M.H.
My husbandwas in the Army Reserves. I didn't like the on again off again thing. I found it annoying. I also dodn't like the way they say training is one weekend a month and two weeks a year. That was a lie, it was alway more. But really, even though he won't admit it, I think my husband enjoyed it. He made more money ina weekend of training then he did in a week, sometimes two, and his full time job. Depending on how long the training is, they also get some great benefits. They have awesome life insurance, including the cost of the insurance. And I think it is a great learning experience. I think i just had a hard time with it because I didn't grow up that way. My dad was always there, my husband not so much. He was sent to Germany once, Iraq once,and other places around the country. He has missed alot, including the first year and a half of our daughters life. But in the end, I think it depeds on the person and the family. My brother has been ion the Navy and the Guard. My husband and him have both been impacted in different ways. My brother has been to the middle east 3 times and has traveled the world with the Navy. It has all made him a better person. It affects my husband differently. Everytime he came home from a military thing he was little meaner and a little less like himself. There is always the possibility of deployment, especially to the middle east. Depending on your husbands personality type, and yours, it mayor may not be beneficial. You will both need o be strong, know where you are going and why, not loose sight of who you are, not allow your home to become the military and be certain that your famiy can handle his absence for long and short periods of time. My husband was gone for a year and a half after my daughter was born. When a family member becomes part of the military, the whole family does. Make sure you are all prpared for anything that lifestyle throws your way. You might not like all the aspects of it but there will be good points too. Sometimes those good points are simple. (EX: My husband is a massive pack rat, while he was in Iraq I was able to clean house. He was gone so long he didn't even realize things were missing, because he forgot about them. That was one of the good points of his absence. Dumb, simple, but at least I found something.) It isn't all bad.