The short answer is yes.
That must get hard with everyone moving all the time.
The short answer is yes.
Wow. Phil has a really long commute!
The short answer is yes.
Most people don't seem very interested in my long answers. Of course our good friends are and our family care tons, but all those "others" the ones you meet in passing or chat with outside the elementary school, or even the new acquaintances that may someday become good friends, they aren't too interested in the long answers. To be fair, my long answers tend to be pretty darn long.
But it is a complicated and emotional thing. We left the Army, but we really didn't. Phil won't deploy, we don't have a PCS move on the horizon-ever-, and I have no "mandatory fun" to complain about. I acutely remember the pain of dealing with Tricare, despite the fact that I haven't dealt with it for 2 years. We still shop at the commissary and PX; I have post access. But, we aren't really an Army family anymore.
Phil is on IRR (individual ready reserve). This means he is on a list for the "great Army in the sky" and could, in the event of something really really major, be called up to Active Duty. He does nothing for the Army, and they pay him nothing. But remaining on that list, and risking the remote possibility that he could be called to serve again, affords us certain benefits. Post access being a big one. He didn't have to resign his commission being the biggest.
Of course all of this is confusing for the people around us. Most people have never heard of someone staying on IRR on purpose. But for us, it is the right thing for our family right now.
Because continuing to serve as an Active Duty family was not the right thing for our family. The sacrifices we had to make were hurting our family. We weren't able to put the priorities that we felt most important first. However, we both still feel drawn to serve. And we feel that pull from the military.
Living in a primarily military community, we are surrounded by opportunities to help military families. Having been one of those families, having done deployments and PCS moves and TDY separations, we know all the little ways the "civilian family down the street" can help. It is forever my goal to be that help and support in every little way we can. I love that we are stable enough to do it. I love that we have the opportunity to meet and learn from and love these wonderful people from all over.
It is hard getting close to all these great families only to say goodbye a year or two later. It is hard being the one left behind. PCS season is already beginning and we will send off many good friends this spring/summer. But I know the Army is a very small world. And those families will meet someone getting ready to PCS here. And if we are lucky, they will mention their good friends that live in DuPont.
New Years Eve with friends
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