What's He Talking About????

Soldiers have a tendency to speak in code.  They get so used to everyone around them knowing exactly what they are talking about, they forget that the rest of us can get a little lost in the abbreviations, military time, acronyms and gibberish.  I swear that I didn't know any one's first name for two months...and until I became an Army wife, I was horrible with last names. Not so much now.

I'm lucky enough that Nate understands that I need a certain amount of control over my surroundings. When we got married, I understood that it meant that I was giving up a ton of that control to the Army.  I have regained some of it through knowledge about my surroundings and Nate's job.  My husband is very patient with me. I ask a lot of questions. If I don't initially get an answer that I fully understand, I ask in a different way until I do understand. He always answers my questions. He makes sure I'm informed and knowledgeable because he knows it decreases my anxiety. In other words, I'm less likely to go off the deep end if I can plan or at least know what's going to happen next.

Nate has even gone so far as to sit down with me and make a flow chart of his battery, complete with rank and a few names, so I can quickly refer back to it if necessary.  We keep it on the fridge for quick reference.  It's funny how many soldiers see it and laugh...and then their wives see it and say "Wow! That's awesome! That soooo would have helped me. Why didn't YOU make me one of those???" 

It's amazing how many wives and girlfriends ask me questions about things that I took for granted. I guess not every husband is as patient as mine...because when I don't know what he's talking about, I stop and make him explain it in 'Stephanie' terms.  I never mind answering questions from other wives or girlfriends...I'm happy to help with what I can because I hate being the one in the dark.

So...for those of you who are afraid to ask, or just want to broaden your knowledge in general, here are a couple of websites that really helped me figure things out when I needed to know immediately and Nate wasn't right beside me...

marriedtothearmy.com  and  armywifenetwork.com

Both sites have very useful information (I used the crap out of the acronym list).

Also, the Army now has a free iPhone app that has been pretty helpful. It contains lots of news and human interest stories, but I use the "more" button the most. There is a wealth of information there, from ranks with names, duties and pics, to pictures and descriptions of weapons and vehicles.  It's pretty great. Probably second most used icon on my phone (after Facebook, of course).

Remember, the more you know about something, the more power you have over it. If you feel like the Military is running your life...read up on it. Get the information. It's out there for your taking and there is no excuse to not feel empowered in your role. There is a reason they call us HH6 (and if you don't know what it means, don't be afraid to look it up).