Ask:
When you are not with your spouse, do you care about who's who in the military? Do you get all wrapped up in the politics of the ranking system in the military?
Just curious
Answer:
Not in the least. I believe that higher deserves professional respect both at work & if seen off work.
My husband & I were both officers. It was funny how many times lower enlisted thought we were bringing in the big bucks & just sat around in meetings all day.
We ran across great enlisted, NCOs & officers. We also had our fair share of horrible ones, also.
I always had the mindset that it was teamwork that was going to get the mission completed. I would never treat a PFC bad just b/c they were a PFC. I also never bucked down to higher just b/c of the rank on their collar.
I think anymore, especially in the Army, one has to understand everyone is in it together. Roadside bombs don't descriminate.
Answer:
Nope, however, I do show respect to the higher ups. I can't stand when (not always, but here) the officer's wives and higher ranked wives treat the rest of us like the dirt on their show.
Answer:
Originally Posted by armorwife
I think anymore, especially in the Army, one has to understand everyone is in it together. Roadside bombs don't descriminate.
So beautifully put!!
I am of the same opinion. When my dh was enlisted, and I was BRAND SPANKIN' NEW to the military lifestyle and being a spouse to a service member. I remember hearing all the trash talking the enlisted wives did of the officers' wives. I got caught up in it and promised (and vowed) if ever there came a day dh would be commissioned, I would never be one of those "officers' wives". Little did I know he would be a commissioned officer four years after that and my very first exposure to a real life living officer's wife was a VERY pleasant one. (yes I was THAT naive). I even said to her at one point "you're too nice to be an officer's wife" and she laughed. She explained to me (because she knew I was a rookie) that there are a lot of untruths said and expected of higher ranking wives and a lot of the trash talking is mere jealousy. Yes there are cases of true cattiness amongst the ranks of wives, but I personally do not allow myself to get wrapped up in all of that.
For me, I don't care about the rank of people. Let me rephrase that: the higher ranking servicemebers will get my respect but their wives not any different than I would get!!! When I meet someone and find out they are a military spouse, I introduce myself as the same...but DO NOT discuss what our dh's do. I don't even care....it's not important. We are all in the same boat at the end of the day: our dh's deploy. We support them. They are fighting for a good cause. And we're mothers looking after our dh's children. PERIOD.
Answer:
No way! I was prior enlisted in the Air Force before I met my husband who's an Air Force officer. When he and I decided to get married I swore up and down to him that I would NEVER join the officer's wives groups and I witnessed them constantly ragging on the enlisted and their spouses. I managed to stay away from it all for about 2 years then finally realized I was missing out as our squadron's wives club is made up of enlisted and officers. I still see the officer's wives shunning the enlisted ones and I always get a laugh out of telling them I was prior enlisted and watching them eat their words!!
Answer:
I grew up in Military home. My father was in US Army for 28 years and my mom was required to be in NCO wive's club. Not being a citizen and barely speaking English she was brutalized at meetings and guilty parties never showed to Company Picnics.
When my father retired he retired as an officer. A whole new set of rules and regulations but mom seemed much happier.
My Dad was in from pre WWII to middle of Vietnam and back then if dependents got high holy on other dependents of a lower rank member. THE HIGHER RANKING SERVICE MEMBER usually could kiss off being home on Holidays and having normal days off. This was the best way to show the offensive dependents their behavior mattered to their service member and their career.
Answer:
Things have changed dramatically in the Army re: rank & the "role" of the wives. There are no longer designated Officer Clubs or NCO Clubs. While it is still not appropriate to engage in certain behaviors b/w ranks, there is not that big wall anymore either. There are FRGs (Family Readiness Groups) where everyone is welcomed & it is usually the Company Commanders wife or First Sergeants wife who is in charge of the meetings & treasury.
I guess coming from Fort Hood, TX (the largest Army post in the US; about 60,000+) & it's sole function to be a deployment stop for soldiers & their families (you are either in the field preparing to deploy or you are in Iraq), it's a waste of time to even care what rank someone's husband is.
I must say though that things do start to change to an extent if one's husband is the rank of COL or higher. The "job" of a Battalion Commander's wife or a General's wife...no thanks
Answer:
No I do not care. We all put our pants on the same way and I can give a rats arse if your spose has a stripe or bars, or oak leafs etc.
You should have seen the crap I would get when the wives realized I was an officers wife working at the commissary on WIC~ Steven at the time was a 01 with 3 children! Making a whooping $20,000 after at our civilian jobs together we were making 70,000!
Women would quit speaking to me! Right in the middle of our conversation! Rude huh?
Answer:
When my ex and I were married he was in the AF for the first 11 yrs of our marriage. The whole rank business got on my last nerve really quick. I did not feel obligated to give any man or woman, active duty or dependant any more respect than anyone else. We are all equal under God, no amount of stripes stars or bars will ever impress me.
I liked a lot of things about being a military wife... that was definitely not one of them.
Answer:
I do not care about rank-- never have, never will. I belong to one playgroup with wives from the squadron, and I have NEVER heard anyone say anything negative about anyone else based on rank or anything silly and superficial like that. Our husbands do happen to be all the same rank, but that is only because all of our firstborns were born within a month or two of each other, and all of our youngest, also.