Life as an Army Wife

The life of an “Army wife” piques curiosity and interest. “Besides, you get to make friends from all parts of the country and have a rather busy social calendar with social gatherings being organised almost every day!” Thankfully, for military wives, there are endless opportunities in every posting, field or peace, to not just show up in their fineries, but also exhibit their talents and polish social graces. While the ladies’ meets are fun and let-your-hair-down-affairs, Army Wives’ Welfare Association events are formal and require military wives to act more responsible, since they take on the mantle of leadership and encourage the spouses of jawans, who come from relatively less privileged backgrounds, to participate in events and showcase their talents. Says army wife Manisha Yadav, 31, currently based in Jammu, “I always wanted my husband to be the first one to hold our baby after he was born. In such cases, the wife may choose to opt for an “SF accommodation”, which is offered by the army to the military spouse, close to her husband’s field posting.