For those of us who have PCSed, we all know there’s a problem towards the last few days: you need stuff but that stuff needs to be packed away. What’s a girl to do?! Well I would like to share with you my secret weapon: The Emergency Box.

An emergency box should not be a cardboard box, although it can be. It’s better off for it to be one of those plastic tote bins. In it you put in all the last minute stuff you’ll need along with stuff you’ll need to survive the first night or two. After all if you’re having your respective branch of service move you there’s always the nightmare that you get there early and your stuff isn’t there yet or your stuff is in storage and it can’t get to you for a day or two.

Here’s an idea of what I’ve put in my box before:

1. Air Mattress with pump. (You can just throw your pillow(s) in the car or if you have space you can put those in your box too)
2. One small pot
3. One small pan
4. Plastic knives, spoons, forks
5. Small measuring cup
6. Plastic cups
7. 3 or 4 bottles of water
8. First Aid kit (Band Aids, Alcohol Swabs, Tylenol, Neosporin, gauze, etc.)
9. Small package of tissues (such as the ones that can fit in your purse)
10. A few paper towels and napkins
11. One roll of toilet paper
12. Small toiletries (ie: travel sized stuff like toothpaste, soap, and shampoo) - If you’re the kind that swipe the bottles of lotion and shampoo from hotel rooms, use those.
13. A Pen and Notebook (in case you have to jot anything down)
14. Plastic Baggies (like Ziploc baggies and plastic shopping bags) for any garbage or if anything needs to be contained
15. Extra batteries
16. Phone Chargers
17. Back Ups (like in CDs) of your computer files.

You get the idea, I cannot stress enough that this isn’t a full list of it’s a few of the things you can consider. If you’re doing a DITY move this box can also be made just so you can hold out the last night or two and possibly the first day or two in your new place in case you don’t feel like unpacking everything in one shot. This should be a box either packed in a car or the very last box you put in the truck (in the case of a DITY move).

Happy PSCing! Good Luck

Author: Hon Sin Wiese

Would you think that distance changed us?
Would you think I really cared?
Would you think I’d ever leave you?
Never darling
I’m always here

I’ll wait an hour
a month
a year
To see those eyes
To kiss those lips
No baby, no tears

I’ll hold you a little tighter, honey
Can’t wait to see you home
We’ll sleep again together
So comfy in our room

No,
Nothings changed
I’m still your girl
You’re still my man
You’ll always be my hero
I’m your number one fan

Would you think that distance changed us?
You know I’m always here
I’ll hold your hand
I’d never forget
Baby
I’m your biggest fan

Note: This an original piece © Hon Sin Wiese. I wrote this when my husband was away in bootcamp back in 2006. Enjoy!

Author: Hon Sin Wiese

Baby–

I’m hardly a dramatic, hell I’m really hardly much of anything some days. But I swear as you drove and the wind whipped at my face, I saw the world slip by. In a haze of tears and subdued sorrow, I tried to promise myself I would not cry. I absolutely Would NOT cry.

So much for that.

You had held me the night before, brushed you soft lips upon mine and told me “Baby, no matter what, come back to this night ok? Promise me you’ll try. Promise.”

And like always, I promised, thinking I would be able to handle it. I promised to go back to the night of sweet warmth and comfort, lost in your scent, knowing we were dreaming of the same things. Trying desperately not to allow my heart to know we would not have each other for many nights ahead.

You spoke of joining the Navy months ago. I never thought you would actually go. And when you came home and showed me your contract, I couldn’t deny it anymore. You had held me like you always do; kissed me as you always have. You had whispered “don’t cry baby, please don’t cry. This is for us.” Oh yes, for once I faltered, I cracked and splintered, felt every single dam I had built crash as the thoughts of abandonment flood my every waking thought. Right then and there, I wanted to hate you. Wanted to scream “SO YOU TOO?? FINE GO THEN!”

But I still couldn’t do it.

Instead I broke, my face contorted streams of silent anguish and half self pity trailing down my face. I was so selfish. I was so many things.

Breaking my thoughts you grabbed my hand, the other hand steady on the wheel. And oh god did it hurt. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

“You’re my baby girl. I love you, you know that right?” you half whispered into my hand. I willed myself, YOU WILL NOT CRY. YOU WILL NOT–

And I broke. I faltered. I felt every single ounce of resistance I had surrender itself to my aching heart. First one drops, then another, one hits my hand, the other forms a trail down my cheek. And I know it’s breaking your heart. And I feel your car accelerate.

You always made me feel so alive. The wind kisses my cheeks and where the tears have streaked my makeup, I can feel it cool off. My face was burning hot from trying to resist the urge to cry. I feel you hold me tighter, and then you give up holding my hand all together and reach for my shoulder and hold me close as I start to cry again.

