Hey sis, we just want to start with all the warm fuzzies about you finding us during this season of your relationship! We remember what it was like to be a girlfriend like it was yesterday! So many questions, so many unknowns. Are you cut out for this life? What are the rules of engagement? Well, we are here to tell you…to take a deep breath and relax, you’ve got this!
A quick little about us, we are Jen and Kirst, the founders of Wives of the Air Force. We never dreamed that we would date and then marry someone in the military. This whole world was completely new to us! We started off, like you probably did, googling “What is life like as a military girlfriend/wife?”. Back then, the internet was a scary place to search for those words. All we found was doom and gloom. But after we were both 1 year into our first assignment, we realized that while this life can bring some of the lowest of lows, it also affords us the highest of highs! We have become significantly stronger, more well-rounded, and more adventurous than we could have ever imagined. With that introduction out of the way, we would love to welcome you into a positive, encouraging military spouse/significant other community! Be sure to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and check out our private Facebook group with over 6k other uplifting WAFs!
Holy Acronyms
Yes, there are so many but here is a little insider fact: even servicemembers don’t know what they all mean! So you are not alone! Want a little cheat sheet to refer back to? Check this one out here! That being said, no one expects you to know them, much less know all of them! There is nothing wrong with asking once or twice…or however many times!
Find community
We LOVE our civilian friends. They can be so grounding to us, reminding us of who we were before we started our crazy military lives and also reminding us and giving us the perspective that “normal people” go through a lot in their daily lives as well. BUT, finding a military community is a game-changer. Someone who can empathize and who is super flexible in their support because that’s the kind of support they need in return is invaluable. It’s not always easy to find your person in the military (or as an adult, period!) but boy, is it worth it.
Military spouses pull themselves up by their bootstraps
We don’t say this to intimidate you, you are stronger than you could ever imagine! But you may find yourself in a position where you aren’t finding the work that you imagined or that you got a degree for. We have been there, this is one of the hardest pain points of military life. But there are so many military spouses out there who have pivoted and found work, careers, or become entrepreneurs at the end of it.
If you need some more encouragement, don’t just take our word for it – listen to THIS podcast from a seasoned spouse and read the wisdom THIS seasoned spouse has to offer.
You CAN do this, but it may look different
The whole “I don’t know if I can do military life” idea…is an interesting one. What we would rather say is, if the person you are with is someone you can’t imagine life without, would do anything for, and are willing to go through anything for, you have got this. Military life will grow you and stretch you, both of which can be painful, maddening, and hard. But military relationships that work are some of the strongest relationships you will find. We knew our husbands were going to be in the military either with us, or with someone else, and we wanted to be the ones they came home to after deployment.
We are so happy to have you as a part of this WAF community! We encourage you to take a look around. Check out our other posts on military relationships, base guides, and day-in-the-life posts to really help give you the information you need to feel like you can succeed in military life!
