The next generation is moving on

By Dan Barber

                       

Its official my oldest granddaughter, Haleigh, is a “Proud Army Wife.” Her grandmother was a Proud Navy Wife for 40 years… 20 years of active duty with moves averaging every 2 years, and another 20 years as a Proud (Civilian) Navy Wife… without all of the moves.

Opening wedding gifts

My granddaughter is a born desert rat and thinks that her world revolves around this small dusty desert town where she has lived her entire life. She will be moving with her new husband up to Seattle where he is stationed. Haleigh really doesn’t want to talk about leaving because it makes her sad. She was looking at photos of military housing up there recently and really wants to live in one of the large nice looking homes on the base. I explained to her that she’d better get her husband busy in trying to get promoted if she wanted to live in one of those houses.

Traditional cake in the face
exchange

I could be wrong though. When I was stationed in Adak, Alaska years ago I was not allowed to take possession of my base house until the day my family arrived on the remote Aleutian island. My barracks roommate was also expecting his family to arrive the same day. We agreed that we would move all of his stuff from the barracks to his house first we would then move my things. His house was a typical old small single level dwelling with mixed matched furniture with a carport. We then took my stuff to the house I was assigned. It was a two-story house on the beach with attached garage. It had 4 upstairs bedrooms and a den off the kitchen downstairs. The furnishings were all brand new. I immediately called the housing office to explain that I was assigned to officers housing. They said nope, I was told it was the house assigned to me. My roommate was furious. Having an attached garage in Alaska was very important because I didn’t have to dig my car out of the snow before heading to work.

Cake in the face

I have spent quite a bit of time at Army posts during my career, and I can attest that they do have nice homes and really nice barracks in many places, but the Navy is trying to catch up with the other services now, in San Diego they have a modern high-rise barracks with ocean views… but some Sailors take ocean views pretty much for granted for obvious occupational reasons.

When I was attending the Defense Information School at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana I lived in a really nice old red brick building. My room was comfortable with cable TV and a common kitchen I shared with other residents. I even had maid service. I could leave my bed a mess and when I returned from class in the afternoon my room would be cleaned and the bed made. I never experienced that in a Navy barracks.

I hope my granddaughter gets over being homesick which I’m sure she will experience, and learn to enjoy her new adventures. I spent a good deal of time being away from family and being homesick, but I would not trade my adventures and world travel for anything.

Her dusty desert town will always be here to welcome her home, but I like to remind her that a place does not make a community, people make the community and home is not a place, home is a state of mind.