Map of Europe and three dimensional hearts with flags of European countries. ()
No matter how long you have been in it, the military lifestyle can be fun, exciting and adventurous, as well as difficult, challenging and even scary at times. Sometimes things can get easier over time and sometimes it doesn’t matter how long you’ve done it, deployments are never on the top of anyone’s “must experience” list. The idea behind “The Spouses Speak” series was to ask the same set of questions to spouses across all the military branches who have been married to a military member for differing amounts of time. Stars and Stripes received 138 responses from six military branches, ranging in age from 19-years-old to 57-years-old. These spouses are currently stationed at locations all over the world with almost 20% being OCONUS (outside the continental U.S.). Spouses who have only been a spouse for one month through 28 years responded. Over the next five months, you will see topics about living in Europe, home life, perks and joys of military life, fear and issues of military life and life outside of the military.
This month, we are talking all about Europe. Do you have dreams of cruising down an Italian street in a gondola? How about sipping Champagne near the top of Eiffel Tower? Do you want to hear if the Alps really are alive with the sound of music? Or do you hope to stay in the United States and not veer too far from wherever you call home? Either way, the spouses have spoken and here is what they have to say about Europe.
Of the spouses surveyed, 37.7% have been stationed in Europe. For those who haven’t been stationed there, only eight said that did not ever want to be stationed there.
No matter what branch their spouse was in, or if they were a new or “seasoned” military spouse, most people were excited about the idea of traveling all over Europe. Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany were among many people’s “favorite” or “dream” duty stations. Navy spouse Stephanie C. replied that they would move to Europe, “in a heartbeat.” She continued with,
“I love history so right off the bat, having an excuse to explore centuries’ worth of history sitting literally on my doorstep would be incredible. Moving there not on our dime would be phenomenal. But most importantly … it would give us a chance to experience a completely different way of life to the American way … Not to mention the food. Oh man the food.”
For those not interested in PCSing to Europe, work, family and pets were the major concerns. Army spouse Kati B. stated she believed that “job opportunities are poor for spouses OCONUS.” Army spouse Barbara L. pointed out that “the Army does not pay for plane rides home,” so they could only go visit on major holidays.
Initial reactions about moving to Europe for those who have been, or are currently, stationed in Europe varied from “Panic. Sheer and utter panic,” by Air Force spouse Jeridith L., to “extremely excited,” by Air Force spouse John H., to “nervous and excited,” by Army spouse Savvy C. She noted that, “I was 18 and had never lived outside of my home state.”
Much like those who have not been stationed in Europe, for those who have, travel, family and work were among the main topics brought up when discussing the likes and dislikes of living in Europe. Navy spouse Gena B. loved the “history, opportunity to travel … and culture.” Air Force spouse Adri W. talked about how “we basically got to honeymoon through Europe for four years” and that they “got to go to so many places that we would’ve never been able to go otherwise.”
Yet, European living is not all travel, fun and games. For those living outside of the U.K., there is a good chance that they experienced some kind of language barrier. Air Force spouse Jenna T. lamented about how most places being closed on Sundays in Germany forces her to “cram in all the joint errands” into Saturday. Army spouse Kayla C. noted how Italy’s “complicated SOFA rules was devastating to my career, which still hasn’t recovered.” Army spouse Marta R. recalled how life in the U.S. still went on when they were away and how she felt “detached from family back home” and how there were “a lot of deaths in the family during our tours, so we were unable to get back for many of the funerals.”
Europe was a topic where the military spouses’ responses did not seem to primarily differ based on branch or time spent as a military spouse. Many spouses loved the idea of hopping on a train and quickly being in a new country. However, there were also several who espoused worries about their careers and being away from their families in the States. It just seemed to be a topic that people agreed there were both pros and cons to. Perhaps the responses presented here have you thinking about living in Europe.
