Some questions are best asked in a more private setting
I watched in horror today as a female soldier in the finance office asked (in front of like 30 of us standing around) "My husband just told me that he has 3 children from a previous relationship and that he might have to financially support them. What paperwork do I need to fill out to get them added as dependents?"
Of course, everyone in the room tried their best to stifle their incredulous laughter, but they were mostly unsuccessful.
Later I was imagining what the backstory had to be like on this. Does "just told me" mean that he dropped that bombshell this morning over breakfast? Or does she mean it happened earlier this weekend? How does someone bring that up in conversation - they obviously are ALREADY MARRIED and he didn't feel the need to mention that tiny detail when they were engaged. And I could see one, maybe two children being downplayed, but 3 whole children? Most Americans won't have that many children in their lifetime, much less in one relationship that ends before the age of 30 (my estimate of the female's age would be around 25, so I'm guessing he's under 30).
Just when I thought I had seen all sorts of dysfunctional marriages in the Army, I witness this in all its tragic glory.
Of course, everyone in the room tried their best to stifle their incredulous laughter, but they were mostly unsuccessful.
Later I was imagining what the backstory had to be like on this. Does "just told me" mean that he dropped that bombshell this morning over breakfast? Or does she mean it happened earlier this weekend? How does someone bring that up in conversation - they obviously are ALREADY MARRIED and he didn't feel the need to mention that tiny detail when they were engaged. And I could see one, maybe two children being downplayed, but 3 whole children? Most Americans won't have that many children in their lifetime, much less in one relationship that ends before the age of 30 (my estimate of the female's age would be around 25, so I'm guessing he's under 30).
Just when I thought I had seen all sorts of dysfunctional marriages in the Army, I witness this in all its tragic glory.
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