I'm sure there have been threads like this before...I'm new and figured I'd see who else has loved ones in the military (or who are in the military, lol).

My fiance is an Army officer (field artillery). He's currently in Iraq and has another 10 months left there. While I miss him like crazy, him being gone is giving me a chance to work on getting healthy and losing weight. It gives me a project and something I can focus on so I'm not thinking about him being gone.

I gotta say though...Thanksgiving by myself was tough.

Anybody else?

My only niece is in the Army. She just went in this summer and finished basic training a month or so ago. She's now stationed in San Antonio and training to be a nurse or medic, I don't remember which. She doesn't know a soul in San Antonio other than her army people, but one of the girls she is stationed there with happens to have a distant relative in that city, so they were invited to this girl's relatives' home for Thanksgiving dinner. She said it was going to be a little awkward going to an unknown family's home for a holiday dinner but that she was grateful she would be spending it in a family setting and not eating at the mess hall.

We did miss her but we are so proud of her.

I'm still serving after 22 years, although I've spent the last 12 as a Reservist, which just isn't the same. No one makes me move, and my career field doesn't deploy much.

I know being alone is tough on the ones left at home, and you miss your loved ones, but one of the good things about the military is the way you form family-like bonds with others around you. Since I was young, a bunch of us single folks all gathered together at Thanksgiving (after working our shifts, of course), cooked a big meal and shared our families' favorites from all over the country. Even now, 20 years later, I still keep in touch with a few of those folks and we talk about our families and kids.

Windchime and Stargazer, your brother and niece are part of that now, and MKendrick, your husband ate good in the chow hall with his unit, probably talking about whatever his favorite food was and the special woman who makes it. We in the military bond together, but we never forget who we would rather be with. Your sacrifices make us all strong.

My son is in the guard. While I was fortunate to have him home this Thanksgiving, he will not be home next. He is leaving for Kosovo in April. I can only imagine how lonley he will be. So.... not only are we without them, they are without us.

God Bless Our Troops!

My nephew is in his second year in the NAVY...just turned 19...he is in Norfolk VA and fortunately one of his best buddies from Great Lakes is there too...and his grandparents live close...they were able to go there and spend the day with "family"

Angie and I picked up 2 Marines from Camp Pendleton, both 18 years old. We took them to breakfast, came home and chilled for a couple of hours....they loved our dogs and vice-versa....took them to dinner at church where there was around 20 other Marines and families that picked them up. The young men got to play foosball, soccer, pin-ball games in our youth room and watch TV before we ate. We came home and we all crashed and watched cartoons (their choice!) ....took them back to base last night...

I asked them if they were bored with us 2 old folks...they laughed and said heck-no! We had a much better time than we thought we were going to have!....before we met you. Of course my kids probably helped that out too, they came down to church to hang out with them before they went to their mom"s for dinner and her birthday.

I grew up with a Navy dad and now I'm married to a Navy man. My dad retired early after 18 years in and hubby has a little over 10 years in so far. We've been married for 6 1/2 years and although the separations never get easier but you do get "use to it" as the in's and out's become almost routine and expected.

Navy wife here!!!! HOOYAH!! My husband is in the Navy. He's been in for 6 years, and we'll be married for 5 years on Dec. 4th. He's been deployed twice..but is now on shore duty. Which is hella great. I love having him home!!! Luckily for us, he's never been deployed over the holidays *knock on wood* We're still unsure if he'll reenlist again, or join the Coast Guard.

It's tough being away from your man for a long time (for us, the seperation is never easy. It seems to get worse and worse). But the best thing you can do is just keep busy!!!

Air Force wife here!

He's been in almost 3 years and I'm sooo proud of him! I've been lucky and he hasn't had to deploy yet. I'm not sure how I'll do when he goes, I know I'll be posting on 3fc a lot!

My boyfriend is in the Navy! I like all the Navy spirit in here. He is getting ready to take off to the opposite coast this weekend. Its incredibly hard to prepare to be so far away but at least we're still in the same country, albeit in a different time zone. Eeeekkk......

Stay strong

Shopaholic thank you...I'm trying.....
We were that far apart when we just met and started talking. Fortunately the Navy had to bring him here to the west coast for some time so we got to build a strong foundation for our relationship. Just gotta get through this move now

I just talked to my guy in Iraq. Ugh, I just love him so much!

When I was choosing what to major in for college, my dad only wanted me to be a vet or a doctor. I wanted to do interior design, but he thought it was dumb. So now I'm a senior in an animal science degree that I didn't even want in the first place. Well Sean has figured out how to use his GI bill for his spouse so I could go back to school for interior design. He's so supportive and wonderful.

I told him he was my hero on the phone, and I think he got choked up, haha.

3.5months of this deployment down! 8.5 to go. Only about 5 left until he comes home for leave though!

Lilly~You'll be surpised at how strong you can be during seperations. Communication is #1. Before we were married, my hubby was stationed in San Diego. Which was about 6 hours away from Phoenix. But we talked on the phone & IM'd a lot. Same with deployments. We emailed a ton, and he called whenever he could.

Megan~Totally take advantage of the GI Bill!!! My friends have, and it's pretty great for them. I wish I could..but the school I want to to go is 3 1/2 hours away.

My Dad is a Vietnam Veteran and was in the Navy and the Army.

Currently I live with my ex-bf who is also my best friend. He is in the Army National Guard. He deployed to Iraq while we were dating. He was there in 2004 and stayed for ten months. I also live with his Mom, who is former Air Force. His sister and father are also former Air Force, and his brother is current Air Force.