To Re-enlist or Not to Re-enlist

I am a planner. Between school, starting a family, and all the other chaotic factors that change life, I prefer to have a strategy. Strategizing and planning ahead seem like things the Marine Corps should not only understand, but also embrace. However, the Marine Corps and I constantly seem to butt heads on this issue repeatedly.

One day, I will have to leave Ramona. This is not up to me, this is not up to my husband; this is purely up to the Marine Corps. When deciding if you would like to extend your contract (or re-enlist) there are many things to consider. Above all else, you have to remember that this means you will have no say as to where you and your family will live.

We go where they need us to go, regardless of feelings. Sometimes you luck out and find a gem like Ramona and being stuck in California doesn’t seem so bad, sometimes you don’t. There are pros and cons to extending your contract four or so more years, but keep in mind: the Marine Corps was not started with your feelings in mind.

In the upcoming months, I will lose neighbors and friends to this unavoidable re-enlistment. The life that they have will be changed and the friends they have made may be gone. Being a Marine wife is, in so many ways, a wonderful thing; however, this is one of the worst aspects we deal with. You are constantly away from your husband; therefore, you become so close to the women around you.

We will never stop building friendships and watching them slowly slip away just like we will never stop hoping our husbands will be there for birthdays and Christmas. Although it may be silly, it is how we must live our lives. So for those of us who are planners, I can tell you one thing: if the Marine Corps taught me anything so far, it is to plan for disaster, plan for disappointment, or better yet, plan for nothing at all. Simply put, the Marine Corps will make the plan for you, and you can only do the best with the hand you are dealt.