Indeed, the Army does not officially recognize the girlfriends or significant others of Army soldiers. However, you only have to be “just” a girlfriend if you want to be.
As the girlfriend or fiancee of a soldier, you need support and information as well. It’s important that you feel supported so you can continue to support your soldier.
Official Support Groups
Even as a girlfriend, you can generally still participate in the family readiness group and receive updates if your soldier passes along your contact information to the group.
You can usually attend meetings and events the same as any soldier’s wife. This is a great way to stay connected to your soldier and meet others who understand the situation, especially during deployment.
If you live close enough to where he is stationed to attend events, I highly recommend you at least try it out and see how it goes.
Note that there are some exceptions, such as special operation units, but most units welcome anyone who supports the soldier.
Online Support Groups
Reach out to other Army girlfriends online to form your support group.
There are many groups online and you can certainly find groups on social media to join. This is a good way to meet other girlfriends and fiancees and provide support to each other.
Not to mention, there is plenty of information about the Army lifestyle to learn. Approach it as a learning opportunity and you will be ahead of the curve when you marry your soldier.
Living with Your Soldier
Indeed, you will not be allowed to live on post as an Army girlfriend. Your soldier will not be authorized to have on-post housing until you are married.
However, nothing stops you from moving to where he is stationed. You can just as easily rent an apartment in the same city as you can where you currently live. You don’t have to have a long-distance relationship unless you choose to have one.
Even though the Army may not officially recognize your relationship, your soldier does. And that is all that matters in the end.
Be proud to be dating a soldier who is serving our country, and don’t let your marital status keep you from supporting him and reaching out for support from other Army family members.
I am recently an army gf and soon to be a wife I’m just wondering if anyone could give me advice. I’m in it for the longhall and want to be a part of what my man is doin for our country.
I need others like me to let me in on how things r gonna go please!!
hello, i just saw this site and i read your article and I really liked it. My boyfiend and I have been dating for a year and he’s to be shipped to basic on the 15th and I’m so scared! I support him fully i just don’t want to lose touch and I can’t follow him because I will be in college. Are there ways we can communicate other than letters? Or do you have suggestons on how to deal with him gone? I would really appreciate it if you had any tips. 🙂
Hi. My boyfriend is talking to the recruiter tomorrow about joining the army. If he makes it to the army he plans to get engaged when he comes back from basic and then get married as soon as we can after that. When we get married how soon will I be able to live on base with him. Also, how does the housing work on base.
hi stacey i’m new to this here ..and i need some help in getting ready to be come a soldier wife and my boyfriend he is in the ARMY and he is a CAPTAIN…and i would gladly apparascate it you can help me ..because i don’t won’t to make alot of misatake’s ..so that’s why i join this web site here to get some help.and it’s a great hornor to be come a army wife to a soldier ..i had a friend was talking to my boyfriend bestfriend,..and he got on to my friend talking to another guy and when he find out he told my friend to f OFF….and my friend borke his heart and i don’t have much to say to my friend now..and when my boyfriend comes home from afaghstiane we will be meeting each other for the frist time.and i can’t wait untill all our men and women to be back home to there loved ones and there friends ..and i’lll talk to you later ..thank you so very much sandy joyner.
I recently started dating a boy in the army, he’s in pre deployment training to go to Kuwait. We’ve been friends for a few years and we’ve always wanted to date well I finally gave in and said yes.. We had been talking so much it was like we were dating! Any advice and support would be awesome, he thinks that I’ll be some great support system for him and understand what he’s going through better because I grew up on Army bases.