Military with children?

[JLC]

First off...to answer the original question from my own perspective...

I can't speak to the single-parent angle, because I'm the spouse. I imagine the challenges presented would be very different for you than anything I've experienced. But I CAN tell you that the support for military members and their family is very strong as a whole across the board, and I know from personal experience in the Air Force. And that is NOT some "empty promise" from a military recruiter with an agenda to fulfill. That's from someone who understands the commitment and sacrifices involved in choosing the military.

I also can't speak directly to how things work in the Reserves. We've always been Active Duty. Going on 22 years now. Some years he was gone more...but never so much as the Army or Navy or Marines.

The opportunities for personal growth and professional advancement (both in service and as a civilian) are tremendous and not to be discarded lightly.

And most of all...our children are VERY resilient. Of course we want to be with them as much as possible, but every challenge in their lives helps to form them into the adults they are going to be. Learning to be a little more independent, learning to make friends quickly, learning to adapt to new situations and surroundings, learning to be flexible and to bend without breaking ....all of this can lead toward an adult you will be supremely proud to have raised. It's not that you might be away from him sometimes...it's how you choose to handle it that will set the tone for his own personal growth.

Feel free to PM me anytime if I can help with any questions or whatever.

And to RYAN....I said it to you in private (if you've the wits to find it) and I'll say it again here in front of everyone. It's VERY rare for someone to actually make me seriously consider breaking the rules of my own site. But you did just that. Bully for you. Aren't you just the big man on campus because you can look at the people who work their asses off and sacrifice more than you can possibly know and think they are simply "sucking off the government teat." Go ahead, Ryan....keep it up....and you might find yourself looking for another site to spread your crappy attitude on.