What is Weapons School?
So your spouse came home and told you they’ve been accepted and will be attending Weapons School. First of all, congrats to both of you, just to be accepted into the school is an honor! Secondly, buckle up because it is an extremely rigorous 6-month course. Third, whether you are attending or supporting an attendee, you can totally do this!
Weapons Instructor Course or WIC is the Air and Space Force’s advanced course designed to take the top instructors within a variety of communities and mission sets and teach them to be the best the Department of Defense has to offer. Students go through rigorous academics, testing, advanced level briefs, difficult sorties (for aircrew) and a graduate level research paper due at the end of the course.
What to Expect?
The course is set up in phases, with each community having specialized phases per their mission set and requirements. This can often look like students getting a large amount of information, often new and unfamiliar, and then diving into their courses that are purposefully difficult in order to shape them into being the best.
In reality, this might look like your spouse being very busy, very overwhelmed and very stressed. Although that might sound very intimidating for them and for you as their support system, most members and their spouses would agree that at the end of the day the payoff is worth it.
Most days will include limited communication opportunities, limited visiting access and limited availability of the member. Their schedule will often be ever changing, looking different from day to day, varying in level of difficulty and usually involves long hours in which they are either learning in a classroom, briefing in a classified vault or executing an exercise for grading.
Day in My Life:
My husband attended WIC during the 23 Alpha class, as an HH-60G Pilot. He was assigned to the Nellis AFB location in Las Vegas, NV with a few TDY’s for exercises to other locations. He was able to stay on base in dorm-like housing for the duration of the course.
During this time, I was a SAHM with 2 kids who were 2.5 years old and 6 months old when he left. To say life was crazy is an understatement. My husband and I agreed on a few non-negotiables before he left so we both had clear expectations. These expectations were things we felt would best suit our family. For us, this looked like no in-person visits, FaceTime every Saturday morning, no comparison, only genuine support and listening, low expectations and LOTS of grace.
We both took on large responsibilities as in our nature to get through a particularly stressful season. I kept myself and my kids busy. We took several trips to see family. I signed my toddler up for several activities and gave myself small attainable goals. Mostly though, at the advice of a few close friends who had been through it before, I set my bar low and lowered it as necessary. (Seriously, get yourself an air fryer and some paper plates, they are life-changing.) WIC can be a hard season as you are supporting yourself, your family and your spouse, so walking through it with flexibility and understanding is key.
Don’t forget to use your base provided resources! These include but are not limited to the command & key spouses, MFRC, and MFLC are all underrated heroes. I would also highly encourage you to get involved in a community of some kind. Whether it be a squadron spouse group, a church group, a Mom’s group, a fitness class, etc. Whatever you are going through, it’s going to go better with people by your side.
The Fun Stuff:
At this point, I know y’all are wondering why anyone would want to go through all this hassle? The GRADUATION PARTY! Thankfully, the Air Force is kind enough to throw you, your spouse, their instructors and family/friends a huge party to celebrate all their hard work and determination and all your support throughout the course. The graduation is in Las Vegas and includes a special award ceremony, a cocktail hour, and a delicious dinner. Attire is formal so it gives you a great excuse to get dressed up and have a great time!
Life After WIC:
Life after WIC has come with immense opportunities, opening doors which were previously shut. As a WIC graduate, your spouse will be a sought after resource for the knowledge and skills they gained throughout the course. However difficult the course, my husband and I can both acknowledge that it has been a great decision for his military career and our quality of life as a military family. We both learned lessons during that season that have been indispensable to us now and we are both grateful to have had the opportunity for him to attend.
Meet Leah
My name is Leah, I’m 31 and I’m originally from Georgia. My husband and I have been married for 7 years. We have two kids and two dogs. I love cooking, reading, working out, being outside, and long strolls through specialty grocery stores. I trained for and ran my first marathon last year and learned that military spouses really can do anything.
