A Military Spouse Survey – I haven’t done one of these meme’s in ages, so I figured I’d jump right in. 🙂
One of my best military spouse friends Holly did this the other day, so here are my answers too!
1. How did you and your spouse meet?ÂÂ
We met at the tribal college in my home area. He worked at the library and I worked at the bookstore. It was the semester after he graduated high school, and I’m a year older. It’s only by chance that I stayed home and we met. I was supposed to go to one of the state university’s. I went to orientation, found a job, found an apartment – and when I went to tell the housing office were I would be living, they said I was required to live on campus because I was a few credits shy of whatever (I’m not sure if it was soph or jr). In response I pouted (I’m old enough now to admit this!) and said I wasn’t even going to go. So I stayed home another year and worked and went to the tribal college. There was no way I would have met Chris otherwise.
2. How old were you when you two met?
I was 19.
3. How long have you been together?ÂÂ
Counting from when we started our long distance phone relationship, in June it will be 13 years.
Us before Sub Ball (I like to call these ball “prom for the military”), probably 2004?
4. Where are you and your spouse originally from?ÂÂ
I’m from south central South Dakota, he grew up all over northern California, but I say he’s from south of San Francisco.
5. How did you feel about him joining the military?
He was already in when we got together.
6. Where did your spouse go to ( in the Navy it’s Boot Camp) Basic Training?ÂÂ
Great Lakes, IL
Alice, Halloween 2004 or so.
7. Has your spouse ever been deployed?
Yes. For the past three years he’s been gone the majority of each year, before that he did a few deployments on a submarine, we had a stretch of shore duty in between subs and officer stuff.
8. Ever been to his promotion ceremony?ÂÂ
I went to OCS Graduation.
9. How long have you been a military wife?ÂÂ
 Almost 12 years.
Jacob’s first picture, August 2003
10. Did you marry him before or after he joined?ÂÂ
After
11. How did your husband propose?ÂÂ
We were at my Mom’s house and had talked about getting married over the past couple of months before. There was no romantic gesture, no rose petals spelling anything out, he said “so do you want to?” while my oldest nephew (a baby at the time) laid in between us sleeping while we were watching tv. LOL
12. Where did you get married?ÂÂ
Rapid City, South Dakota – after the championship game of the Lakota Nation Invitational! It’s a great story. And I never knew that my Grandparents eloped until I did.
13. How old were you two when you got married?ÂÂ
I was 22 and he was 21.
14. Did he wear his uniform on your wedding day?ÂÂ
No. He didn’t even wear a tux! That’s what happens when you get married at 12:30AM in the middle of a living room, in front of a Christmas tree. (See, told you it was a great story.)
15. Where are you and your spouse currently stationed?ÂÂ
He’s stationed in San Diego, but the kids and I live in Washington. We live next door to my Mom and will move this summer.
16. Do you live on base?ÂÂ
No, we live a couple of hours from a base actually.
Chris and JW, January 2010
17. How long were you married when you had to go through your first separation?ÂÂ
It was about a year until his first deployment. But we were kind of surprised to learn about duty days (staying overnight on the ship every few days) (or maybe I was the one to be surprised about that).
18. What is your favorite base so far?ÂÂ
Um, probably Bangor, WA. We lived on base for a year of the five that we were stationed in Washington. I liked the Air Force commissary in Charleston, SC though. And I did love Charleston’s downtown, but that’s not really a base.
19. Do you think your spouse looks good in his uniform?ÂÂ
Yes
20. Do you think military life is more advanced than civilian life?ÂÂ
Advanced? I don’t think it is advanced, it is just a lot different.
21. Do you like the benefits you receive as a military dependent?ÂÂ
I do like them and appreciate that like any benefit, there are ups and downs. I also realize that there are things out there that I don’t use – both because I don’t know they exist and because I don’t need them.
22. Do you have a lot of military wife friends?ÂÂ
I don’t think I have “a lot.” I have a solid handful who I consider very close friends, those I would tell my secrets to. I also have another couple of handfuls of people who I know are there for me when I need them. I don’t need (or want) a lot of friends that I can’t keep track of, I want a few really great ones.
23. What is the hardest part of the military life?ÂÂ
I grew up literally next door to family members, so not being able to raise my kids around more family is very hard. We try to visit at least once a year, but it just isn’t the same.
24. Do you own military wife stuff?
No.
25. Do you support your spouse as a member of the military?ÂÂ
Of course!
I’m snagging Holly’s tag ~If you are a military spouse, tag – you are it!
Fun to know a little more about you! I love the prom picture of the two of you. You both look so happy. Thank you for sharing and for letting us get to know a little more about who you are and what you are all about!
Great answers I love how you added pix.