DH wants to join army .... Any advice welcome

[nursingdreams]

My DH and I currently live in Africa, I am coming back to the UK next week to work, find a house and work on his visa. If he gets his visa he'd like to join the army, in fact he's already applied and talk to the recruitment centre.
Basically everyone I have spoken to has told me it's going to be an awful life for me. I'll have to give up my career and we'll be really poor as I won't be working, the accommodation is bad and he won't have time to spend with his family

is this a true portrayal of military wives life? I just wAnt to know so we can discuss it properly and I go into it with my eyes open especially if I have to give up my job.

Thanks

I've been an army wife for 12 years, and while its certainly not a lifestyle to be taken lightly, I've had a great time. Some of the houses are old and knackered but some of them are lovely - and the same goes for the people What trade is he looking at? That makes a great deal of difference to how much he will be away.

Thanks. He'd like to be an infantry soldier but has been considering the engineers. The biggest thought for me is having to give up my job. I love my job and worked hard to get where I am, I admit it is very selfish I'm just not sure what I'd do if I wasn't a nurse!

If you are a nurse then there are usually positions available for you, even if posted overseas.

I am not sure though that I would want to be part of an infantry family (although each battalion is different this battalion is full of young, inexperienced, bitchy wives as they have nothing to do all day). Therefore I would steer him the engineer route. My Dad was REME and he rotated where he was needed every 3 years or so, so Mum got to know who to be friends with and who to avoid.

IME MQ's are very different from place to place. We had lovely MQ's in Germany and Cyprus, but the UK one we have been allocated is smaller and older. Still clean and cheap and a roof over our heads though.

We have just bought our own home now because this is our last posting before my husband gets out, and tbh I am really looking forward to living off of patch. I have been involved with the Army my whole life though, so maybe that is clouding my view.

I will also say this. Army life can be hard. If you are a person who sits and mopes it will be harder. If you are not and you go to all the functions you can I think you will thoroughly enjoy it.

My other piece of advice is that the first person who comes to you and tells you who is sound and who cannot be trusted is probably the one person that cannot be trusted and you should make your own mind up about everyone individually.

Good luck, whatever you decide.