Big J came home the other day asking her Papa and I what her Papa's rank is as she was asked by a friend. We did not immediately answer her question as we were gauging how much she knew about her Papa's job and to see if our little experiment worked (more about that later). We asked her what she answered and she said that she said that she does not know. My husband and I were happy. You see, as much as possible, we limit our child's knowledge of her Papa's job for security reasons and so that, she will not get a super inflated head just because she is an officer's daughter (ODD). My husband always said that
RHIP (rank has its privilege) and he often sees this abused, get this, not by the officer himself but most often by the wives (who often think that they are a rank higher than their husband or they even have the rank) and their kids. I experienced this first hand when Big J asked to play with some neighbor's kids and as we were living at an off-base housing at that time, I obliged. She came back a few minutes later telling me that the kids did not want to play with her as she was just a lieutenant's kid and they were a colonel's. If it weren't for the colonel's nice demeanor towards us every time we see him, those kids would have gotten an earful from me! From that on, it sort of became a standard for our family (the start of our experiment). We are not going to discriminate between ranks! They are kids after all, for crying out loud!
Even before I met and married my husband, I had this idea that a military officer's family was a cut above the rest but this changed when I had a bestfriend who had a dad who headed the
PSG (presidential security group) at that time. Yes, they had a security escort when they went to school who also served as their driver; but, she was really simple and she still remains to this day. From that time on, my idea of a military officer's family changed and I wanted my family to be like that.
Fast forward to the present. Our family has lived on on-base housing, off-base housing and our own home and I think that we liked having our own home the best. Our try at on-base housing had its ups and downs. It was nice to live in on-base housing as we couldn't ask for better security! Who could say that they had guards who had armalites and grenade launchers and even tanks?! for security? Not to mention that we only had to pay for a measly sum for the rent and the utilities and we had access to the camp's facilities like the commissary (where groceries are tax-free), the pools, the tennis courts, badminton courts, etc and being treated like royalty. Okay, not so much as royalty but being a superior where soldiers upon knowing that you are an officer's wife (ODW) would immediately call you "Ma'am" and give deference and be extra helpful (carrying groceries and stuff). Well, life on an on-base facility was not a bed of roses at all times. Whenever, the camp had a security drill, you were included in it. The camp was locked down (meaning, no one can go in or out) and you had soldiers in every part of the camp with "BIG" guns and in full battle gear. Not to mention that only one gate will be open upon 9 p.m. and the camp was covered in darkness. Then, there were the other officer's wives who were always nosing about goods and stuff and comparing them to what they had especially when your husband was a rank lower than theirs. Well, not all ODW were bad and nosy. There were also simple and good women. There was even a time when a general's wife came to our tambayan and chatted with us and told us not to be uncomfortable as she is, like us, just a soldier's wife and all these privileges will all soon come to pass upon your husband's retirement at age 56. Life in an off-base housing facility was just like on-base housing but less the security. We liked having our own home the best because we remained pretty anonymous and no one was that obvious in nosing. ( I guess nosy neighbors are always part of a village's cast of characters. Hehe!) Sure, they know that we are a military family but that is just how much information we dare to reveal and my husband was always careful not to go to or arrive from work in full military uniform lest someone gets nosy about his rank and jeopardize not only his security but ours as well. (Well, I know how to pretty much handle a gun if ever that happens. Hehe.) Funny moments came when a neighbor asked us, "San ba assigned si Sarge ngayon." (Where is Sarge assigned these days?) I tried very hard not to burst out laughing upon hearing the rank they gave my husband; but, we take it all in stride. My husband was even laughing when he said, "Naman, dinemote naman nila ako ng sobra-sobra!" (They demoted me so many ranks lower.) Plus, it keeps us level-headed. We try not to take my husband's rank get into our heads and our daughter's head. Yes, RHIP but as it is a privilege, it is something that should not be wasted or abused and if being called Sarge and family is the price we have to pay for living in a civilian community, we would take it any other day.
