Why Can’t We All Just Get Along – Guest Post by The New Normal!
This blog series is called
Why Can’t We All Just Get Along
What
that means, is that sometimes we tend to turn life into a big loser
contest, where we figure we have it harder than everyone else.
Especially on Military forums and support groups. We judge the
experiences of different branches, different bases, different families,
and we argue over who has it worse.
Let’s not anymore, okay?
So
in this series, I have some amazing guest bloggers who have written me
what it’s like to walk a mile in their shoes. The good and the bad.
Because all our struggles and victories may be different, but that
doesn’t make them any less valid.
And for my readers who are not military, it’s a chance to see how unique each military family is and what their day to day life is like!
Before
each blogger, I am going to take a moment to answer a question from you
guys about what it’s like to be a Canadian military spouse. And the
best part is, commenting and asking a question enters you into a draw
for Canadian Maple Syrup candies! When the series is all done, I will
use random.org to pick one of our question-askers as the winner of the candies :).
 |
| A Canadian Contest |
Our first question is from Crystal:
There are 5 branches of the military here. How many are there in Canada?
In the Canadian Armed Forces, there is the Canadian Army, The Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Navy. Each branch has their own reserve unit.
Unlike American and British forces, we do not have Marines. And while we do have a Coast Guard, they are strictly civilian and do not have any military or law enforcement duties.
While decisions for our military are made by elected and appointed officials just like in the UsofA, as a Constitutional Monarchy our Commander in Chief is still the Queen and her representative in Canada, the Governor General and all military action would be ratified by them.
For reference, the entire Canadian Armed Forces is made up of fewer than 70 000 soldiers, (less than 100 000 even if you include the Reserves). That means that it would be possible to house our entire military at one time in Fort Hood!
Do you have a question about life as a Canadian Military Spouse? Check out the facebook
page (I know it’s called Worth Missing while I await my blog
transformation by Utterly Chaotic, but it’s me, I promise) and then
leave a comment here with a question (and don’t forget an email address
so I can contact you)!
_______________________________________________________________________________
So today we get to hear from Kris over at The New Normal! She’s sharing a look into her life as an American National Guard Family!
National Guard wife. First of all, I’d like to thank Kim for allowing me to
“take over” her blog for a bit and share our family’s military experience.
Thanks, Kim!
about 5 years ago, after being on the fence for many years. He finally decided
to make the decision to join at age 27 because he knew it would always be
something he regretted if he didn’t do it. He decided on the National Guard
versus Active Army because he had already had an established civilian career in
his family business and felt it was something that could not give up. The Guard
allowed him the ability to keep his civilian career while still fulfilling his
dreams of joining the Army. Honestly, we do look back on the decision and
sometimes wish that we had made the move to go Active when he first joined, as
it is a topic that we debate on a regular basis. The Army is his dream job, he
is amazing at the job he does and he loves it. It seems a shame to not have the
job you love as your full time career, but when it comes to family business
things get tricky!
I have to admit that I knew nothing about it. I was one of those who thought
that the Guard was not really Army and that they were completely different
entities. I was definitely wrong! While they are different, National Guard
Soldiers and Active Soldiers in the end are the same – they are all Army. My
husband went to the same Basic Training and AIT that active soldiers went to.
Any schools or trainings that he has been sent to have all been with Active
Army. When he deployed, he was an Active Duty Soldier. His unit does the same
training throughout the year that Active Soldiers do, they just have to fit it
in during long weekends and extended weeks throughout the year. The Guard
certainly is not the “One Weekend a Month, Two Weeks a Year” line that you
heard on TV! While there are some Guard Soldiers who do keep their commitment
to those guidelines, there are many, like my husband, who volunteers for extra
training missions and schools so that they can further their military knowledge
and career. In the last few years, he has spent close to 50% of each year in
military training or deployed. This year is the exception, but only because we
are just coming off of a deployment.
National Guard family we face certain unique challenges. The biggest challenge
that I think Guard families face is the lack of support. Most Guard families do
not live near a military installation and many times live hours from their
unit. For us, my husband unit is two hours away and the families are spread all
over the state. This makes it very difficult to connect with others who are in
similar situations and to form a good support network. Sometimes it can be very
isolating because most people not involved in the military do not quite
understand our situation and while they are good hearted, don’t know what to do
to help. Also, not being near a base a lot of the benefits that come along with
being a military family are not available to us. While we do have a commissary
in our state, it is small and about 30 minutes away. I certainly won’t complain
about it though, the great prices make it worth the trip! In addition to my
husband’s until being far from home, very few of the Soldiers there are
full-time Guard. Due to this, if we encounter an issue or my husband needs to
contact someone within his unit, he has to wait until the next drill weekend
for that to be taken care of because there is no one there on a regular basis.
