Military Wives

As the title implies, it is a handbook for women who have recently married a member of the Armed Forces. The author is a current military spouse and Air Force veteran, and has used her extensive experience within the military community to provide guidance in this brief but informative book.

Military Wives...... is packed full of useful information for a new military spouse. Haynie leaves no stone unturned as she attempts to introduce the new spouse to the oft-misunderstood world of military life, and covers a broad range of topics from handling deployment stress to which pets are prohibited in military housing. While the terminology within the book is specific to the Air Force, Haynie does her best to be inclusive of all branches of service, and provides the names of websites specifically for family members of Army, Navy and Marine Corps service members. As I read this book, I often found myself murmuring "uh-huh!" or nodding my head in agreement with her information and advice.

In addition to providing factual information on the military, Haynie frequently encourages wives to not lose themselves as they support their husbands' careers. For example, there is a common belief among military wives that receiving an education or having a career are impossible goals due to the constant moving that goes with the military lifestyle. To counter this myth, Haynie offers not only words of encouragement, but also specific resources designed to help military spouses finish degrees or find employment. I was particularly appreciative of this information, as there are several resources mentioned in the book that I was not aware of.

This book is recommended not only to future and current military spouses, but the parents and other relatives of those who are about to enter the service. The information within is invaluable and would be helpful to the entire family of a service member, not just spouses.