10 Totally Random Things You Learn from Being a Military Spouse

Whether you have months or years or decades as a military spouse, you know that you are bound to learn the ins and outs of military family life. There’s things you have to know: like planning a PCS move or going to base legal to have a POA developed. Then there’s also things you just sort of… pick up on.

Here are 10 Totally Random Things You Learn from Being a Military Spouse

1. How to React in Times of Emergencies

I’m talking actual emergencies and the “I-need-to-plan-a-last-minute-party” emergency. Military spouses are resourceful and take charge when they need to.

2. How to Tell Military Time

You might be so accustomed to military time, that you start using it with people outside of the military circle.

3. How to Pack A Box

Whether it’s a care package or a moving box, military spouses will learn to expertly “tetris” their stuff into a box. With the introduction of flat rate boxes, we’ve been cramming as  many goodies in the box as possible. The first few may have come out messy but we’ve evolved into fully themed, decorated, glitterfied care packages that rival most craft projects. With PCS moves, we’ve learned to efficiently label and organize if it’s a DITY move.

4. How to Develop Thick Skin

For whatever reason, military spouse and significant others can get a bad rap. What starts at innocent venting may lead to you being called the “Dependa” word, or worse. You have learned to pick and choose your battles, and you certainly won’t lose to a milspouse hater troll.

5. How to Research Like a Boss

As soon as your family knows of orders, we tend to spring into action. We jump on google, facebook, instagram, twitter, and find out what resources are available in the next station. From neighborhoods to schools to jobs, we investigate details from those who know it best: fellow military spouses.

6. How to Say the Phonetic Military Alphabet

In the military, Bravo doesn’t always mean “good job”. It stand for the letter “B”. A, B, C. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, so on and so forth.

7. How to Creatively Find Storage

If your spouse is like mine, you’ll know that they own a lot of bulky gear. From boots to bags uniforms, a good chunk of your valuable storage space might have to be allocated to these items. Personally, I’ve had to use every square inch to help hold all of his gear (yes I still find boot bands everywhere.)

8. How to Have a Go-To Potluck Recipe

Whether it’s family day, or a fundraiser, or just a regular get-together between coworkers, you learn what delicious recipe you want to serve to the masses (and what to serve if you’re given little notice).

9. How to Recognize the Mistakes in Military Movies

Your service member may know more, but you can definitely pick out some glaring inaccuracies in military movies or television shows. I saw one where a service member was in service dress uniform and didn’t have a cover on when they walked outside… at a military academy…. come on, man!

10. How to Be Independent

You think you would join hands in marriage to live life with a partner. The military has different plans for your relationship when deployment rolls around. Albeit temporary, you learn to take care of yourself, your family, and whatever mess Murphy’s law of Deployment throws at you.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Unilever & Operation in Touch via MSB New Media. The opinions and text are all mine.