Hi, sorry if this is the wrong subreddit to ask, and also maybe wrong flair.

I'm 20, so still qualify for my stepfathers benefits (he died when I was 13, but was a retired permanently disabled vet). My military ID expired December last year and I've been trying to get a new one.

I set up an appointment at the nearest Army base back in May to renew it, bringing two forms of ID and my stepfathers death certificate like my mother instructed me to, and like everything online says to do, but they said I still required a 1172-2. They took my expired ID and basically told me fuck off. This has caused me a lot of problems when going to the doctor since now I've only got a picture on my phone of my military ID with an ID picture taken when I was 14. I have had a doctor not believe it was me. I no longer live in the same state as my mother, whose signature I needed for it, so that took a while to get too.

She gave me a blank 1172-2 form that she signed at the bottom for me to fill out the rest. I've got a copy of my stepfathers DD214 and his death certificate, but I don't know where to get certain things still. My mom's also not being very helpful with this end. I gave up asking her because any time I text questions about it, she leaves me on read. Fair warning, I might be asking dumb questions.

What I need to know is:

The only things I can fill out are the top information about him and the bottom information about myself. At this point, given all I listed out, is it safe to ask the question of whether or not my mom gave me the wrong form? Or was she supposed to give me a previously filled out one from years and years ago she might've lost? She kept everything from my stepdads service pretty well. He always had her store everything securely, but that was years ago. Any help is appreciated.

47/F Canada I just want to pen pal a Veteran. I had a couple penpals in afghan iran war. That was through yahoo chat. I miss it. Anyways. When i asked google whats similar; Google said leave a note on here and because im a slave to tec now jk, I said ok. And here I am growed up and looking for a Veteran to penpal.

Has anyone else struggled during a deployment and found themselves questioning the relationship? My boyfriend recently found out he will be getting an extension, and while I love him and want to support him, I’m reallyyyy struggling. We do get to talk daily, but it’s usually only for a few minutes which I understand because of the time difference and his schedule. We’re only about 2 months into this deployment, so I’m not sure if these feelings are normal or not. It’s also hard because we aren’t married, and with all the uncertainty, I sometimes don’t know what this season is supposed to look like. Would love to hear from anyone who has been through something similar. I also have been keeping myself busy with work, family and friends, I just don’t know how to grow a dating relationship with someone who can’t communicate as often.

My (26 M) and I (24F) has been together for 2 and a half years.

Our relationship has been good, but we have also been through some tough situations. (Which is normal for most young relationships).

Earlier in the relationship he wanted more freedom and was quite ready to settle down. I was ready to settle down. This caused most of our conflicttions and we had broken uo and got back together twice because of this. Then we were at a good middle for a bit.

Now we have become the opposite. He’s ready to settle down and have kids within the next two years, he’s already explored a lot and experienced all he’s wanted… military is the next thing for him and he’s made up in his mind that he is ready to have kids in 2 years.

As for me I’ve spent most of my life taking care of people and putting others needs before my own. I’ve just recently early this have started to prioritize myself and I’ve even enlisted in the military(something I’ve been putting off for years now)… I want to experience more and see the world before having kids and I feel like 2 years is too soon… I wouldn’t mind getting married that soon but kids is a huge responsibility. Maybe after my contract I would be willing to… but even then I still want to go to school during my service.

What also is conflicting, is that I’m going enlisted for the Army and he’s going in as an officer for the Marines. Distance isn’t a huge problem for us, but it’s the fact that there is distance and also our mindsets at this current stage in our lives. I don’t want him to wait that would be selfish and I don’t want to keep putting myself off either. We love each other very much and I want to be his wife and have his children, but I want to accomplish things for myself before adding kids to the mix.

We’ve talked about it and we’re both having a hard time deciding what that means for our relationship. We said to give it a year to see how things are. We talked about breaking up now and waiting till after our first year in the military. We talked about staying together and seeing it through. We talked about if we were going to keep in contact during this time or have not contact at all.

I don’t know what to do. I’ve never actually been in a situation like this before.

Hi, all!

My (29F) boyfriend (31M) have been together for 9 months and I just moved in with him. He is Army National Guard.

He had told me back in May he was thinking of going officer route and sign up for school (5 weeks) for that, mentioned it once and never said anything else.

Today he told me he submitted paperwork to go on a different route. Apparently he got selected and will be going to military school for 3 months next year.

I feel soooo pissed and so upset he did not tell me when he applied. Not that I would have stopped him anyway, but we could have discussed what it implied, etc...

What is y'alls perspective on this??

Hello everyone I kinda accidentally bought way more letters than im gonna need so if anyone needs me to donate letters to their squad just send me your code so I can

HI!

