The Only Thing Constant in the Military Is...

I've always thought I was blessed to have a mind that can't hold on to things. I can hear jokes several times over and still laugh as hard as the first time, I can be slighted and not hold a grudge (can't hold a grudge if one can't remember the slight), and skimming through older photos is sometimes like I've never seen them before. It's almost magical looking at these beautiful photos of when my kids were younger.

But then there's the downside. Like how I will never learn that in the military, you never make plans until the hard copies are in your hands.


Job assignments have changed drastically in the last 7 years. Everything is now received online and it's up to the troops to print it out. My husband has been patiently waiting for some of the 'steps' to show up on the Virtual MPF site, but we discovered yesterday why they hadn't.
We're not going to the Azores.

We could be going to the Azores.

Only HE might be going to the Azores.

We won't even know what our options are until after January.

Welcome to the budget cuts in the military. Funny thing, If I were running the show, I could tell you where the waste is-- the guys pushing the beans don't ever get it right in my opinion.

In 2001 when we lived on the island, housing was just fine-well, except for the section that tested high for asbestos- but in 2005 they rebuilt it all. I can imagine that they have since upgraded the perfectly fine school as well, and while we were there, they did build a new BX. All infant-aged family-oriented buildings on this tiny military base where they've just determined that it will be from now on, an unaccompanied tour.

The assignments made over the last six months must be in a state of chaos. There are people due to arrive with their families from February on, and now families are supposed to be cleared off the island by 2014. The school is closing in 2014. That's where we don't really know what's going to happen. They could give us the go ahead to go since we will JUST make the cutoff time (July), but it means we'd move us all there, place the kids in a school where everyone has short timer's disease (you tell me that my kids are going to get the BEST education in a place that's focused on closing shop), and then move again in a year. It takes a military family 6 months to acclimate to the new surroundings. The next 6 months would be preparing for the next move.

The poor oldest. The one who has pulled every string he could find to assure that he would follow us over in October. His wife would have to stay behind in the States.


So, I never learn. Hey ho, right? It's the life we signed up for. The life I agreed to. I just wish I could remember that BEFORE I drag everyone else along in my blissfully ignorant happy dance...