Surviving Boot Camp 101
Article written by Kortnie Franzen & Graphic Design by Ivory Nguyen
Being in a relationship with someone in the military is no small feat! Boot camp, otherwise known as basic training, is the first step in your significant other’s career. It’s also one of the most challenging 8-12 weeks not only for your recruit but for your relationship as well. Going from regular lunch dates, movie night cuddles, and frequent Snapchats or Facetimes, whenever you’d like to radio silence, is shocking, to say the least (especially if you don’t have any friends that can relate). Don’t worry, queen. Here’s a handful of tricks to help you survive the ~boot camp~ period of your military relationship:
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE
The first thing you need to know about life in the military is this: everything is subject to change. His ship date can shorten from 3 months away to 3 weeks. He might have to endure 4 weeks of quarantine instead of 2. Once “your person” signs that military contract, the government basically controls their every movement. Patience is the key to your sanity. Keep in mind that they are probably just as frustrated (if not more) as you with never being in control of their own schedule, so be gracious when planning times to visit!
ALWAYS ENCOURAGE THEM
Your person is going through an experience many people find extremely difficult. Imagine being shipped off to another state, isolated, completely cut off from all communications to family, friends, and loved ones, and being pushed physically and mentally to your breaking point. Basic training is where the military weeds out the weak and strengthens their recruits. With all of that in mind, whenever you do get the chance to write to your loved one, maintain a positive attitude. No matter what. You may be missing them like crazy, but do your best to not sound sad or down. Keep it light-hearted, encourage them, and tell them to keep their head up! Express genuine interest in their bootcamp experience and remember the little things. It will mean the world to them.
CONNECT WITH OTHERS
Whether it’s reaching out to your partner’s family members (who miss them just as badly as you do) or joining a random support group on Facebook, reaching out to people that can empathize can make leaps and bounds for your inner peace! You all can exchange your own experiences and insights on what you’re going through and give each other comfort. Nothing feels better than being understood and having your voice heard.
ALWAYS HAVE YOUR PHONE ON YOU
Going back to the uncertainty that is the military, you never know when your partner will be free for that precious phone call. Shoot, even they won’t know when they’re able to call home until the day of. Depending on what branch they’re in and their division’s behavior, they can be allotted anywhere from 0-3 phone calls—at any time. You won’t want to miss these. Those phone calls will make a world of a difference for both of you, so always have your phone on you with the volume on full blast.
WORK ON YOU
Being in a serious relationship in college is crazy enough. Throw in a long-distance relationship where your primary form of communication is writing letters…cue the madness. But, hey. Look on the bright side, because this is the perfect time to better yourself and your own goals. Start that project you’ve been putting off. Focus on recruiting for that internship or bagging that 4.0 GPA. This too shall pass.
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In the end, both of you will come out on the other side much stronger. Be persistent in communicating with your partner and be honest with one another. Most importantly, remember that while the distance, amount of worry, and sacrifices may be hard, loving them is easy.