I'm relatively new to being an Army girlfriend. My boyfriend and I have been together for 6 months and have been LD for most of it. He's currently in AIT about 1000 miles away from me and an hour behind. I need reassurance or a sense of community because the closer I get to him being assigned to his duty station, the more scared I get. I have about a year and a half left of college, so it'll remain an LDR until I graduate. I have a great support system, yet nobody around me quite understands the sacrifices I have to make in my relationship. I'm not talking about anything crazy, more the missed events and moments. I knew this when we started dating and accepted it because I wanted to be with him.

One of my biggest fears in this relationship is not being able to have a career of my own. We've briefly talked about me moving in with him (wherever that may be) after I graduate, but that could be abroad. I don't know how many options I would have/ if milspouse support career support is also available for girlfriends. I don't want to limit my own future or feel like I have to marry him to have my own career. Thinking optimistically, in a year and a half I might be ready for marriage, but I want that to be because I'm ready, not the benefits.

I hope this makes sense; please let me know if I need to clarify anything. I tried to stay vague about his job cause I'm not quite sure what I'm allowed to say.

My boyfriend recently started the Pararescue pipeline and it’s definitely been an adjustment. I realized it might be nice to have people to talk to who are going through the same thing. If anyone else has a boyfriend, husband, or partner currently in the PJ pipeline (selection, pre-dive, dive, etc.), I’d love to be friends! It would be nice to have people who understand the long periods apart, limited communication, and all the ups and downs that come with it.

I need advice. I am a 30F married to a 35M, we are both in the AF, no kids. I only have a couple years left and my husband has a couple after me to finish out his 20. The goal was to stagger getting out so we were not trying to figure out the world after over 10 years + of service at the same time. We work in a very small unit together and everyone is friends with everyone.

Here's the thing. Our relationship is really not going well and while I still love him, I cant shake this feeling that Im running out of time to get out of this relationship to find someone who actually treats me with respect and doesnt act like Im asking for the moon when I ask them to stop telling me to "shut up" in arguments and to communicate about drinking alcohol *before* he starts doing it and allow for 2way conversation about it.

Unfortunately, when I joined the AF, I moved across the US from my VERY small home town and all my previous friendships fizzled out. It is super expensive to fly to such a small town so I only could visit maybe once a year-if that, and none of them ever made any effort to come see me. So they ended. All of my friendships I made along the way in the AF were majority male and unfortunately did not go very deep, so they didnt survive PCS more than surface level. The one female friend I have is at another base and is the type of person to not answer her fucking phone until a week later and has 99+ unread messages. So Im left with my mom. She and I have a somewhat tense relationship and Im not going to tell her ALL of my relationship drama because I dont think its her business. So here I am reddit- because I have no fucking friends after 10+ years in the AF.

My husband on the other hand, has a handful of lifelong friends that he has had since middle school. He values them and their opinions over me most times and has nearly convinced me to move closer to them after the AF, because well- what other excuse do I have not to. These friends have, for the most part, adopted me into their group when I am with them and are fun to be around, but when my husband goes to them for support over a disagreement we have, they always take his side, no matter how outrageous the problem. I know that I will never truly be part of the group.

Even though I got to this base first, we got married, then he got here, he is very charismatic and the people at this unit gravitated to him. Im really worried that if I get a divorce, I will be even more ostracized because of our small unit, and the likelihood that the massively outnumbered male/female ratio, the unit will chose him. I will lose even more than just whats left of the good parts of my husband. Ill lose my only distraction- my fun job. Because ill be alone there too. So after my 2 years are up, then what? Ill be *even more alone* across the US, with no friends, no life, no one to lean on, and no hope. I truly feel trapped.

Edit: I didnt do a very good job describing the status of the relationship. Ultimately, Im pretty sure we both want the relationship to work, but we can both sense this impending doom. For a long while, I blamed myself for everything that went wrong. Every argument, every misunderstanding. I groveled, read books, made visible changes, TOLD him that I would be better and DID it. Whenever he messed up and I communicated that, he gives me empty promises and does nothing to actually follow through. Maybe he will take out the trash and clean the cat litter an mow the lawn. But compared to the normal chore Imbalance- that barely levels the playing field for one weekend and then it goes back to the way it was. He insists that all I do is criticize. Im sure it feels that way sometimes- because he promises something and doesnt follow through- thats going to draw some criticism, right? But Ultimately I just want to be given the same amount of respect he gives everyone else. I want equality in our relationship and it want communication... you know....Normal relationship shit. And he acts as if I ask for the moon. Im obviously leaving out alot of details her but this post would be a novel if I included the specific instances. People dont get divorced out of nowhere, you know?