His unit is very small, so I’m not sure if this is a common problem among Guard
families, but it is one that we have encountered a few times.
challenges of being a National Guard Soldier is balancing the two worlds,
especially after his deployment. It can be very hard to switch from the Army
mindset to the civilian workforce. When he came home last year after 10 months
in Iraq, he struggled with finding meaning in his civilian job and really
figuring out how he fit back into this “world.” He found that people did not
understand what he had been doing and at first got very irritated with
questions like, “You did your tour, now you’re done, right?” or “Why do you
still have to train, you can get out now, can’t you?” It doesn’t bother him as
much anymore, now that he realizes that people truly do not know and only ask
in innocence. I can relate, I was one who did not understand at all until he
joined the military and I’m sure I asked questions that were similar.
National Guard, there are benefits as well. One huge benefit for us is the
actual benefits, i.e.: insurance. We have the option to receive Tricare
insurance and obtain the same health care as Active military. We do pay for the
insurance, but the cost to us is pennies compared to what we would be paying
through a civilian employer. The care has been incredible for us and is one of
the most valuable benefits that we have. But aside from the health care
benefit, the biggest positive for us is that we do not have to move every few
years. As much as I enjoy living in new places and the gypsy in me would love
to move again, I do enjoy that we can buy a house knowing that we will be in it
for years to come and that our kids will not have to adjust to new schools
multiple times throughout their school years. We have been able to choose where
we live and be close to family. And by staying in the same location, we have
made many close friendships that we most likely will not have to say good-bye
to anytime soon and who have become our support network. They are friends not
involved with the military, but they have grown to understand our life and have
been a blessing to our family.
challenges and all. Being a part of this great military community has been one
of the biggest blessings for me. The connections that I have made and the
friendships I have formed are incredible and are formed out of a common bond. I
know that each branch of the military is different and along with those
differences come various challenges. And within those branches, different
families face different challenges as well. Not one experience is going to be
the same. Each branch of the military is ultimately serving the same purpose –
protecting our country. They are all necessary and important to reach the end
goal of keeping people safe. In knowing the challenges families face in all
branches of the military, we can see that we all face difficulties with this
life and that we need each other’s support to succeed. So Army, Navy, Marines
or Air Force. Active, Guard or Reserve. American or Canadian: We’re all here for the same reason – we love our countries!
And don’t forget a question for the contest too!
Comments
About The Author
Related Posts
Relax
Relax, mom. Relax. Just stay home. Except if you need to work. There’s…
Comments
Related posts:
Pre-Deployment and the Clone A Willy
Yes, you heard that right. So to start, let’s get it out of…
Comments
Related posts:
7 COMMENTS
Leave A Comment
Andrea Ward | 27th Aug 12
Thank you Kim for this series. Thank you Kris for this post. As someone who is all civilian, I have no clue what it is like to be an military wife or to be in the military. This look into your life helps me understand more, so I can treat military families accordingly.
Jamie | 27th Aug 12
Great post. I love Kris' blog!
HandlingWithGrace.com
Jane | 27th Aug 12
That is so interesting. It never occurred to me that because everyone else in the unit is part-time military as well that there wouldn't be someone available to answer questions. My husband is on the phone multiple times a day either answering or asking questions. I could see that getting really frustrating. Great post! I am so excited for this series!
The New Normal | 28th Aug 12
Thanks, Jane 🙂 A lot of units do have a few full-time Guard there all the time, but since ours is fairly small there typically is no one there unless it's drill weekend. My husband has the numbers of people he can call if needed, but he hates to bother anyone when they are at home too! It can be very frustrating! But it's also something we know is going to happen so we've gotten used to planning accordingly.
The New Normal | 28th Aug 12
Thanks, Jamie! 🙂
The New Normal | 28th Aug 12
So interesting to learn more about Canadian military! I can't wait to hear from the other guest posters as well, and to learn more about what life is like for them!
And I have to admit a HUGE mistake I made when writing my post…I left out an important branch of the military – the Coast Guard – at the end of the post. I am completely in error here and I sincerely apologize to all the CG families out there. I know they are an important part of our military and do not get the recognition that they deserve! Thank you all for what you do!
Erin @ Sweetness Itself Blog | 28th Aug 12
you have such a beautiful family – this is so interesting too!