I cannot give you advice about kids because my husband and I don’t have any. But I can give you what advice I can.

Look into Facebook pages at whatever duty station you are going too. Most places have them, I find them very helpful because they are a source of information that a lot of times get left out of the basic information. Also be wary of them. A lot of times there is drama on them, so take information with a grain of salt. Do additional research. And don’t trust everything.

Going into the marriage I would seek marriage counseling. The army provides it. And it never hurts. A relationship with someone in the military comes with additional challenges. Counseling just helps with expectations. My husband and I went and it was extremely helpful. The counselor asked us strange questions we had never thought about. Simple pet peeves like changing the toilet paper can become big problems when additional stressors are added.

Make friends. I cannot stress this enough. Find one or two people that you can trust. But again be careful. Find friends that don’t bring drama into your life. Friends I’ve made through our moves have become some of the best friends I’ve ever had because they understand things a lot of my friends don’t. I got married at 20. A lot of my friends were still in college so they didn’t understand marriage struggles or having to move overseas. Friends also give you something to do while your husband is gone.

ACS ( Army Community Service ) can be your best friend. They provide services from child care to employment opportunities. They will help with writing resumes, volunteer opportunities, and additional services. All post have them so look into what’s in your area and don’t be scared to reach out.

MyCaa is a fabulous resource. It’s for military spouses who spouse is E5 or below, 03 or below, or W2 or below. It’s a grant that gives you $4,000 to go towards an associate degree or technical certificate. Use it. Because eventually you won’t be able to and it’s basically a free opportunity to get an education.

Money can be hard in the army. There pay isn’t the greatest but it’s definitely doable. Again ACS offers financial planning, classes on how to reduce debt, and how to plan for children.

Honestly there is so much advice I would never be able to write it all here. But this is what I can think of right now. Best of luck to you!

Army Wives