I am not an ARMY wife but my father was a DI for 12 years as well as Airborne, Rigger, Ranger, Pathfinder, Green Beret, Combat MP and every other MOS a grunt can get. He ran the DI school in Sacramento for years. He traveled within the US because they would not send him over to war which is why he got out. He retired after 29 years last year. He petitioned the US for the right to go over to Iraq and was told he was to valuable and needed here. I dealt with a lot having a DI as a father. I believe that the whole family is a member of the armed services and should be treated as such. When asked if I have ever been in the service I answer yes because I feel I have. Anyone that has lived the life knows that if the soldiers family is not happy, the soldier is not happy.

My father was in the field one time and had a promotion board hearing the following day. He came home and went to bed in BDU and full face paint. In the Middle of the night he woke and thought he heard something. He stalked through the house with his bowie knife and looked for the intruder. I knew if I moved he would slit my throat and not remember what he had done.

He would do rack check and if things were not just right he would dump everything on the floor and make us clean it. Most of the time this was during the day but a few times this was in the middle of the night. I still cannot sleep at night because of the fear of being violently in the middle of the night.

You tell me, Should I be here?

Wow...that was quite a rant...vent..? My hubby is in the Infantry. His best friend and many of his buddies were killed in Iraq and he was injured...if I could have had him not go I would have...It was a hard 15 months. I had our son 2 months early almost lost my life and our son almost died as well and 2 weeks later my husband was deployed. Our son stayed in the hospital for 6 1/2 months and had 2 surgeries with my husband gone! Yeah life in the military is difficult and it makes it even more difficult when the soldier brings that life into his family life! When my husband comes through the door he is no longer a soldier. He is just a father and a husband!...Oh and who said you couldn't be here?