Life as a Wife during Army OCS - Part II

My husband (Luke) was told that they would get more privileges during the senior phase but a few factors limited those privileges. The first is the fact that they are in the field for 3 weeks and the second was that my husbands company was in general, very strict. After they get out of the field they have another week of military history. This is a huge test and Luke's class lost 6 people and they had to recycle because they did not pass this test or the retake. They will need plenty of study time. This week kinda seemed that senioritis had really set in and the guys were ready to be over.

The final week is time for the formal and graduation. This week is packed as we had 13 friends and family come in for the week. Preplanning is key to this week and to have it be stress free. I had meals prepped ahead of time for when guests were coming in after a long flight. I bought frozen meatballs and had veggie trays on hand. I am also a big fan of my recipes like Zuppa Tuscana and White Chili. These are easy to prep in the morning and just bowl them up when people arrive. Our guests really wanted to see our new home and relax with us. Schedule one night to go out to eat to take some stress off of yourself. We opted for Fuddruckers off of exit 8. This place had something for everyone and military discounts so it was very affordable for people to pay separately.

Make sure to inform your guests who are not savvy about the military on protocol. Talk to them about how to get a vehicle pass to go on post, always having identification with them, and to never speed on post. If you can take a few preventative measures it can really allow for a smooth week. If you inform them ahead of time you will not have confused guests calling you all the time. I also had post maps ready to hand out so people knew where to go with directions to the Infantry Museum and the Columbus Convention Center.

This may sound like a lot of prep but remember this is a huge accomplishment for your soldier!