What does it mean to be a milSO?

Photo from http://loveandwarclothing.tumblr.com

So the term milso stands for “military significant other”, with that said, I asked some milsos on twitter and tumblr what being a milso meant to them. I got some literal definitions of the term, some short and sweet, and some more elaborate answers of what being a milso meant. Here are a few of the answers:

“I think being a milso means loving them no matter where the military sends them, growing in your love and faith every step of the way, being strong when you can’t be together, and supporting them through any obstacles there may be.”- @AFbride2beSuz

“A girlfriend/boyfriend, fiancé, wife or husband of military personnel who is FAITHFUL.”-@oorah_princess

“It’s anyone who is in a relationship of any kind with anyone in any branch of the military. They love and support their s/o in all things. They love fiercely, and (most of the time) take nothing for granted.”-@AirForceloving

“I think being a milso is about having unconditional love for someone. So much that you are willing to put aside everything to be with the person you love. Whether it be sleepless nights, little communication, deployments, whatever. You don’t let anything get in the way and you support each other through it all. You never take anything for granted and grow stronger because of it. True love at its best.”-@MarineGF612

“It’s sacrifice and patience.”-anonymous

“It means giving up peace of mind, being understanding and patient. Never giving up no matter how hard it gets because you know it’s worth it.”-thememoriestheykeepyounear

Thank you to the lovely milSOs who put their input into this post! To me, the term milSO has so much meaning to it because of the hardships and the life experience us milSOs have. I feel like it takes a really strong person to stick with someone through it all. I know that long distance is hard, but the fact that my boyfriend is in the military makes it even harder because a lot of times I don’t know if he’s safe or not. I know that I’ve grown stronger and learned so much from being in this relationship, and honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Hello there!

I’m Yolis, and I am a 20-year-old senior at Texas State University majoring in Mass Communication: Electronic Media and minoring in Theatre.

In this blog, I will provide tips and thoughts about surviving the distance in a military relationship, from care-package ideas to my personal stories. I am currently in a relationship with a US Marine, and I know that the milSO community loves researching all about how to make our time apart from our significant other more bearable.

I have learned and grown beyond belief because of our relationship. I know that throughout the year I relied on blogs of others like me to help me get through the hard days and to feel like I’m not alone. I want do for others what those blogs did for me. Something as small as knowing that other people are in a very similar situation as me makes me feel understood and that in turn makes me feel better, and that helps me get through the rough patches. Some days/nights are harder than others, but it is all worth it. Knowing that I’ll be able to see him everyday in the future is really what keeps me going.