Army Friends

One of the good (and bad things) about military life is the coming and going of friends.  I'm sure you have all been the ones who have left friends behind, and also been the ones who have left.  I remember when I left Fort Lewis, one of my civilian friends cried.  I was so sad for her, but it had also become second-nature to me and I was okay with it.  Sure I would miss them, but I have learned that it is never "Goodbye" but always "See you later"....

When I moved to Fort Carson, I didn't know anyone.....except one lone blogger, Erin.  Then I met The Displaced Dutchican.  When my house flooded, I didn't have to ask twice, I called Erin and she took Sammy and grabbed Junior from daycare to keep him till I could get there.  She kept Sammy for about two weeks and even cut poop out of his matted dog hair.  If that doesn't mean love, I don't know what does!

The Dutchican picked up the girls, fed them, and had them ready to go when I went to pick them up.  I never worried.  (Although I heard Abs was quite vocal at the local hamburger spot, much to Em's embarassment!)

That's what makes a military friend.

Friends that know when you call that you are in trouble.

Friends that know you need help, and will drop everything to help you.

Friends that don't think twice and know that often times you have no one else to help.

So many times our families live so far away and we have to count on those friends to help us get through things.  When my dad passed away, I had a friend that came over and cleaned my entire house (I was 7 months pregnant) and later that day her husband came over and mowed my lawn.  Then he knocked on the door and took my car to get cleaned inside and out.  I didn't have to say a thing, they were there for me.  I had friends that made dinner for the girls and I during that time as well.

I didn't ask.

If anyone knows me, I rarely ask for anything, but would drop anything for a friend.

So while I can go to almost any place that I have ever lived and know that I can count on a friend, I will miss that part of the military life.  There's nothing like another military wife.  Like Erin said to me when Gunner deployed for the third time to Iraq "If you want to come over and just sit here with someone who understands and you don't have to say a word, just show up".

I've had friends that have helped me through deployments.  Friends that have made me laugh when I only wanted to cry.  Friends that had faith in my when I had little faith in myself.

I think that the friends that I have made in the military will stand the test of time.  The Army is a small place and we have run into people in Germany that we hadn't seen in forever, and I still meet with friends from other posts, that I haven't seen in years, but it's like we never were apart.

I only hope that your military friendships are as incredible as mine.  No one else will ever understand what we go through, but someone else in our situation....no words needed.  What military friendship have you had that has stood the test of time?