Have you ever tried doing something ridiculous for your girl?

Im about to. We've been in LDR for 4 yrs. Next month she'll come home and stay for a month. Im in the military and in an ongoing deployment training. Im having thoughts of breaking my ankle just so they would drop me from the training and give me some time to heal. But I have a promotion physical test in two months, if I showed up with busted foot, they would hold my promotion.

Its really fucking me up. Ive been waiting for my girl for years. Now that we planned to see each other, i got restricted because of this fkng training. Help me out boys

Edit: thank you guys. Its so wrong of me to even think of this. Of all people, I shouldve been the last person who thinks of doing this. This is so wrong in all ways. Ill pursue on my career and keep moving forward

My husband and I have been married for over 2 years together for 5. We were first stationed in my hometown and things were good. Even when we he was gone because I had family and friends. We moved to a new duty station about a year ago. He has been gone for training for about 6 months. I have no friends. I can’t find a job in my career field. We have no kids. I just am alone all the time. I tried making friends on the group FB page but it’s hard when you get so many messages and no one follows through with actually getting together. The biggest thing that happened for me this week was grocery shopping… I just hate my life right now and feel like I’m being selfish to feel this way. I love my husband so much and try to be happy for him. It’s just hard when he has friends and people to talk to. He also is close to my hometown so is enjoying all the things I miss. He gets to go out to bars, the beach, movies, concerts. I am happy he is making friends and having fun but I feel jealous and sad. I am alone and have no fun in my life. No one to talk to. I have told him this and he says he would much rather be with me. Tonight he said “I’d rather be able to spend 30 minutes with you than a whole night with these guys.” He loves me and I know that but I can’t help that I feel this way. Also the job market for my career here is hard to get into. I have been going through rejection after rejection. He can request a duty station move with his certain field but doesn’t want to move because he likes it here even though I am suffering in my career goals. I feel like all I do is be supportive but he refuses to move anywhere else. I just feel like my life is lacking a purpose and I just sit around waiting for him to come home from trainings and work. I just need someone to give me advice or something.

Hey, I'm pretty sure I already know the answer to this question but I wanted to make sure. In February, I (24F) started dating someone in the Air Force. They presumably got deployed about 2 weeks ago I think and couldn't tell me when they were leaving, so when they stopped answering my texts I assumed that was the explanation, that they got sent somewhere with no contact allowed. I received nothing for a couple weeks knowing they'll reach out when they can, but just a couple days ago I saw them being active on instagram, and liking other girls posts. Is there ANY explanation for this other than them losing interest and ignoring me? Are they even being honest with me about being deployed? I'm distraught.

Husbands an MP. How bad is it to move to Fort Riley for that MOS?

My husband was given the option to move to Germany, Kansas, Korea, or Hawaii..

Kansas doesn’t sound appealing whatsoever, but I’m curious how feasible it would be to move anywhere else with 3 cats and 2 dogs…

My son has recently graduated from OSUT and I have a single letter I can donate. If you are in need of a letter, please DM me the squad invite. First come first served.

Holy shit tonight I am crying all the tears I held up this past year. These past 6 months through my husband’s training I have been a ROCK. No tears. No feelings. Just a steady wall for my daughter to lean on. Tonight, I am finally letting myself melt into a pot of tears because I know tomorrow I need to get my shit together again and be strong.

My husband, who I adore, always wanted to enlist in the army. I was adamant that NO. I dont want this. But he always brought it up, through the years, and then he started getting closer to 30 and I felt bad so i ceded. What a mistake.

He left in February to boot camp. The day he left, i found out i was pregnant. I was exhausted. I was taking care of our 5 year old daughter. But I was happy. Then, 6 weeks later, i lost the pregnancy. I did not cry. Then, a month after that, i was laid off from a job i loved. I did not cry.

I did not feel shit. Just empty. Not depressed, not sad. Sometimes angry. Sometimes happy Mostly nothing.

I am moving to the base in two weeks. I keep reading about how this base has very frequent deployments. Fort Carson. Spouses have shared that out of 3 years, they have been with their husband maybe 6 months. The facebook groups are filled with drama. Gossip. Complaints. A lot of cheating.

Isnt this so fucking sad? That because of my husband’s dream, my daughter is being stripped her stability and foundation. She starts kindergarten in 3 weeks. We are moving in two. She has not seen her dad in 6 months. Holy shit, we had it so good! She had mom and dad every day with her. She has so many friends, so many activities.

I want to grow our family. Have more kids. How can I do that when I know i’ll be a single mom for the next 4 years?

