What Do People Think of Military Wives?

I have many different opinions about military wives only because I come from a military family and I've worked on a Navy Base. There are those women that take advantage of what the Government is already giving them and there are those who mind their own until they really need help. Then there are those women that just get married for the money. I've seen military wives cheat on their spouse while they are gone...I mean I've seen it many many times...I've seen those think they have special priviledges just because they are a wife of a military person and I've seen those women who struggle day after day trying to make ends meat because the money their husband is getting isn't enough to support the family. Like there is everywhere there's those women that love the free stuff....you read in the news paper or see on the news how they are helping women while their spouses are gone...recieving free cars...money...shopping sprees...etc...some women need to lay off the tattoos...makeup...and piercings....because to me they look rediculous....do people know how much tattoos are...and piercings??? they are expensive..and if they could afford that then they shouldn't be looking for hand outs! I'm not saying all the wives are like that....I've met really nice ones and those that stand by their husbands no matter what....And you sound like you are one of those women! Good Luck! Sorry If I offended anyone...but this is my opinion....and if I did offend you it's probably because your one of those women!

I, too, am a 24 year-old ARMY wife, and have been married to my husband for 6 years. He has been in for 10. I honestly think we as wives get much more respect and appreciation from civilians than we do the people on the bases who are supposed to be supportive of us. Not going into specifics, but it would be nice if we were treated a little better by the people who are supposed to be our support system.

i salute to the wives of military because of their courage, bravery to accept that anytime thier husband will be coming home cold. They are also considered as the unsung heroes..

I think its pretty unselfish of you to let him go off to war for our country. Thank you. I know it must be hard, esp when you are so young to be away from your husband so long. You and they are in my prayers.

Actually Bush just had a day for us in D.C. at the gates of the White House. Supposedly we are going to get treated more like the soldiers than just spouses. We should get some of the G.I. bill or something like that. I read it on Military.com

I am always so torn on this subject. I can't fathom the fact that a man would willingly leave his family behind to go fight a war, knowning that he can't be there for them. But then I think about the great things he's doing for everyone else in the country, and I become torn of what may or may not be more important. i guess to every man it is different.

I don't have any bad feelings towards them. Actually, my bf will be leaving for boot camp soon and I haev all sorts of feelings going on! I'm scared about him going to war after boot and I don't want to be alone, etc. and am not really sure how to deal with it! How did/do you cope?

I am also Army wife and i totally agree with you! I dont think we deserve extra special attention.if anyone deserves the attention its our soldiers...

I have all the respect in the world for military personnel and their spouses. To have a spouse be absent for months at a time, even without the danger of the military, is a tough thing for me to imagine. Military wives have to be very strong, and they earn my praise. My question is: what can the rest of us do to help military families more?

I am a Army Wife I have never been as proud as I am each and everyday. I have 2 kids and another on the way. My first child is not my husbands but she is his lil girl. Our first daughter was born while he was in Iraq, he got to be home for the birth and shipped out 3 days later and unfortunalty that will happen again here very shortly when our lil boy is due. I dont need no special attention or free stuff for being an army wife. The pay is not great either. But to me just being the wife of a soldier is the most rewarding and special privledge of its own. Not many women could actually say they married thier hero. My husband is my HERO. Yes I would give anything for him not to go but I know its his duty to protect our freedoms. I dont even need a thank you because being my hero's wife and his childrens mother is the best thank you I will ever recieve....

I am an Army wife too. Too often our position is one behind the scenes, not to be glamourized. We don't get a lot of recognition from anyone. I know my friends always ask me "how do you handle it" or "how do you do it", I answer them, I don't know, I just do it. I think we are very strong women to deal with what we do on a daily basis. Living alone, raising out kids alone, while they are off on deployment or on training, or being schooled. We do everything, and we too often get little to no praise or recognition. But I think the general public is pretty nice about it though. I thinkt hey realize that our job is pretty tough. At least that is what I think.

Honestly with my husband's unit no special attention what so ever when I had my baby FRG didn't even call me for over 2 weeks and my daughter was in the hosptial for RSV at the time, told me there was no chance he could come home and called Red Cross and was home with in 2 days.

Hi! I agree with you. I am an Army wife and I don't think we deserve special treatment either, but we do go through alot and if we have kids then our jobs as parents become harder. There should be an army family appreciation day or something.

Overall, I think Military wives are looked at positively. Unfortunately there will always be a few that give us all a bad name. But in general, I have received a lot of support and understanding from those that find out that I am an Army wife. We are serving our country in our own way. We are the ones that keep our soldier's morale up when they are at their worst. I know. My husband has been deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom, three times. I have received phone calls from him when he is in the worst mental states and I am the one that has to find the positives in the situtation. One thing that does irritate me about how others perceive Military wives is that a lot of people think that they can identify. Unless you have ever been through a war time deployment with a loved one, you can't! Your husband going on a business trip to Chicago and you having to sleep in the bed by yourself is nothing compared to knowing that your husband may never come home and that you may be sleeping in that bed by yourself forever. In general, though, I have been thanked many times over for supporting a soldier. I don't expect to hear it. But it does always put a smile on my face when someone recognizes the sacrifices that I am making, as well. I knew going into marriage with my soldier what I was facing, but it is still nice to be appreciated occasionally!

It's interesting to hear from a military wife. Not much is heard from the families of military personnel. It would be nice to know that the families are supporting their spouses and are not cheating on them or trying to use their position for unjust gain.

i'm marrying a soldier in october. Personally I think people even acknowledge us. I dont want special attention my fiance deserves that attention but acknowledgment would be nice

know how you must feel but please be assured you are not alone i am a father in canada who thinks of his daughter inlaw daily and stays in touch regularly with her she is 5 months pregnate now and son is over in persian gulf doing his bit and more for our countries. he's hoping they'll send him home before she gives birth but somehow i really don't thinkl it will happen. she is also on the far end of the country from us her parents are even further away and she is alone there about 45 minutes from the base. but now she seems to be making friends there slowly which is good the wives in the forces up here tend to form groups or clubs to keep themselves busy helps them not to feel so alone. know most of the people around here small towns in the north do appreciate what the military are doing not only for the people they are trying to help over there but what they giving up over here...

I can understand the mental condition of Military Wives particularly during the war. All the time they have to bear tensions in the mind for any bed information. Second thing they have to stay in the houses without their loving husbands. In these conditions the bearing power of mental and physical pressure as compare to other wives is really significant. I think definitely they deserves little extra attention and sympathy from society. But this is a life we have to face every ups and down in our life.

Yes it would be nice if a little extra attention was shown. Alot of focus is put on the soldiers of course for obvious reasons. Well you know the old saying, behind every great man, there is a great woman and I'm sure it applies here.

I'm a military wife too. I don't expect nor need any special attention because I have chosen to be married to someone in the military. I have way more things to worry about, than how I am perceived by others in the civilian world. I guess I look at myself as a wife in general, and as with all wives can attest, we are all subject to hardship, struggles, and obstacles from time to time. If I want an extra pat on the back for being married to someone in the military, I can get that through my personal friendships. However, I do feel the civilian sector is often under a misconception with regards to what goes on in a military family, and how we live.