I’m against the war, and I adopted a soldier
Whether we like the war or not, war is happening. We have brave men and women willing to fight in it for their own reasons. It makes me angry that so many of our young people are being sent to be hurt or killed for what I consider an unwinnable cause. But I don’t think any of this means we should support our troops any less.
A US military pre-op trans woman and fiancée ponder parenthood
As a pre-op trans woman struggling with life in the US Armed Forces (while “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is not gone, transgender people are still forced to live in the dark) who had just arrived at a new command with no friends, no idea what I was in for, and no clue who I could trust. A dream of a woman — who was also fairly new to the command — entered into my life. At the time I assumed I had no chance with her. Even if I did, all the heartbreak I had experienced over the years had left me believing that the women I’m attracted to never understand my journey as a transgender woman, and are never willing to help me through the issues I deal with on a daily basis.
Your OMGI’MPREGNANT stories: the feelings that come with peeing on a stick
In keeping with our day’s theme, I asked our Facebook friends how they reacted when they peed on a stick and found out they were pregnant! Three hours later, there were over 75 reponses… here are a few that had to be shared.
Plans have a way of unexpectedly changing when you’re part of a military family
The ability to live in the present is especially important for those of us who are dependents of military members because we have to live our lives in short increments. Our spouses are pretty much property of the U.S. Government, and we can’t really look too far into the future. So I am always starting some new project, volunteer job, or like now, searching for a real, paying job. If you asked where I see myself in five years, I have no idea — where do you see the U.S. Economy in five years?
My U.S. military hospital birth didn’t follow protocol
The U.S. military is regimented, strict, and follows a standard protocol, and their approach to delivering babies is no different. When I found out I was pregnant I was more or less told exactly how my pregnancy and birth would proceed… except it wasn’t what I was planning at all.
Honoring veterans with three of our favorite offbeat military mama posts
Today many people are celebrating at least one of three holidays: Remembrance Day (in Canada), Armistice Day (in France and Belgium), and Veteran’s Day (in the United States). I guess for everyone else… it’s still Friday! We thought it’d be appropriate to mark the day on Offbeat Mama by revisiting a few of our favorite military-related posts.
The lowdown on military housing culture
Here’s the thing about military houses that is unwavering: they are what you make of them, just like military life in general. I realize it’s hard to have any base house feel like “home” … but if you take the time to fill your home with laughter, love, and just the right amount of Target accessories, it can harness some semblance of “home.”
My experience being pregnant while serving in the US Navy
Being a woman in a male hyper-sexual environment is difficult enough, but being pregnant is a whole new story. I was serving on board a US Navy command ship in Yoosuka, Japan, as an electronics technician when I found out I was pregnant. The field I worked in put me with an all-male workforce — it took me almost a year to be seen as a hard worker and as an equal. I pretty much dominated my job. I was the best of the best.