Army Wives Review

When Army Wives came out, I was an Army Wife, and I thought with the war going on it was going to be one of those rah-rah flag waving propaganda vehicles to show how much the military values family. I was wrong and I was more than a little surprised.

They have actual scenarios that happen in the Army. You know it when you sign on, but the Army considers the soldier an investment (an expensive one at that) and it's nice they have a family support system, but you always know the Army comes first. Graduations, plays, funerals, planned trips, even births on ocassion have to be missed if the Army needs you. And you understand that, but it does not make it easier. We don't have children, but we knew others who did. If orders are cut and you need to move during the middle of your senior year in high school... sorry! Some families will stay behind if children are in the middle of a year so the uprooting isn't so bad, but it's at your own expense and you endure the separation of the family.

This stuff happens on Army Wives! A recent one was where Roxy went to ACS (Army Community Services) to request a loan without telling Trevor and he flipped out because the Army now thinks he can't support his family. That happens folks. One time we were short and the civilian loan place called chain of command to verify employment. I went to pick my husband up from work and some random soldier said he was sorry we were having money problems. Everyone tells everyone everything!

And there is a stigma of requesting mental health help in the Army for the soldier. People get screwed over for favoritism like Joan getting demoted and sent to Iraq for pissing off the new post XO. And it's portrayed authentically. If Joan tried to "right the wrong" so to speak, life would have just gotten progressively harder. There's no crying "not fair!" or going over heads for something so trivial.

I am seriously surprised that stuff like this is portrayed so accurately in a TV show! Of course, there is stuff for dramatic effect, but it's not too exaggerated. There's politics involved in being an Army Wife. The Army is not just your husband's occupation, you get swept into the FRG hierarchy, and the rumor mills, and blatant injustices. They are actually showing that on the TV!

Bravo to lifetime for making such an honest portrayal of life as an Army Wife. I'm glad they have Roland in there too, because being the civilian spouse of a female Army soldier is no picnic either. Not just the struggles are accurate, but the bond formed from being a soldier's wife and all being "in the same boat" so to speak.

The more I watch it, the more I like it. The storylines that are progressing aren't so Army-centric, but enough of it is still in there to keep it influenced. The story of Denise cheating on Frank and their subsequent reconciliaton is a good one. It addresses the huge "no no" it is to cheat on a deployed soldier, but also shows the repercussions for Denise, and especially Frank when he decides to stand by his wife and try again, even when he knows how everyone feels about her. I am sure if your spouse cheated on you, it would be bad enough, but imagine if the whole community knew about it too.

It has lots of funny quirky moments, and really touching storylines. At first I did not really like Roxy, but she has a really good heart, and Pamela can be a class-A butt-kicker when she needs to be! The characters are well developed and not typical, so even if you don't understand the acronyms, and don't know what a colossal pain-in-the-a** it is to lose your military ID, you will still get into it just as much as anyone else.

Check it out!