I'm not from a particularly military background, my grandad was in the Navy but that's about it I think. I joined up through a complete if you can't beat them join them scenario and before I knew it I was being flown out to Germany to my first unit after a whirlwind of basic and trade training. There I stayed until 2006.
It was the best years of my life serving in the British Army, I loved it, I grew as a person, I learnt so much, I met so many life long friends, laughed so hard, earned a medal, had so many life changing experiences and of course I met my man! It honestly was THE best days of my life.
Various circumstances followed and I ended up leaving the forces and being a mummy. I went back to my old job in my old unit but as a civilian with better hours than I had when I was serving! I bobbed along in the Army bubble for a few more years.
It's a strange bubble, your post goes to the regiment not your house, my hoover belonged to the army, the magazines you were reading in Germany were a week out of date, we had to buy fuel coupons to get petrol, you worked and lived and socialised with the same people it honestly can be all consuming.
We got posted to UK and quite frankly I wanted to eradicate all Army from my life, I wanted to run away from it, for so long it had been my whole life, my job, social network, my everything.
We made a decision to buy a house, I went back to college, started a corporate job role, our little one started a predominantly non military school and we lived 40 minutes away from the barracks...I'd got what I wanted. A civilian life wholly and completely.
It was great...for a little while.
Then I realised that the community, the help of that community and the security blanket the Army had always given me had gone. I felt naked.
The last tour taught me many things and one very important lesson which has now lead to the creation of My Daddy is a Soldier Adventures, we all NEED each other, we all understand this strange army life and we can all be one community. That's what we want to achieve.
I've come full circle, right back to where I started...I've fallen in love again with this strange army life and I'm proud of what we represent. 'Im proud to have served and I'm proud to be an army family and lets all stick together.
Here's to creating a supportive, valuable community we can ALL rely on in this strange army life.
xxx
