The Air Force Wife Handbook: A Complete Social Guide

This book may be dated, however who says we have to live like pack animals? I think we should go back to the time where manners and politness are the standard, not the snickered-at. I read some parts of this book out loud to my husband; Air Force active duty for 15 years, and there were things that he learned. I think it would be a nice bridal shower gift for the first-time Air Force wife.

First let me please start off with addressing the person from Georgia who wrote that horrible review. That particular person paints the picture of swapping of sex, a broken down rank structure, and no special social functions. I don't know if you or your spouse are in the service, but I am guessing you haven't been in long, or haven't accomplished much along the way. My husband has been in the service for 8 years, and I have been married to him for 3. When we decided to get married, he bought this book for me, and I tore through it. I found it very helpful and informing. Through the past 3 years, I have been to half a dozen black tie and other formal ceremonies and parties, not to mention many other functions. I don't know what life you have headed into, but the military i know is still very reliant on rank structure and propriaties. I would recommend this book to any military spouse, new or old. In fact, I am going to a military wedding this weekend, and I found this website for the purpose of finding another copy of this book for the bride! 4 stars!Air Force on an Army base-we are special!

In my opinion, I am not sure why there are some readers that would give this book less than 3 stars. Although it may be a bit outdated in a few areas, for the most part It clearly navigates you through all aspects of social functions down to instructing you how to shake hands when meeting people, or even how to be a good neighbor by welcoming a newcomer. I have been married for 9 years to my husband AND the Air Force and I can not emphasize how many times I have referred to this book. It has proven over the years to be one of the most helpful handbooks to have. Basically it directs you to what is proper in certain situations,and what is considered improper (If you need that pointed out). Also what is expected from the military wife which is why I equal this to a Emily Post book for the military spouse. I can honestly say the only reason the reviewers below were negative is that they could not relate to the book itself. My husband has held various positions including two commands and numerous headquarter jobs.That has left me with , trying to meet expectations in entertaning by hosting coffees, meeting general officers,or attending a ball. My position is that while many things change, manners and rank structure stay the same. Believe me its not a free for all!

This book is a very useful resource for serious military spouses of members of all ranks. It is a bit outdated, but overall is a great reference, especially if your spouse does a joint staff tour. The highly critical reviews I've read about this book are probably from folks who are not military career people. For the new spouse, it's a really good way to learn acronyms and understand some basic protocol. So if you are "lifers", you'll appreciate it! My husband is a Lt Col and I have used this book as a reference for several years now.

The Air Force Wife Handbook is a must for all Air Force spouses to read. The issues and topics covered help to enlighten the reader. Everyday situations such as life on base to assignments with a joint command are explained in langauage that is easy to understand and will help to put the reader at ease. I found Chapter 31, The United States Air Force to be especially helpful. The explainations about the service, Chain of Command, and Acronyms and Abbreviations were clear and easy to understand. This is a very good book to be able to refer to through out your life in the Air Force.