Intro to Army Life

by Allison Mewes

Everything you need to know to get through the FIRST YEARS as an army spouse or significant other. Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition. No one hands you a guidebook when you enter Army life; you either learn the hard way or stumble upon resources on your own . . . until now. Intro to Army Life gives you the tools and resources necessary to make your transition into the Army lifestyle easier, less stressful and more fun. You don't have to learn the hard way--all the information you need is here, ready to help you make the transition. Along with engaging personal narrative and stories, this book

-Army hierarchy and social structure
-15 tips for dealing with a deployment
-Perks of a military ID
-Top 25 Army acronyms
-Military discounts and how to find them
-Top 10 resources for military children
-Fun facts, such as where the term military brat originated
-and much more

Intro to Army Life is a North American Book Award winner, and a must-read for any military spouse or significant other.

175 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Allison Mewes is the proud wife of an Army soldier. Her experiences as a newlywed entering the Army lifestyle, along with the humorous things that happened along the way, inspired her to help other military spouses and significant others make the transition into Army life.
She and her husband reside in Boise, Idaho and are expecting their first child.

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not have anyone immediate in my family in military but have worked with this population when I was in practice as a counselor. This book is a good introduction to those who are entering the army or have a significant where this culture is new.

I think it is a good read for "civilians" to better understand and support our friends who are serving.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

In full disclosure, I had my reservations about this book. I am the first one to admit that I do NOT know everything about the Army, but after almost 11 years, I know enough to get me by. I had very high expectations and, at first, was very skeptical and was almost waiting for false information. I am happy to report that I was extremely impressed by the factual information it had to offer.

Every Army wife has different experience. Bottom line, you'll never be able to make a broad generalization about them. The location, rank, and job of the soldier gives each Army Wife an experience that is uniquely hers.

This book doesn't try to generalize, but instead gives great tips and information about how to make your life, especially during deployment, a little less stressful. Complete with rank charts and her own compilation of the 25 most important Acronyms, it is easily maneuvered and simple enough for anyone to understand.

I definitely recommend this book to any new spouses to the Army! There are great resources and interesting facts. This would be a great bridal gift, or gift for a spouse with only a few months or years of experience.

As the back cover states "[this book] gives you the tools and resources necessary to make you transition into the Army lifestyle easier, less stressful and more fun."

I also want to point out this that book is available in paperback, on Kindle, and Nook. I personally purchased it for my Kindle because I was so impressed with the resources that are valuable to every Army spouse.

http://way2cool2bcocky.blogspot.com/2...

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really wish I had gotten this book when Ben first joined the Army. In fact if I ever hear about a friend about to become an Army spouse I am going to send a copy to her. This book is perfect because it tells you what you need to know without making it too complicated. She breaks down everything into basic chapters. This is great when you read it the first time and great to use as reference for later on. She has included a ton of resources that would be very important for an Army spouse to have. I really liked seeing the 10 resources for children especially. That information is so important. I also really liked the pictures of the uniform describing what everything means. This is going to be a great book to have for reference. I may have been an Army wife for 6.5 years now but there are still situations and parts of Army life I still don’t know about. So if you are new the Army or even if you are a seasoned spouse, this would be a great book to have on your bookshelf.

http://soldierswifecrazylife.com/2012...

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I don't have a spouse in the army, I do have a nephew and a close friend's son in active duty. This handbook was so insightful with information that every American needs to understand like the gratitude campaign. I hadn't heard of it but will signal my thanks every time I see a service person. I give this book 5 stars in every area. 5 stars for content-If the information isn't contained in the book you are given resources to find what you need. 5 stars for organization-the chapter are exactly what one needs to locate information fast. 5 stars for the writing-the book reads as if one is sitting down talking to a friend. I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable a handbook can be.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

My long-term boyfriend just joined the Army a few months ago. I should've bought this book then. It was a quick and worthwhile read with everything from not decorating letters (THAT would've been good to know!) to how to tips for living on post. I am so glad I bought this book and I will refer to it quite often-especially these first few years!!