Army Wives - Season 3

[SpringMaiden27]

So happy Michael is back!

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[ilovefootball25]

I'm reading the book Army Wives by Tammy Biank. I can definitely see parallels to the show and the people in the book (especially story lines in the first season).

[Duxxy]

Is Army life really that hard going? No washer and dryer? All the trumping favours? Does the PX really have everything you need?

[liz_momof2]

Originally Posted by Duxxy

Is Army life really that hard going? No washer and dryer? All the trumping favours? Does the PX really have everything you need?

Yes and no. Definitely NOT to the washer and dryer. The houses don't come WITH a washer and dryer usually but all the ones I have seen and friends have had at other bases have had at least hook-ups for a washer and dryer. I laughed when she said that about having a washer AND a dryer. I thought they hung their clothes to save energy or whatever NOT because they didn't have a dryer.

Trumping favors, depends on your job and the rank and the people. I have heard it happens, haven't experienced it but hubby isn't really all that high ranking.

PX does have A LOT; however, the PX is essentially Walmart and Walmart tends to be cheaper on most things, even with tax. The commissary is nice though. Their prices are much much cheaper than a civilian grocery store especially on items like milk and meat.

There are certain aspects about the show that bug the crud out of me though that have nothing to do with what you mentioned. My biggest beef with the show is the mixing of the wives. Yes it is possible that higher ranking soldiers' wives or officer's wives would spend time with lower enlisted; however, the rank that Trevor is versus Michael and the specific positions they hold make it highly unlikely that Claudia Joy and Roxy would be friends at all or even know each other. Claudia Joy and Denise's friendship is much more likely, Roxy and Pamela's friendship as well but the mixing of the 4 is kind of weird. I am definitely not a "separatist" when it comes to military spouses but when you tend to want to socialize with your husband and he can't socialize with the husband of your friend, due to fraternization rules, it can make things mighty uncomfortable (and there would definitely be fraternization rules because of Michael's position in the command at Fort Marshall.)

Claudia Joy's house is very very nice, even for the position that Michael has. Oh and unless Pamela painted the inside of her house before Roxy saw it, there is no way the interior of her house would be blue. Plain white walls and if you want to paint, then you can but it must be painted back to the white prior to signing out. That would include Claudia Joy's house as well.

My husband and my best friend (who is prior service before having kids and becoming a stay at home mom) get very annoyed at the show. Salutes are wrong, uniforms are messed up, protocol not always correct.

But I still enjoy the show for the Army-themed dramatic soap opera that it is

[Annika]

In terms of the "messed up" uniforms, I read that fictional shows must mess up the military uniforms so that they are not exactly as issued. I don't recall exactly what the deal was, but the US Military did not want fictional shows using "exact/duplicated" uniforms. I read this in conjunction with "The Unit" and assume this applies across the board with fictional shows. The costumers will change a patch, change up the stripes, etc.

Annika

[liz_momof2]

Originally Posted by Annika

In terms of the "messed up" uniforms, I read that fictional shows must mess up the military uniforms so that they are not exactly as issued. I don't recall exactly what the deal was, but the US Military did not want fictional shows using "exact/duplicated" uniforms. I read this in conjunction with "The Unit" and assume this applies across the board with fictional shows. The costumers will change a patch, change up the stripes, etc.

Annika

Yes I have heard that about the uniforms and the patches. However, my husband and best friend's issues are more about the protocol, such as soldiers not wearing their berets outside or pants not being tucked into the boots, berets not being worn correctly. All stuff that could be correctly done and that any soldier gets practically drilled into them at basic training and drives most soldiers nuts to watch shows with actors portraying military.

[PWS]

I grew up in an "Army brat" type life (although a different "corps"), and it has taken me many, many years to feel I can paint my walls anything I want OR put holes in the walls that weren't there (e.g., hang pictures in different places than the previous tenants did) even though we've owned our house for 40 years!

[liz_momof2]

Oh my I just watched last night's episode and man, I was going back and forth between bawling my eyes out and laughing my butt off. I definitely think the writers did a great job because so much of the episode was heavy material with Frank and Denise and Michael, Claudia Joy, and the Iraqi girl, and Pamela/Chase having problems, they needed the light hearted breather that the dog mishaps brought to the show. I am so hoping that Frank/Denise can work out their marriage and all the problems that they have (far more there than just her affair.) Next week looks very entertaining with a long awaited confrontation between Joan and Evan (KICK HIS A** JOAN!!)

[ilovefootball25]

Great episode. I really hope that Denise and Frank get back together. For practical reasons, they have to. Denise can't live on base if she's divorced and Catherine Bell isn't leaving the show.

I finished the book Army Wives while on vacation last week and I can see parallels with the families mentioned in the book and the families in the show. It was a great book.

[liz_momof2]

Originally Posted by ilovefootball25

Great episode. I really hope that Denise and Frank get back together. For practical reasons, they have to. Denise can't live on base if she's divorced and Catherine Bell isn't leaving the show.

I finished the book Army Wives while on vacation last week and I can see parallels with the families mentioned in the book and the families in the show. It was a great book.

Yup I just hope things turn out happier for the people on the show than for the actual families.

Technically Denise could be on the show still, just as an ex-wife but she wouldn't be an "Army wife" anymore.