7 Struggles only a Military Girlfriend Can Relate To

Being the girlfriend to someone in the service is great, but it can be completely difficult at times. I have been with my solider for a little over 6 months now. So I am by no means an expert when it comes to this. But I have faced and felt things that only a military girlfriend could ever really understand...

Now I know what you're thinking.. "6 months is nothing. Is this girl for real?" But to me, these 6 months have been everything, during both the good and the bad. My soldier and I started dating back in December, prior to being friends for a couple of years. 1 month after we had started dating, he was packing up and heading to basic combat training (BCT). Far away from me and the rural town that we call home. Since leaving, he has been gone for 6 months and during our entire relationship. It hasn't always been easy, but I can assure you, it is worth it when you love someone with everything that is in you.

 Dating in general can have it's ups and downs, but a military relationship takes a lot. I came up with a short list of struggles that I have faced that I feel other military girlfriends can relate to. 

1. You feel constant stress and worry

No, this does not go away.. Since my boyfriend is at AIT studying and training for the army, I always find myself worrying about whether or not he is going to pass an extremely important exam, one that determines whether or not he gets recycled or has to change his MOS completely. Meaning he could possibly be gone even longer than what he is supposed to be, or he has to change what he wants to be and relocate to a different facility to train at. I even worry about whether or not he's going to get deployed in a year or just a few months. This is constantly going through my mind. 6 months is nothing compared to years of deployment.. There's even the stress & worry of whether or not the military will change him. And believe me, it will. The only thing you really can do is pray. For us, prayer is everything! We are constantly praying for one another. Because we know that the distance is extremely hard for the both of us.

2. You find it hard to have a normal conversation 

Your soldier will tell you things that he is facing that you as a "civilian" will just never understand nor will you know how to respond to. In this case, the best thing you can do is just listen and show that you care. Sometimes you will even find yourself trying to figure out what to talk about. Being apart and doing completely different things makes it a little harder to talk about what goes on in your daily lives. Sometimes, its even awkward..

3. It can be difficult finding and fitting in the time to talk to each other

Especially when your soldier is studying during his time at AIT. My soldier constantly goes back to his room with loads of "homework" or exams to study for. And that's not just something that they can push aside until later. So it's hard to find the time to skype or call. Sometimes we have to go weeks without talking to each other just so he can study or train for PT. Not only that, but you have a life of your own. Whether it's your own exam that you have to study for or a job you have to maintain, you have your busy moments too. It can get extremely frustrating when you don't get to talk to each other. If you're anything like me, the first thing you want to do when you get home is talk to your boyfriend. That can get irritating at times when you can't talk to him.

4. You find yourself missing everything about him

This includes the little things such as his smile, his laugh, even his burping (weird right?). It sucks not being able to see that smile, or hear that laugh as much as you're used to. You are constantly checking your calendar, counting down the days until you get to see and hug your soldier again in person. Even now, after 6 months of him being gone, I'm still not used to not being able to see him everyday.

5.  You treasure your skype calls

Every time you see that smiling face through your phone or computer screen, you can't help but smile yourself. This is what gets me through a rough day at work.. Knowing that I get to come home and see that handsome face during a much needed skype session with my soldier. Skype is definitely your best friend when it comes to dating someone who's miles away.  However, you learn to both love it and hate it. You could go from talking for hours to not being able to skype at all due to unexpected "bad connection".

6.  You learn how to keep your sanity

Not seeing each other for months or years...That is rough. People always ask, "How do you keep your sanity?" I barely do! The easiest thing for me to do is to just keep myself occupied and busy.  I'm always making plans with friends, working, and I even spend time with my soldiers family. This for me is a big thing that helps. As weird as it sounds, you almost feel extremely close to your soldier even though you're miles apart. Just by being in the same room as his mom, dad, and sisters. Plus, you get to enjoy funny/embarrassing videos and stories from when he was a kid. (Since he's not around, he can't defend himself :P)

7. You are constantly proud of your soldier

I am completely proud of my solider and admire what he is doing. This is his dream and it makes me happy to see him live it, so I am by no means trying to make it sound like I am not proud of him. What's not to be proud of? I can truly say that my boyfriend is a hero. ;)