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Well, I'm sorry for these women, but their time alone has a limit. Those of us who are divorced or widowed have to raise our children and manage major life decisions by ourselves all the time.

I recall the Navy wife who lived across the street from me carrying on because her husband was gone for a whole seven months and she had only her parents and sister to help her. I shook my head. I've been alone with two kids for ten years and I don't have parents or siblings to help, but it never occurred to her that I have a tougher row to hoe. We manage.

I just don't think the sacrifice is so so so so terrible for these military spouses. No one held a gun to their heads and forced them to marry members of the military. No one drafted their spouses. It was something they went into as adults, with their eyes open.

"One hot morning last July, as she was about to drive boxes to the new place, she walked outside, infant car seat in hand, and opened the garage door -- to find that her green Jeep had been stolen."

what does this have to do with being in the army

Same way I feel about how they make saints out of men who are raising their children alone.

How many of us women have done/are doing this?

We all have loads to bear, and I hope the very best for all of the families of soldiers. I would like to increase the size of our military, so that each soldier could do just one tour of the duty for which they were hired. I believe that soldiers should be paid a fair income so that none of the families have to beg for food stamps or any other "free" assistance.

Before anyone screams at me: I was a soldier, married to a soldier, with two children of our own. The situation was not planned: My husband and I had been married for some time--with no children--when we enlisted.

It was not easy. I did not reenlist BECAUSE it was not easy for our family; and I believed that my children deserved better. I believe that the reason that the marriage did not work was because of the military life; but many other marriages fail, so who knows.

I could go on and on. The lives of soldiers and their families are not easy. We should do all that we can to keep them financially-well-compensated; however, the life is a choice.

My wife has dealt with numerous deployments and separations. My children knew my seabag as Daddy’s going away bag. My wife is not a complainer and has chided many military wives for acting foolish while their husbands were gone. My wife and I live by a simple adage, "We weren't the first to go through this, and we won't be the last."

I know you didn't mean to imply anything. I just wanted you and everyone else to know not all military wives are wimps. Some are tough as nails. My wife is one tough broad who has help raised 3 tough kids.

As you are well aware of, the press will only highlight the negative and try and pull at heartstrings. I will show this article to my wife, just to get her riled up.

I just don't think the sacrifice is so so so so terrible for these military spouses.

Really? You're a single parent. Are you doing that for me? Nope, that is just the way your life is. These families are missing their men because their men are busy keeping YOU safe. Sorry that you can't appreciate that.

I guess instead of being compassionate and helping out if you can, we'll just let them struggle so their men quit.