Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Sounds like a mix between Santa and a Drunken Sailor. This is your navigator typing. Let me see, what should you know before entering into this blog? Well, let's start with the reason I am writing. My Husband left for Navy boot camp on June 15th and documenting the next 5 years of Navy life seems like a good plan. I am pretty positive that there are thousands of other Navy Wives doing the same thing but each of us is different in our own special way. For instance my husband and I are entering into this life about 8 years after the average Sailor. Not saying there is no one else in a similar position. I know of at least one other guy in his Division that is his age as well which was actually a great relief! I truly though he would be the sole 27 year old among 80, 18 year olds. While that isn't too far from the truth, it's comforting that he's not alone.
So far I have received a box of clothes, a form letter with his address and PIR (graduation) date, My dependant paperwork, 3 personal letters and 1 phone call! After typing that out it seems like a lot but keep in mind this was spread over the past 5 weeks, with only 1 phone call! How odd it has been to go from seeing and talking and hugging and kissing my love to the tiniest bit of contact I could imagine living off of. Honestly I couldn't imagine living like this and don't know how I am. I must say though I am doing remarkably better than I imagined I would! I guess sometimes it takes a big life change to help see yourself better.
I never believed I could handle something like this. I never believed I would allow myself into a situation where I had a husband that was in the military. I never believed that I would be okay with it and for my own selfish reasons I thought this. I thought that I could just choose not to be in this position and guess what, I had a choice. My husband and I got married before the thought of military even entered our lives. We came to this decision together. My husband knew how I felt about the military. After trying to become a police officer to no avail my husband felt like he was at a dead end. He could have become a police officer in New York City but it wasn't what he wanted. He was so unhappy in his previous job and wanted to do something meaningful. I don't even remember how he brought it up to me but I do remember how we both were surprised when I didn't flip out.
We went through many discussions first just between us and then opening up the discussion with our families. The original plan was to be in the Air Force Reserves but after some talking with my in-laws, we decided it might be worth it to look into active guard. The only problem was I am a girl of the sea. I grew up living 1/4 mile from the ocean and I never want that to change. This switched our plans from Air Force to Navy if he was to do Active Guard. I had some extended family members who are life long Navy folk so we made plans to visit and chat. Following that visit and after careful consideration we decided it was the best choice for us and our future children.
My Husband spent 8 months in DEPS (Delayed Entry Program) making regular visits to the recruiting station every week for meetings. It felt like so far away and then it just snuck up on us in the last few months. All of a sudden it was June 15th, the day we had been waiting for and dreading all in the same. After a few hours with him at the processing station and watching him get sworn in, it was 11:15 am: time to say goodbye. I gave him a hug and kiss and said goodbye with tears in my eyes as I left the building. We exchanged a few texts before he got on the plane and once he landed I received a few more texts and a phone call. At 10:30 pm that night I got his official call that lasted 25 seconds to tell me that he got there safe, I love you, goodbye.
And now here we are! Hubby is more than half way through boot camp with graduation in August and I'm doing well! Thank goodness it's summer and I have a ton of family and friends around! It's about that time of night when I write my daily letter to Navyman.
Fair winds and Following Seas....
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