Wednesday, January 1, 2014

New Year's Announcement: We're in the Army Now

DISCLAIMER: Diego hasn't really wanted me to post anything about him joining the Army because supposedly he might be sick or something and he's worried they won't let him in (even though he's sworn in and everything). So, even though it's pretty much a done deal, just remember that there is a SLIGHT chance (like .00001%) that he would be medically discharged. But not really. But I'm throwing it out there to make him feel better.

So anyway, I guess that kind of ruined the element of surprise.

Guess what!

Diego joined the Army.


(If you don't really care about the background of the decision, go ahead and skip down to the bottom in RED to get the nitty gritty details)

I'm pretty sure if this were me reading this post just a few months ago I would have thought, "Okay, what gives? It's not April Fool's or anything." Because a few months ago I never could have imagined how dramatically our lives would change. I never would have imagined my Peruvian husband joining the United States military in any way shape or form. And definitely could never imagine me: his peace-loving, gun-fearing, war-hating wife letting him do such a thing. But here I am, a converted Army wife.

A lot of thought, prayer, and fasting have gone into our decision. You see, we have goals for our family. Diego being the main provider. Me taking care of Lucia. Diego getting the skills and education he needs to be successful here. Finding a way to get medical insurance. Having a strong family dedicated to the gospel. All these goals seem to go in opposite directions, and we couldn't find a way to complete them all.

Then Diego brought up the idea of joining the Army. My initial reaction was simply: NO. I didn't give it a second thought. It was just NO. But Diego is stubborn (sometimes its a good thing). He kept on doing research about the benefits of joining the military. He talked to friends and family who had served in the military. He met with a recruiter.

Little by little it started to make sense to me.

You see, Diego never planned to come to the United States. He was pretty successful in Peru. As a youth, he studied hard, he'd served in the Church, he was an accomplished black belt in karate. He'd been accepted into one of the best universities in Peru, studying law. He had plans to go on to be a lawyer for businesses. Then he served an honorable full time mission in Honduras. That's where he met me and all his plans changed.

That's the part of our story that never gets told. The fact that Diego had a pretty good life and a pretty set plan where he was at. And he sacrificed it all to be with me. And then he kept sacrificing.

We started our marriage with a lot more debt than normal couples. Normal couples don't have to pay thousands of dollars for plane tickets just to see each other, or a thousand more for a Visa to come to the U.S. to get married, or $1500 for residency so he could STAY in the U.S. And normal couples don't have to wait a year for the husband to start legally working.

Diego was in No Man's Land. He couldn't work. He couldn't study. He couldn't even drive. Couldn't have a bank account. He pretty much just lived here. His self-esteem took a heavy blow. The successful, driven man that I had first met and married seemed defeated to me.

That's what I love about the idea of being in the Army. It is a chance for Diego to prove to himself that he is strong. He is intelligent. And he can do hard things. This will be possibly the biggest challenge of his life. But when he accomplishes it, he will regain his sense of  self.

So here's the basic information. 
Diego will train to be a 68W, Combat Medic.
He leaves to basic training on March 17, to Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
He'll be there for 9 weeks.
He starts his AIT (job training) on June 2 at Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas.
He'll be there for 15 weeks.

We'll then move to wherever he gets stationed. He's in Active Duty for the next 4 years.

Some great news though. By the time he's done with training, Diego will become a U.S. citizen!!

Any support at this time is greatly appreciated. Tips, information, hugs, are all welcome. We don't really want any "What the heck were you thinking??" comments, though. Too late for that. He's signed and sworn in. We're very excited to be starting this new adventure together.










2 comments:

  1. Army benefits can be a pain to access, but as a Veteran's wife, they're definitely worth it. Have him look into Green to Gold. He gets paid to go to school if he's accepted. (It's more than we're making in civilian life now!) Best of luck!

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  2. So happy for you both. The military was great for us as a young married couple. The time apart will be hard, but worth it in the end.

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