Where are We Going?

Over the past 18 years as a military spouse, I have learned to be patient about many things, but finding out where and when we are moving is not one of them. We generally move every three years, so I know our assignment in Alaska is almost over. But the Air Force in its infinite wisdom, chose not to let us know until mid-March. They apparently had to wait until the colonels’ list was released before they could make any assignment in the chaplain corps.

Well, I guess I could accept that reasoning. It’s the old domino effect –once one falls they all go down, –  and I assumed they would go down via the rank scale. But then, one of the chaplain’s who works for my husband got his assignment. Wait a minute — he’s a major, my husband is a lieutenant colonel. How did he get his assignment? Then on Ash Wednesday, at the end of February, another chaplain announced his assignment. What the heck?

My husband kept telling me to be patient. Our assignment would come and we have plenty of time. Well, the last assignment — to our current base — we had a whole month notice that we were moving. I wanted more time than that. Anyway, my husband was sure our assignment would come down in March, after the colonels’ list was released. So he calmly went out of town while I waited and listened to others around base talking about where they are going and buying houses and all the stuff I wanted to be doing.

Finally, on March 10, the colonels’ list came out. Hubby was still out of town but I demanded he go find out where we were going — call somebody or , better yet, since he was in the town from which assignments come, go in person and ask someone. He refused, saying we would find out soon enough. Apparently military members don’t realize the anxiety levels that occur in moving. (Mostly because they work right up to the day we leave town.) I needed to make plans right now!

On March 11, my husband left Texas and went on to see our daughter in Illinois. And of course, that is the day he found out where we were going. Using his best judgment, he called me right away to tell me of this new assignment. “What do you think of Tinker Air Force Base?” he asked. “Oklahoma, huh,” was my response.

After processing for a little while, I was a little more animated. “Oklahoma? Where did that come from? Oklahoma was no where on our radar.” But at least  I knew where we were going and after talking to several people and hearing nothing negative (well, except tornadoes and rattlesnake roundups) I was getting excited.

Oklahoma won’t be so bad. I’ve never lived there before, it’s closer to my daughter in Illinois, it costs about a fourth of what it costs to fly out of Alaska to fly to Chicago. And best of all, real restaurants and shopping, something sorely lacking in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Stay tuned for more as the moving saga continues.