I didn't realize that marrying my husband, a sailor, would mean that I would lose my "identity." Fellow military spouses - do you know what I mean? "Sponsor's social, please." "May I have the last four of your sponsor's Social?"

(For civilian readers...family members of a service member are called 'dependents.' Our service member is called our "sponsor." When we make appointments for services such as medical we are asked for our "sponsor's" ID information as opposed to our own.)

I should probably just put on my 'big-girl panties" and get over it. But I entered this military world a little late. I married my sailor after 40 years of civilian life. In my former life I was accustomed to being asked for MY identification numbers, MY social security number. MY driver's license number!

And this idenity thing permeates the social culture as well. My place in military society seems to be strangely linked to my husband's rank as opposed to our mutual interests. How fascinating.

So, have you experienced an identity crisis of your own? How do maintain your identity in the midst of your husband's career?

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