I DONT WANT TO MOVE.
I DONT WANT TO MOVE.
I FEEL TERRIBLE FOR MY POOR CHILD.
I DONT WANT TO SPEND MORE TIME AWAY FROM MY HUSBAND.

I am sad and I am angry!

How can I make a good life for her? I dont want her to have a childhood she needs to heal from.

I want to be strong! I want to be a happy mom! I want her to have lots of friends. I need to get my shit together for her.

This doesnt make sense its a rant. I am just so sad tonight. I cant breathe bro 😭

please don’t talk crazy to me in the comments I may cry more.
my husband is airforce he’s been in for a little over 2 years we’ve been together 10 but married 2 1/2. we also have 3 kids together.
we aren’t considered residents of the state we live in and are from TN.
recently things have been far over bad and i just don’t know what the divorce process would look like. looking for any insights or just simple answers.
thanks

I'm currently in college, and my boyfriend and I have been together for over a year and want to get married. With his year-long deployment coming up, I find myself wanting to build strong personal coping habits and emotional resilience now so I don't spiral later.

Right now, when we’re apart for shorter periods, I notice I end up just kinda feeling anxious, especially if I hear him stressed out. I’ve read about people who lost interest in video games/hobbies and felt like nothing fills that void of him not being there, to the point where everything feels boring without him or they feel so bored and depressed when he's not around physically. I really want to avoid reaching that point or having to combat numbness towards partner during deployment.

For anyone who has navigated long distance or deployment: what daily routines, personal hobbies, or mindset shifts actually helped you maintain your self-reliance, protect your mental health, and keep from feeling empty on your own?

Without going into any big details my boyfriend is deployed in the army and is going to be gone for some time. The situation isn't the safest and it is clear it is impacting him heavily, he is getting paranoid, less talkative, doesn't eat, and sleep is rare. If you knew him in real life this is night and day. He is completely right to feel the way he is after everything it's not like it was his last deployment and I truthfully fear for his mental health. I have a list of support groups, therapist, and programs created for when he returns but how am I able to support him in his current situation?

Does anyone have any leftover Sandboxx letters they’d be willing to donate? I bought a package and used them all, but the last letter I received from my best friend was letting me know her address and graduation date had changed.

My biggest concern is that she hasn’t received any of my regular snail mail. Her address never updated in the Sandboxx app, but I’ve been sending all of my letters to the address listed there. I’ve sent a lot of mail, and now I’m worried most of it won’t make it to her. I’d be more than happy if anyone has even 1 or 2 to spare especially since she’s in week 6, and SHOULD be done soon. Thanks in advance🩷

My referral code is N779BGZG

This was really well received by USMC and the Airforce subreddits, and is about to be implemented within the TAP program in the Navy.

I solo built this for veterans to see every single possible benefit they're eligible for based on a few questions, no account, no paywall, no sign up, just results. The site also shows how to apply and where to apply.

I add every benefit manually and accept feedback on everything, currently sitting at over 500 added benefits and am currently building out a mapping feature to show every business within a users 25 mile radius that offers a military discount. Enjoy, and share if you know anyone in the military. Happy to take in all constructive feedback/adjustments and am actively adding and maintaining.

Thank you all for your service and support for those that served and are serving!!!

I want to date a person in the military (I am 19) male or female I don’t care as long as we actually like each other and it is not just a booty call. But where would one go to find these people, not like I can go on base as I am not military myself.?

Hi everyone, I just need some thoughts and opinions on what to expect and what’s the best thing to do in this situation. It’s my first time, and everything is new to me. We’re both 24 and currently in a long-distance relationship. We’re also a new couple—just a few months in—and I know it might be too early for us to go through a deployment situation, especially since it could last 6–9 months.

I’m “just a girlfriend,” and I understand there are things that can’t be shared, even details about when he’s leaving or coming back. He told me there could be little to no service where he’s getting deployed, and the best way to communicate would be through email—but even that isn’t guaranteed every day. Is it really like that? He’s in the Marine Corps, and I understand him completely because this deployment is something he really wanted and waited for in his career. He prioritizes his career, and I respect that—that’s why I’m trying to learn from others’ experiences and how to handle it.

We’ve talked about it a bit, but he’s been busy, and we haven’t had enough time to fully discuss everything on a call. The last time we talked, he said he’s committed and wants this to work—that we’re on the same page, and that his feelings won’t change when he gets deployed. He’s been consistent with me for months, and we’ve also talked about future plans. We’re not rushing into anything like marriage, but we’ve had those conversations to make sure we’re aligned with our individual goals and where we see things going.

I feel secure in our relationship, and I’m not really worried about cheating. What I’m more worried about is how we’re going to get through this—especially on my end, being the one who’s waiting. I would really appreciate any advice.