Hardships of a Military Family

I was a “military brat”, which meant we had to move whenever Uncle Sam decided my dad was needed somewhere else. This happened almost yearly. That was good for me, my four brothers and sister in some ways. Good because we were able to travel the world seeing people and places others only dream about.

However, there were also disadvantages to this. Any friends we made usually became history and replaced with new ones like ourselves at our next residence. Although we were born into this type of lifestyle, we never really got used to it. When people asked where we were from it was difficult to explain, since we had lived here, there and over yonder. We never had any place to actually call home.

But this wasn’t the only hardship. Moving in the military is a totally new experience in itself. Most likely, by the time dad received new orders, we had been in base housing for a while. You think your landlord is tough? As long as your rent is paid and don’t trash the property you’re normally left alone.

Living in military base housing is much different. There’s a whole new "Tenant Act”. As a civilian you can keep your yard in most any condition which suits you. On base, your living area is inspected regularly. Lawns must be kept mowed and yards trash free. Of course, this usually became the children’s responsibility.

The first thing you learn as a military family is making lots of friends before it becomes time to move. They’ll come in handy. Before moving out of your quarters the house must be cleaned top to bottom and returned to the same pristine condition it was left in by the previous residents. It will be inspected by a team of perfectionists.