You’ve heard the old saying “What can go wrong will go wrong.” That’s the philosophy on which Murphy’s Law is built. I am not one to harp on the negative, but sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. Murphy’s Law is something that we can almost always count on happening in military life.
These unfortunate events are all tongue-in-cheek and are meant to make you laugh. Hopefully they will also drum up for you some comfort. It’s always nice to know you are not alone in the absurdity that life seems to hand us (and military life gets a double dose of the absurd).
Murphy’s Law is something that we can almost always count on happening in military life.
Murphy’s Law Military Style
I asked a group of friends to tell me their favorite ones. Here’s what I compiled from their experiences:
The second you set your cell phone down and walk out of hearing range your soldier, who is deployed half way around the world, will get a second to call. It never fails.
If you send a sexy picture of yourself to your deployed husband — that one letter or package will get lost and he will never get it, leaving you to wonder where it is. For the rest of your life.
Every day of deployment feels like it’s 12 hours longer. Every day of leave feels 12 hours shorter.
The moment you make definitive plans (make reservations, buy plane tickets, buy non-refundable concert tickets, etc.) your husband will be required to participate in a field op or some other event
As soon as you break down and buy those expensive curtains you’ve been dying to get, you will get PCS orders and your new place will not have the right sized windows.
As soon as you get a job you really love, you will get PCS orders.
If you have only one certified copy of orders, birth certificates or any other vital document, it will be misplaced no matter how careful you are. It will resurface the second you order another copy.
That special box, the one with “that” item in it which you love will be lost during your last move in the military. Take heart, though — You will open an obscure box 15 years later and find it.
If you are going to break a bone or need major surgery, it will happen as soon as it’s the absolute worst and most inconvenient time, usually when your military member can not come right away.
If your washing machine, car or garage door is going to break down, it will happen within 72 hours of deployment. It never fails.
The dream dress you got for the formal? The one that the store said is “one of a kind?” Yeah, that dress. Someone else will be wearing it, and she’ll be at least two sizes smaller than you.
Tell us about your experiences
Do you have a Military Murphy’s Law? Share it with us in the comment section. Sometimes sharing these kinds of things can help us realize we are not alone in the struggles. It always helps to have friends who can laugh with you in the hard times!
car broke down on the side of the road while 8 months pregnant, had a baby, washing machine broke, computer got fried and the air conditioner duct work backed up and flooded and caused the ceiling in the garage to fall all during one deployment
We PCS’d to Korea, found a cute off post apartment on the 4th floor,no elevator, I broke every bone in my left foot, had 2 pins and 4 screws put in, huge cast, crutches for months. Did not leave that cute little apartment for almost a month. Seoul is all hills, could not walk, it was awful….. Could not find a job either, but then it did not matter, because I had a broken foot and could not leave my apartment.
My husband and I had to reschedule our wedding because his command rejected his leave at the last minute. We had to send out new invitations 3 weeks before our new date. Luckily almost everyone still made it!
My husband received his predischarge paperworkand went to call and confirm but while in transit his name was pulled and he had to go to iraq for a year before he could finish the discharge paperwork.
Adrienne May is a military spouse. Her husband is an Army soldier and now is serving in the Army National Guard. Together they have three children from preschool to pre-teen. Adrienne has a Bachelors Degree in Sociology & Non-Profit Management, and is actively involved in family readiness and disaster preparedness on the state level. She spends her free time advocating for military family programs, homecoming transition programs and adequate veterans benefits.
6 Comments
The family dog passed away, washing machine broke, basement flooded (more then once) all during 1 deployment. :(
car broke down on the side of the road while 8 months pregnant, had a baby, washing machine broke, computer got fried and the air conditioner duct work backed up and flooded and caused the ceiling in the garage to fall all during one deployment
We PCS’d to Korea, found a cute off post apartment on the 4th floor,no elevator, I broke every bone in my left foot, had 2 pins and 4 screws put in, huge cast, crutches for months. Did not leave that cute little apartment for almost a month. Seoul is all hills, could not walk, it was awful….. Could not find a job either, but then it did not matter, because I had a broken foot and could not leave my apartment.
My husband and I had to reschedule our wedding because his command rejected his leave at the last minute. We had to send out new invitations 3 weeks before our new date. Luckily almost everyone still made it!
My husband received his predischarge paperworkand went to call and confirm but while in transit his name was pulled and he had to go to iraq for a year before he could finish the discharge paperwork.
Bought a dress for the ball 6 months in advance. Couldn’t wear it, had to rush home day before ball for emergency leave.