I like to say that he's playing pretend Army haha...) I got used to hearing him talk about his classes and his officers and yada yada. The Army had infiltrated our home.
Then Sterling and I got married and we got to explain to a lot of people our life plans. They always include him being gone for seven or eight years. But that's in the future. There is no reason to dwell/worry about it now. Let's just get married and have a good time with each other.
And that is exactly what we have been doing. Except... March is creeping around the corner and that is when he will get his first set of real orders. We already know that he is branching infantry (another thing I like to push to the future to worry about), but we have no idea when he will be leaving. It could be June, October, December, or any time in between or longer. The infamous Army waiting game.
I've been really good at putting a good face on about Sterling leaving.
First he'll go to basic officer leadership course (like basic training for officers) and that is about 3 months. Then he'll go to ranger school which is about another 3 months (I believe). Then he'll go to his base to train with his unit... we'll find out where this base is in March as well (right now we are thinking either Kentucky or North Carolina). Sterling tells me that all of that will take up most of his first year. Normally their second year out they get deployed for 9-12 months. Suck. Then he'll come back to live on his designated base. The thing is, for what Sterling wants to do, there are no bases in Michigan. Which is where I'll be. In school. Really busy. Then he goes back and forth between working on base and deployments until his time is up. If he makes it a career, that's eight years. If he doesn't, then that's five years.
All the while, I'll be back here in Michigan.
I'm refusing to get upset until it's actually something to get upset about. But it is really hard. I'm going to miss how much fun we have together. He's not only my husband, but my best friend. I'm going to miss sleeping with him.
It's hard to think about, but I've been thinking more and more on it lately.
One of the officers from Sterling's program said this to me at the Military Ball a few weeks ago:
"If it was easy, everyone would do it"
So true.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentines Day
I love...
my husband
Hankus Magankus
my family (including the in-laws of course)
my church, Riverview
my lifegroup
my graduate program
my electric blanket
chocolate cupcakes
black coffee
my kindle
crocheting
the beach
my bridesmaids (who I miss dearly... including you Tay tay)
my CMU friends
my MSU friends
and most of all, my loving Father.
Happy Valentines Day everyone! Take some time today to let your loved ones know how much you love them :)
my husband
Hankus Magankus
my family (including the in-laws of course)
my church, Riverview
my lifegroup
my graduate program
my electric blanket
chocolate cupcakes
black coffee
my kindle
crocheting
the beach
my bridesmaids (who I miss dearly... including you Tay tay)
my CMU friends
my MSU friends
and most of all, my loving Father.
Happy Valentines Day everyone! Take some time today to let your loved ones know how much you love them :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)