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Fun Blogs to Read
A Hamburger Today
Smartass Ideas for
the Home
Sites to See
In Their Boots
Taryn Davis and
Rosie O'Donnell
Interviews
Navy Wife Radio: "ThePat Hrabe Show"
A Stars & Stripes Article
Spouse Calls Interview
Kadena Shogun
Washington Times -
"Jenny's Mission of
Mirth"
Okinawa Hai
Navy Wife Radio: "TheSpace-A Show"
Typhoon Man-Yi
This is not a drill:Preparing for severeweather.
Read the Essay:
"Backwards...and inHigh Heels" - The Life ofa Military Wife
Other things I like...
Military Spouses in the
News
Women in the Military
Laughter in the Military
Helpful Links forFamilies
Friends of Jenny
History of a
"Women's Club"
as told in this
historical issue of
A Word to the Wives,
dated 12 June 1944.
Used with permission of
WPOWC.
Welcome to the only comic strip about life as a military spouse.
Jenny follows the adventures of a young Air Force spouse determined to overcome the challenges of a military lifestyle.
Drawn from the real lives of both contributors and the cartoonist, Jenny’s experiences reflect the humor, ingenuity, and sheer determination necessary to be successful as the spouse of an active duty military member.
animals and the chaos they create when trying to move overseas!! The military doesnt make it easy or cheap getting our animals over to england! i would love to see a strip about this!
I have a great story that I’m sure I can give to a random spouse. Hmmm…. thinking cap is on! Thanks for the suggestion.
How about the heartbreaking process of Command Sponsorship when you don’t get concurrent travel orders? He rejoined in January, we saw him 2 weeks in May, and were’nt able to start the process till August. Needless to say, we’re still waiting – my toddlers (3 and 18 months) think the computer’s name is ‘Daddy’!
I’ve heard of this before. What’s up with that? I don’t understand why the records can’t be complete from day one. We’ve had a lot of problems with records throughout our career and can (and have) actually tell them what to do to update/include/gather/etc. everything they need to finish the process but nobody seems to be able to get their act together. In your situation, I hope it’s not causing too much of a hardship with DEERS and BAH. I heard from a pregnant spouse once who’d transferred to a base with her husband, he immediately went remote, she was still in TLF, and they told her she couldn’t stay there without him and her inclusion on his orders was dubious. She had nowhere to go. The squadron commander eventually got her into a hospital room or something but for only two weeks, meanwhile she was getting more and more pregnant. I lost touch with her right away, of course…she had more important things on her mind than staying in touch with me…., so I don’t know what eventually happened. The point is that this happens way too much and I don’t understand it. I just don’t. Is there a way to make a funny “Jenny” episode out of this just to bring it to the fore? Maybe she meets a lady and her kids at the Food Court who say they’re waiting for “the phone call” approving their Command Sponsorship?
Yeah, that sounds about right. It was getting a lecture about not washing the light fixtures and floor vents that really got me.
That could work…
DH’s home on emergency leave because of this insanity. I’m so sick of the drive to Nellis during Holiday driving I could scream… Our paperwork is caught in a catch 22 situation because we got married in transit. The CO finally found out what’s going on and is trying to help, the local military base has finally stepped up and said ‘Wow, let us help you’ instead of ‘Sorry, you’re Army and just a spouse’.
DEERs and BAH hasn’t been the issue; it’s explaining to the kids… All 3 are way too smart (18 month old’s already signing and talking) and when he walked in, the boy said “Daddy” and ran to the computer after trying to knock DH down (cause he’s solid enough that he can.)
When we moved to Hawaii there was a story about a family whose cat had “run away” before their move to Hawaii, only to find he had stowed away in their couch… and was found alive when their household goods arrived! 2 good things came from that: No 4 month pet quarantine, and one more reason NOT to vacuum the couch. Seems kitty lived on cheeto and cheerio crumbs!
That sounds like a plan doesn’t it? The quarantine in Hawaii is brutal.
Jewls absolutely love your strips – sooo true.
We’ve moved many times and things got broken but I think I had the biggest hissy fit when I noticed that one of the packers had made himself comfortable in MY master bathroom for an extended #2 library break! LOL
Looking back, it is actually kind a funny at the time I didn’t think so.
Thanks, Susanna. We’ve had an extended #2 Library Break as well. The realization always comes when you notice there’s a mover missing. “1, 2, 3,….Weren’t there FOUR movers, Honey?” Fairly disgusting discovery.
As far as breaking things: The one where Chandra reminisces about all of her broken items (http://jennyspouse.com/?p=49) comes from my Mom (…the bottom left corner of the strip says, “Thanks, Mom!”). She tells the story of the German movers who were unpacking our household goods while drinking beer. The unpacking got sloppier and sloppier as they started tossing our belongings to each other.
My own items, however, have been broken through the other method shown: packing fragile items under a lawnmower.
Unpacking. It’s always an adventure.
You should make a comment about child free military couples and how other couples with children seem to look down on them for not wanting to have children. (everyone has a choice!)
Regarding the comment about shipping your dog to England when you get stationed there, it is VERY costly and in order to avoid quarantine you have to get paperwork, shots, and tests started at least 6 months prior to PCSing. I’m in that boat now. I just wish the military would realize there are child free couples who have a dog and it would be nice to be able to get the dog shipped for free/or even if they partially reimbursed. You can pop out as many kids as you want and the military will pay to have them shipped/flown where ever but not the case with a dog.
Jewls- I am new to military life, as my husband just joined recently. Will someone please tell me what PCSing is? My husband is still in AIT.
Jennifer- You completely have a right to not want kids totally your choice, however, in respect to those of us who do have children and have gone through the child birth process, please try not to refer to it as “popping” them out. I assure you that they do NOT just “POP” out. And yes I think they should pay to have your animals shipped.
Jennifer, that is strange. The military (Air Force) paid to ship my 1 cat from Hawaii to Germany, and then my 3 cats from Germany to England (We got two more while in Germany). I haven’t had to pay for anything yet. Though I did have to take 7 days of leave so I could report after the 6 month quarrantine window was over, otherwise I would have had to pay for the 7 days of quarrantine.
Angie – Sorry to take so long answering your question.
PCS = Permanent Change of Station (you’ve probably found that out by now)
PCS is rarely permanent and can last anywhere from one day to 3 or 4 years to longer, if you’re lucky.
Michelle, are you active duty? My husband (active duty Air Force) and I (spouse) had to pay for our animals up front but we may have gotten reimbursed. I’ll have to find out.
~ j