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Today is the Military Spouse linkup hosted by my friend Jen as well as Amanda in honor of Military Spouse Appreciation day. It’s super weird to me to be participating in this linkup since I’m not a military wife yet… but will be next month! (Jen said I could join though!) So for all of the new faces here today– I’m Bailey. I am a proud Murray State alum and now work full-time in Human Resources in my hometown of Owensboro, KY. I have two furbabies, Gracie and Frankie, and despite what my fiance says my cats are my children. I’ve been blogging here at Becoming Bailey for 4 years now; it started out as a way to record my college experience but has blossomed in a way for Andy and me to share our lives with our families.
I can’t exactly answer the question as to my favorite thing about military life yet since I’m not fully immersed into the military lifestyle, but with the upcoming changes in my life that I’m admittedly a bit nervous about, I’ve been making a list of all the positives to look forward to once I join Andy at Fort Knox.
1. The education. The myCAA program will pay for the class so I can get my SHRM-CP (Human Resources Professional) certification and I can get a MBA with an emphasis in Human Resources for half-price thanks to a discount offered to military spouses through Liberty University. And let’s not forget the GI Bill, which Andy and I plan to use for our first child’s college unless I decide to be a genius and go for a PhD. Plus, from what Andy has said, the Army is always offering all sorts of classes and programs for military and their dependents. I love learning, so I’m excited for this.
2. The travel. Andy and I love to travel, so we’re excited for the opportunities the Army will bring us in terms of seeing the world. I almost spent a semester abroad in college in Germany, so we have high hopes that the powers that be will station us is Deutschland. Italy would work as well! 😉
3. The long weekends and time off. Yes, the hours are long and sometimes our weekend plans get ruined with work obligations. (The same will happen to me in a civilian HR role once I move up the ladder.) But the Army does a great job at offering long weekends (practically one a month!) and time off (30 days a year) to soldiers. As someone who gets only 2 weeks off at her job, I’m crossing my fingers I can get on at HRC as a civilian employee and enjoy the extra vacation days!
4. Andy, of course. When I discussed this blog post with Andy, he asked what the number one thing about Army life that appeals to me… and it’s Andy. I didn’t know him before he joined the military, so to me it’s very much a part of his personality. A while back, one of my friends met Andy and asked him a question about his job, and my friend later pointed out that when she asked that question, his face lit up and she could see the enthusiasm in his eyes. Andy loves what he does, and so I love it too. There is nothing that makes me prouder than standing beside him as he chases his dreams… even if I do mess up at his promotion ceremony and pin his new rank on upside down 🙂
As far as giving advice to other spouses that are new, I have none because I AM THAT SPOUSE! Please, give me your wisdom!! I will happily soak it up!!
Thanks again Jen for letting me join in on the linkup! I promise I’ll be a real Army wife at the next linkup 😉