a fifo wife {fifo and military life lets just clear this up}

I recieved this yesterday…..I have not edited in anyway..

“I am amazed after reading the west Australian news paper and a wife who is a social woker and who’s husband is away from the family and complains about the times spent with the family and considers that FIFO workers should get the same entitlements as the military.What of rubbish firstly no militarty is earning average $185 thousand per year also the FIFO workers are there by choice it is no wonder that the people from other countries are willing to come to Australia and work any hours that is required. You are all like children want everything but do not to sacrifice the fact that your partner is away earning great money that he would not get anywhere else in Australia,If you cannoty handle the hard with the good then get your husband to return home and earn about 1/3 of what he is getting in the minning industry,and still want the luxuries of life. it is an insult to Military wifes that you compare your husband to be like them because you are not expecting that someone will come to your door in the middle of the night and tell you that your husband has been killed in action or maimed for the rest of his life. You woman would never be happy and still complain that if your husband does give up his minnung job the bills would out of control and maybe have your 4 bedroom 2 bathroom house taken from you by the banks,just except that you would not have these luxeries if your husband was working a 8 to 5 job so stop complaining about being away form your partner and look after your kids and let him do his job or the people from other countries will take over and then you would still complaining.”

He was brave enough to leave his name and I dually wrote a response to him the others following on his coat tails not so brave however I would just like to write this as I have had more such comments left and would like to clear a few things up.

Weather there was an interview or not I’m unsure and I don’t care to be honest what I do care about is that this argument is often presented to me and I would like to speak for myself and I’m sure many others that we do not compare ourselves to military families. We do not.

Having been the wife of a defence force member I know the waiting when they have gone on deployment especially to one declared as a war zone. I have been there many many times and FIFO is nothing the same. The fear and terror that keeps you awake at night is a desperate kind of fear that only grows with the dark. There is no comparison you cant compare. I’m writing about FIFO because I can. Im not complaining, I have no right to, my husband is well paid and I know when he will be home.  Life as military wife is uncertainty and secrets there is no way to compare. My FIFO life holds challenges just like any life choices and I’m blogging about how I manage thats all. Me I make no comparisons and judgements. I blog now because before blogging was never on my radar as a military wife. Its here and now and I think I can be helpful in some small way. I dont blog to complain..well not really. I like my life. I love my life. Its hard work and I love it.

I’m also fully aware that the money in the defence force is nothing like this FIFO gig can offer you…that’s why we came here..I wont lie. My husband was a proud navy man but he decided that ten years was enough for him. He served his whole career at sea never taking a shore posting. He was a real navy man and loved and served his country proud. He left because his career was going no where due to ranks being over filled and he wanted to provide more for me. ME. I’m very aware of how hard work he works for me and my family. So here we are and now we are well paid, we know when he will be home and the nights are no longer filled with fear, just loneliness but there is a compromise to everything. I do like to think I don’t complain that I get on with my job and that is raising my children and running a respectable household. My children, my husband, my household is my job and I earn my wage just as my husband does. I support him as he does me.

I hope that this may clear up any future confusions at least from my point of view. I have a suck it up, get on with job attitude and thats exactly why I am the way I am because ther are women and families out there whose husbands may never come home and they have EVERY right to complain.

If you are a military wife….I hope you are well and if I can offer you support in any way I will.

Thank you and welcome.

xxDeb