2nd class Citizen

As a military spouse you make many sacrifices that a lot of people neither know nor care about. Most spouses have some idea about what it will be like but every now and then you are smacked in the head and told to wake up. This week I got a reminder about our lack of status (spouses). A friend of mine had a death in her family. This is considered a family emergency. When a family emergency occurs we are allowed to get a letter that explains the situation and gives us status to fly Space Available (Space A) home. The categories are scaled 1-6. If my friend's husband went with her then their category was level 2. If she went alone her category level is a 4. With the Active duty member you jump two categories. I was very upset for my friend as she was traveling for such a sad event and I told my husband how I was feeling. His response was that it is a privilege for our sponsors (the active duty member) to have us live with them. To that he got a snort. I understand that to the military I am just a growth on my husband's side (one that cannot make decisions nor do anything on this base without my sponsor) but I say right here right now... I AM NOT LESS THAN MY HUSBAND. I may not be active duty but I serve right alongside my husband, sacrificing and bending... Semper Gumbi and all that....I am NOT a second class citizen.