If you're in any military spouse group on Facebook, you've seen your fair share of absolutely ridiculous and yet real questions asked. Things that range from whether you really have to tip the grocery baggers to why doesn't the gate guard salute me in my car.
Each time you see them, you think there's just no way this person is serious, but then you see another one and you realize that, indeed, they are.
At Military.com, we've been sharing this experience with you for years. We have hundreds of questions answered by our wonderful Ms. Vicki, who we promise is a real-life person. (Really.) A military spouse and mother of three, she is a licensed clinical social worker who has worked as a Military Family Life Consultant on Army bases nationwide. She really does have the clout to answer the toughest of these questions.
If you've read Ms. Vicki's column, you know that she also has a great sense of humor and will call you out when you're acting like a fool -- which, sometimes, the people writing these letters are. Sometimes, those writing in want reassurance; sometimes, they desperately need advice; and, sometimes, they just want attention. But Ms. Vicki has time for everyone.
The questions she's answered over the years on Military.com are also real. They are really and truly submitted, edited only to make sure they make sense, and then responded to by our fabulous Ms. Vicki.
And as a special favor to you, dear military spouse, we've compiled the 20 most unbelievable of them to bring you this special list of military spouse advice questions answered by Ms. Vicki.
1. Did helping lazy military wives ruin my marriage? Ms. Vicki lays the smackdown on a milspouse who wonders whether the military spouse support system ruined her marriage.
2. Does this Marine veteran just want to be friends with benefits? A separated but not yet divorced military spouse wonders whether her Marine veteran boyfriend has true feelings for her.
3. Who is more important, the Navy, me or his mom? Sometimes, readers answer their own questions, but in this column Ms. Vicki makes it really clear that this Navy wife’s husband is making his priorities known.
4. Should I tell him his fiancée parties while he's deployed? When a friend wants to warn her military friend about his party-hopping fiancee, Ms. Vicki suggests another idea.
5. Is it OK to have a 'work husband?' Since her husband has a female coworker he’s close to, one reader wants to know whether she can get close to a male coworker.
6. We met online: Am I married ... or is it a scam? Many readers fall for internet scams, but not all of them question whether they married the scammer or not.
7. How do I tell my friend she has the kids from hell? Ms. Vicki has sage and practical advice for this child-free woman who doesn’t always want her friend’s kids around.
8. I'm pregnant by another man. Can I still use Tricare? When cheating goes wrong (and it always goes wrong), Ms. Vicki helps one spouse figure out her health care benefits.
9. Did my husband fake his death or am I in denial? When emails and a video are sent to this widow after her husband’s funeral, she has some doubts.
10. I stayed home in the U.S. Am I now left behind forever? Ms. Vicki counsels this spouse who opted not to accompany her service member overseas and is worried she lost him forever.
11. Is this the retirement divorce that so many of our military friends have experienced? Things change after retirement, and this spouse is worried she’s about to become a statistic like some of her friends did.
12. Am I wrong to think an open relationship is the best thing for our marriage? Ms. Vicki has things to say about marriages that involve Tinder -- and other people.
13. Will I lose my wife benefits if she has his baby? A concerned spouse wonders whether she can keep her benefits if someone else has her husband’s baby. Ms. Vicki breaks down what her benefits are.
14. How do I get my wife to stop saying she outranks me? A male spouse is annoyed that his wife keeps pulling rank on him.
15. Does the Marine Corps make him carry condoms? After a spouse discovers condoms in her husband’s belongings, her Marine tells why he has them. Ms. Vicki weighs in.
16. My soldier says he can't retire until I pay off all his debts? She says she believes him, but can’t figure out why she needs to pay off his debts before they can get married. Ms. Vicki helps her find the reason.
17. Are spouse hater pages on Facebook illegal? This spouse wants to know whether people who run online groups based on attacking military spouses can be prosecuted.
18. Should his command know he's a sex addict? Her husband is cheating, and she’s wondering whether she should tell his command about it.
19. I have 5 kids from 4 men in uniform. What am I doing wrong? Ms. Vicki thinks the answer is pretty clear, but she helps this spouse see what to do.
20. Where can I report this vixen homewrecker? A cheated-on spouse wants to know to whom she should report the other woman, and Ms. Vicki helps her realize where her focus should really be.
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--Rebecca Alwine can be reached at rebecca.alwine@monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebecca_alwine.
