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This is my “them, them” to all Military Spouses on Military Spouse Appreciation Day. President Reagan designated the Friday before Mother’s Day as the national Military Spouse Appreciation Day back in 1984. Military Spouse Appreciation Day is to recognize the service and the sacrifices of military spouses.

Today President Bush spoke about how military spouses’ contributions don’t always get the attention they deserve, and said

“But I can tell you that every one of your efforts matters. You do not do this only for your loved ones who are serving and sacrificing in distant lands, but for your entire community and for our county. Your dedication, compassion and selflessness play a vital role in uplifting spirits, and our nation is deeply in your debt. “

I am a military spouse, a fairly new military spouse and have only celebrated this day for four years. It is a day that I find myself thinking what it means to be a military spouse. I can tell you that from my experience being a military spouse is very stressful and yet very rewarding. The opportunities I have had and the people I have met have been priceless. I served as a Key Volunteer for a Marine Corps Battalion and wouldn’t trade those days of helping other wives through an Iraq deployment for anything.

Military Spouses have to be “mission ready” too! We have to make sure that at a moments notice we have all the POAs, Wills, bank accounts and finances in tip top shape in case we are on our own. We need to make sure that our house can run smooth as silk when the spouse is on the other side of the world. We need to be very independent and yet willing to ask for help.

I have met some very amazing women who are Military Spouses. Some are young and barely out of high school, some are attending college while working and some hold BA’s and are working on their masters. I also know Military Spouses who have their doctorate and military spouses who are stay at home Moms. Military Spouses come in all shapes and sizes, from all back grounds and yet we all have one item in common - we fell in love with a person in the military and will sacrifice our goals and dreams to serve our country the way a Military Spouse serves - through support, readiness and dedication to the military member we married. When a family is “squared away” and prepared the military member doesn’t have to worry and can perform their mission giving 110% not having to worry about back home.

These are pictures from my very first homecoming as a military spouse. Homecoming is one of the “perks” of being a military spouse - just like Christmas morning! It is an amazing event and a memory I will never forget!

We do however, have lots of memories of days that aren’t like Christmas morning. This is how I spent Valentine’s Day 2006. It was 0200 and we were all saying goodbye to our spouses for the second deployment to Iraq. We take these kinds of videos and pictures because we never know if they will be the last time we will see our spouse. That may sound morbid but it is realistic. We have to be prepared for the worse. These videos and pictures of our spouses leaving get us through those seven rough months. I have watched this video a million times, I can see my husband board the bus and I can see his last words were to the CO’s wife - she gave him a hug and on he went. It still brings me tears. I was very fortunate my husband came home - not everyone did.