You need to get yourself in the 'Exceptional Family Member Program' (EFMP) as soon as you can. This will limit where your husband can get stationed (there are 5 categories, 5 being the most severe). If you are in the EFMP, they CANNOT force your husband to take PCS (permanent Change of Duty Station) orders somewhere you can't go. For example, I am active duty navy and Mark is EFMP category 4. I cannot get stationed overseas because of that cat. 4. Therefore, any orders I take or are offered to me, have to be within the 50 US States. This does NOT mean that I can't get deployed to iraq or something like that.
I grew up in Washington as well did my husband. I lived in Chicago for 1 year during boot camp and other training before I got stationed in San Diego. Luckly, I just got news a few weeks ago that my request for orders to WA were accepted, so we are going back "home". If you get involved in the military community, you will find all sorts of activities. There are wives clubs, activities, fundraisers... my husband has a hard time finding places to do stuff (within the military) because he says all the "activities" (get to-gethers and such) are all military wives, and he's a military husband, so he doesn't feel he fits in anywhere. It's hard at first, but if you don't work, I recommend you volunteer some time-there are millions of things a military base needs help with-even if it's just an hour or so a day. Just keep yourself busy, there really is pleanty to do!
Take care,
Julie (wife to Mark 24 w/CF) ACTIVE DUTY NAVY
