Well…While you will be an officer’s wife, it’s not like being the First Lady or anything…
True, however, with the AF medical plan for families, there HAVE been some cases where plastic surgery has been provided, particularly in cases where the person felt that they needed the modification for self-image issues. And yes, this has included “boob jobs”.
Weeeeeeeellllll… sure, for enlisted guys below Tech Sergeant and for 2nd Lieutenants, they don’t get paid very much… but as an officer, by the time you reach 3 years in, you should be doing just fine, and by the time you reach Captain you should be easily making enough to support a single income family (if so desired).
And, you could be stationed anywhere in the world
This is true, but depending on the pilot platform, there are a limited number of bases which a pilot is eligable to be stationed at while working in his pilot career field.
On top of that, while the Air Force can always assign you anywhere you want, you still get to fill out a “dream sheet” (a professional development plan), which includes your desired bases… and you even get the benefit of looking at what bases have openings coming so you know which bases you are most likely to get when you put in your request. The personnel center doesn’t guaruntee you’ll get anything on your dream sheet, but they always attempt to get you to at least ONE of the choices on your list.
and have to live on base or in quarters not of your choosing.
Well, yes and no. Base family quarters are only mandated if available, and much on base quarters is reserved for mission critical personnel and enlisted troops. If you live off base, as most officers do, then you receive a stipend, but are allowed to choose whereever you want to live… unless you’re a mission essential person, which means you have to live on base.
Being military is not an easy way of life. As his wife you will have expectations of your own behavior and comportment.
This is true: a terrible spouse, or one who goes nuts while their spouse is deployed, becomes the “talk of the base”, and for an officer, inability to keep order in his or her home can cost them their career. Bad financial management, heavy debt, public deviance, domestic disputes, etc… all of those can be career enders for an officer.
And more in the sucking department: we deploy… a lot lately ,and especially pilots of certain limited airframes. Being a deployed spouse, well, you have to be able to put up with a lot of lonely nights and take care of yourself without always having your spouse present to help.
You are joining up along with him, really, although you won’t take the same oath. The military is like a family and you may find that after a while, your fellow military wives will become more than just your best friends. They will really be like a family to you.
True, the military spouses clubs are generally a tight knit group and you can’t join unless you’re a spouse! But please, don’t think that Army wives is anything like how a military spouse should comport themselves… the way those wives behave is against DoD policy in many cases, and against the law in some. Most of them would long since have gotten their husbands’ clearances revoked.
And to all the military members and their families on this forum…Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you! But I really do love my work, and I can’t imagine a life where I would have to live in one place for more than four years! The costs are pretty hefty, sure, but the rewards, if you really want to be here, are worth it too.