Combat Boots & Diamond Rings: battle buddy

Everyone in the military world knows eventually you PCS to a new Post or Base when your spouse changes jobs. What I am sure seems strange to most civilians are the strong bonds of friendship that form between us ladies while our husbands work together. Not to mention you throw in a deployment or three in one case & you have huge crocodile tears when you try to say "see you later" to your friends.

Today I had the privilege of helping host a Farewell Luncheon for my friend and my husbands old Battalion Commander's wife. I have to honestly say when I got the call almost two years ago to the day that Tricia & her husband where coming to the FRG potluck I was having with only an hour notice I was extremely nervous. You never know when a new command team comes in if everyone is going to mesh together as well. Especially since I was very sad to see the old command team leave as we had done two deployments with them. But from the moment Tricia & Mike walked into our little gathering with their children they where welcoming, gracious, and easy to get to know. Tricia walked into a unit that had been together for a couple years & a couple of deployments. We where all ready to deploy again in a month. I knew after meeting her how nervous she was as well. What neither of us could have known was that through out the deployment & into another year how close of a friendship we would form. We have laughed together, cried together, complained together, & just genuinely enjoyed our time together for two years.

We where so glad all our children got along & when our husband's came home it was an instant "family" formed. I can't imagine what in the world I am going to do during the rest of this deployment with out her around? I still have my best friend down the road, but Army Friendships are in a whole different league. They just get it when no other civilian in your life possibly could. They never question why your having an off day, they just say how can I help? As she leaves next month I will look forward to visits & cling to the hope that one day our Army paths will cross again. What I can't believe is that my other battle buddy of six years is leaving next week as well! Romana just happens to be going to the same post as Tricia- which I think is totally NOT FAIR!! But I am happy for them both that they will have eachother. I guess the cell phone companies & airlines will be loving us for the next couple of years! I had the best time with both ladies over the years & am sad to see them leave. As we say in the Army "See you Later" because the Army is a small world- they can't go to far!