[C&K'sMama]

When you get to a duty station, how involved do you get? Do you go out and join things like the PTA, and FRG and take advantage of local experiences and such or are you more of a homebody (I know lots of people don't get too involved, because duty stations are temporary).

[ArmyWife06]

I dont get involved much. I am usually too busy with my own stuff.

[C&K'sMama]

This is the first duty station I've ever really gotten involved in.

[alwayssmile]

Our first duty station I tried, but got turned off quickly. Nellis is very top heavy and I was basically felt that I wasn't good enough.
Last station we were not permanent party and I gave birth to DS there so I didn't bother. We're only here at our current base for 3 months. lol
I don't really plan on getting involved with base stuff next base because I will already be busy. I am actually already in contact with people to get a babywearing group started back up in that location and I'm joining an ICAN chapter too.

[melissamarie247]

I sub at the Elementary school here in Germany so I will get involved in those events.. but I would never do FRG!!! Some military wives have nothing better to do but start nasty gossip! It is too much for me.

[C&K'sMama]

Originally Posted by melissamarie247

I sub at the Elementary school here in Germany so I will get involved in those events.. but I would never do FRG!!! Some military wives have nothing better to do but start nasty gossip! It is too much for me.

As an FRG leader we run into this a lot. I haven't been burned by an FRG yet, I've been involved in 2 wonderful FRG's (very little if any drama).

[melissamarie247]

I am glad to hear that! Here in Germany it is a much tighter community so everyone is everyone else's business and I couldn't deal with it or I'd explode. I just keep away. My husband tells me what I need to know and if not I just make a call to his office to talk to the big boss. She likes me.. or I will ask my friend who I work with who is the wife of the big big boss... I'm cool without it.

[Ember Rose]

I might join some FB groups but I don't get too super involved. My first experiences with the military spouse community didn't really leave me wanting more.

[MissMac]

I've never really gotten involved, but I'm trying to change that for my daughter's sake. I don't want her to get to preschool having never associated with another child lol.

[Luckymom21412]

What exactly is a duty station? (Sorry I may ask a lot of these questions as I am totally new to the whole being a military spouse thing)

[melissamarie247]

Duty Station is just where the military has you at the current time.. For example, we were at Fort Lewis Washington.. and then moved duty stations to Schweinfurt, Germany. It is where the military person reports to work.

[clouise]

I'm in the PTA at my kids' school and MOPS at the base chapel. I don't do anything "official"...mainly just things with the kids and the church. We attend storytime at the base libraries. I also have a few friends in the neighborhood, and we do playdates. I think everyone needs to make at least a few local friends. First of all, people need friendship. But also, you can't count on your husband to always be there when you need him. And you probably can't count on your family either, as they are usually far away. When your car breaks down and you need a ride, or one kid needs to go to the ER at midnight and your other kid is asleep in their bed, you'll be glad to have a friend or two to call for help. And then in turn you can help them out. I feel like we military spouses really need each other.

[C&K'sMama]

clouise - sounds like you're very involved. I wasn't just meaning FRG stuff. I meant as teh whole community. I agree I've been in some really tough spots where my husband wasn't able to help out and if it hadn't been to relationships built from getting locally involved, I'd have been s.o.l.

[MandyLaLa]

I've never lived on a post yet so my involvement will have a lot do with if I get along with the other spouses. But I've always been super involved in school, so it make sense I'd want to.

[melissamarie247]

A lot of posts have facebook pages for wives.. here even has a online flea market kind of thing for the military community. I love it!! It gets you somewhat involved.. and the base even posts their inclement weather and closures on the page for people to stay in the loop through facebook!

[Banned-MyBubRy]

My hubby is in a unit that I'm pretty sure doesn't officially exsist, so I don't get told anything unless he's in Germany for a bit. But I'm used to it, my brother is in the same unit and my father was once in it also, so it's totally normal for me to have no idea where my man is. I'm younger than your 'average' army spouse (19) but the army/military is practically all I've know my entire life. Also, we dont live on base or anything, never have my entire life, though before I was born they did spend a bit of time in germany ect. I am involved to the point where I am trying to convince the big big big boss to let me do some tech work for them, other than the translation and interpreting I am currently doing xD.

[melissamarie247]

I don't think you are much younger. Army wives a lot of the time are very young. I got married at 20, got my Bachelors that year, and now I'm 23. We don't live on post either.. even here in Germany. I prefer to go home and not have to deal with military stuff! It makes my husband happier that way, too..

[Banned-MyBubRy]

Yeah, it's good to get away from it all for a bit. I love the military and everything it stands for, which is probably why I remain sane on erratic contact and if I'm lucky once a month phones calls and if I'm super lucky a video chat with the hubby xD.