“Baby be a strong girl ok? Please? For me? I need you right now. I need you to be strong ok?” I hear you say somewhere above me. Your voice is growing hoarse and I know this is killing us both. I turn my face upward to give you a kiss…

…My lips are met with a single tear.

You look down at me and I can see it all in your eyes. Forever passes, and another, and another. All of the forevers in the world pass in a blurry parade and we know we’re done. There’s nothing left, our tears dry and I regain my composure.

We roll in the parking lot to wait for my parents to pick me up. And all I can see are your eyes, straining to not show your pain; not show your longing. You reach up and gently caress my face, and you give me a weak smile.

Slowly you lean in and give me the lightest of kisses and whisper “I love you. I’ll be home before you know it. Just remember to go back to our last night together, just go back and you’ll never be alone. I’ll be right there waiting for you. I promise.”

…I’ll be there tonight. I hope you’re waiting.

I wrote this when my husband (then fiance) left for bootcamp. It was the first letter of the 57 I wrote and never sent. Some parts of it might come off very selfish, but hey! We’re all a little selfish at times aren’t we? Hope you enjoy! © HS Wiese

Author: Caity Saunders

Dear Santa,

I know I’m older than your average writer and it’s a common belief that you aren’t real. Many adults don’t believe but I do, so I thought maybe you could help me with my request. I don’t ask for much, but it would mean the world to me if you saw fit to grant me my wish. My list isn’t very long, only one item. I would really love to have my soldier home for Christmas. Christmas is a time to be with family and it just won’t be the same this year. If it’s not possible to bring him home, please let him know that I love him and miss him. It’s lonely under the mistletoe by myself.

Merry Christmas Santa,
-A Soldier’s Girl-

P.S. There’s some cookies and milk on the table. He likes them, and I hope you do too.

My fiance is in the army, currently overseas. I love him to death, and Christmas is going to be lonely for the both of us. I wrote this kind of off the cuff, a last minute idea that I couldn’t let slip away, seeing how it’s close to Christmas.

I was recently contacted by Ms. Robin Jones (who might I add is a fascinating and lovely woman) who is the author of the Silent Ranks Poem (A Special Breed). Below is an e-mail she sent me, telling me the story behind her poem. I hope you enjoy!

Sin,
My husband is in the Army and we were stationed in Schofield Barracks Hawaii, his first assignment out of Flight school. There was a big effort to hold a Woman’s conference addressing issues important to military wives. I knew a few people who were involved in the planning of the conference, one friend knew that I wrote poetry and asked if I would be interested in writing something for the conference. I was a young military wife, as you are now, just learning the “ropes”-things that the poem addresses-like the fact that if my husband is ordered to do something at work, that it must take priority, even if it meant that he would be late for dinner (or miss it all together!). But I also wanted to address the fact that although it was he that could be put in harm’s way, our kids and I also made sacrifices. After a few weeks, the poem had the tone that I was hoping to achieve and it was placed inside the programs distributed during the 2 day event. Originally it only stated Army wife as it was an Army conference, but was changed to encompass all military wives. Also, the original had contractions such as “this I can’t forget” and over the years it apparently was changed to cannot. The working title of the poem was A Special Breed and was eventually changed to Silent Ranks.

An interesting side note:

My husband was not very comfortable in my description of him in the poem, “a patriot, a brave and prideful man” as he, like most military soldiers I have met over the years, does not see his service as a noble cause, but more just what he was meant to do-his calling.

A few years ago, a friend and I went to the craft fair during the Oktoberfest here on Fort Belvoir (Virginia). We stopped at a booth that had many novelty type items (mugs, plaques, etc) dedicated to military wives. I began to read a poem on one of the displays and realized that it was the one I had written over a decade before (Silent Ranks). It was signed Author Unknown and I started to talk to woman running the booth. It was an exciting day! I hadn’t known that my poem had touched so many and that it had grown a life of its own. I told the woman that I didn’t mind that she use the poem but would appreciate my name being added back on it. I also told her that I wrote another poem for the next woman’s conference the following year using their theme “A woman for all seasons” and agreed to send it to her. (although personally I like Silent Ranks better)

What makes this whole thing even more special is my daughter, who lives in Germany and works at Ramstein Air Base, being asked to engrave a poem that she recognized as one I had written. Makes us remember just how small the military world really is!

Good luck in your business and as a military spouse. As an Army wife of over 24 years now, I can say that you will not find a more supportive group of people than those who live the military life. We definitely are a special breed. Also remember that although your husband may “bleed” Navy blood, it is his heart that makes that blood pump and it belongs to you.

Sincerely,
Robin Jones

note Please note this e-mail was posted here with the approval of Ms. Jones. Please do not duplicate without permission