Saturday night, we all heard the news that the US had bombed Iran. While this news is overwhelming for every American, it hits particularly hard for those serving our country and their families.

Military spouses, parents, siblings, and friends wonder what this will all mean. We hear about how US service members overseas are now in more danger. What will happen? Will they send them home? Will they have to fight?

It Can Be Scary

It can be scary. So so scary. Not knowing. Knowing. Wondering. Crying. As military spouses, we often struggle to find our footing. We don’t know what to expect.

War is a scary word! Is that where we are at? On the eve of another war? What does that even mean?

If you are a seasoned or veteran spouse, you probably have experience with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. You know what a season of war looks like. You remember how scary it all was.

It is Hard to Make Sense of It All

It is also hard to make sense of it all. You ask yourself is this what we should be doing? Is America in the right? And if they are not, what do we do as military spouses? How do we view everything going on?

And as we hear more, we pray. We pray for our country. We pray for our service member. We pray for everyone in harm’s way. And then we wonder. Will our prayers help? Will anything help? 

We hear this is the beginning of WW3. Is it? What does that mean for a military family? And if it isn’t? If it is something else? What does that look like?

There Are So Many Unknowns

The truth is, there are so many unknowns. When it comes to military action, it can be hard to understand what will happen next. 

Although what is happening now is new, war is not. The threat of war is not. Worry about war is not. 

I have been there before. What happens in the news affects military families deeply, and this is no exception. It’s scary. It’s overwhelming. It can feel unjust.

So Many Questions

You ask yourself, will this extend his deployment? Will this mean she won’t join us at our new duty station right now? Will I ever get to see him? 

It is hard to know what it all means for the military community. It is hard to take a breath and believe it will all be okay. Because when your loved ones are the literal boots on the ground. You can’t relax. Your hope is gone.

All you see ahead is the reality of war. And you hope and pray that those in charge know what they are doing. That they are making the right choices. And it can feel like way too much.

War is Always Messy

So, to the military spouse or military family member reading this, I can’t tell you that everything will turn out okay. I don’t even know what okay looks like. War is always messy. 

But I can tell you something I know is true. The military community comes together every time. They always have because we are the ones who understand each other.

We are the ones who understand what it means to send the love of our life off to war. We are the ones who understand the uncertainty and fear that comes with any military action. 

Remember, You Are Not Alone

So, when you watch the news and don’t know what to think, when fear creeps in, remember that you are not alone. There is a whole military spouse community out there going through the same thing with you. Through the good and the bad. Through the scary and through the stuff that gives us hope.

Always remember that.