There are many difficult things about being a military spouse. Giving birth or managing postpartum time while the boat is out to sea, can be a very difficult and stressful time. We had just confirmed my fourth pregnancy when my spouse said “I don’t think I will be here for the birth." While he was [...]
Without a doubt, one of the hardest parts about being a submarine spouse is the extended (and usually irregular) underways. Whether they're gone for three weeks here, two months there, or a full-blown seven month deployment, it's all hard. Is it just me or do the chaotic underways sometime feel harder? We have some great [...]
Temporary Additional Duty (TAD) orders aren’t common in the submarine community, but if it happens it will be a different experience than the usual underway or “scheduled” deployment. TAD orders are required travel at a location other than the permanent duty station. An example of this is if you sailor is asked to “ride” another [...]
It’s difficult to know how much your toddler understands about a parent’s impending underway. Toddlers don’t quite get the concept of time or what it means for a parent to be in a submarine without the modern communication methods they may be used to (Facetime, phone calls, etc.). As I was trying to figure out [...]
Is Dad deployed or on patrol this year for Father’s Day? Not sure how or if you should celebrate? Here are a few ideas that may help you decide how to spend your Sunday: Change up your normal dinner routine Order takeout, maybe from Dad’s favorite place, and choose a fun place to sit and [...]
As a follow up from our department head post, we were asked to gather feedback on spouses who have experienced an XO tour! The "XO," or Executive Officer, is second in command and reports directly to the Commanding Officer (CO). An XO is responsible to the captain for all ship's work, drills, exercises, personnel organization, [...]
A boomer, or ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), is a submarine with two crews that take turns taking the boat to sea. Sailors switch between "off crew" when their crew does not "own" the boat and being the crew that "owns" the boat. "Owning" the boat means your sailor's crew works on the submarine and is [...]
Refreshing your email every three minutes? The mind tends to wander when there has been a lack of communication from your sailor at sea. I have experienced this many times. Each person has a different response - you may have begun to feel anxious, sad, mad, etc. Here are a few ways to combat these [...]
Healthy eating should be a lifestyle, but with "boat life" it can be easier to reach for cereal or frozen nuggets for dinner then thinking about meal prep. We recently have PC'S'd, lived with family members and currently reside in a hotel while we wait for house. All my hopes for total clean eating have [...]
