MEET the Rutherfords: Miranda and Scott and their twins Warwick and Bronwyn (3). Miranda tells us how they blend army and family life…

We feel the army isn’t just a job for us, it’s a calling. I was born and raised in the USA by parents who had military careers. I swore when I left for university that nobody would ever tell me where to live or what colour my walls would be. Then I fell in love with a British soldier.  

My family are in the US and Scott’s siblings also live abroad. This means our support network is mainly friends, not family. We’ve built our own village, near and far, who support us.

It’s important to maintain life outside, even when you live behind the wire. 

In Catterick, I got a job at a castle, sang in the original WAGS choir and even published a book. Since being posted to Preston, our twins Warwick and Bronwyn are in nursery 15 hours per week, thanks to funding for military families. Scott has an allotment near the patch and is now growing our own fruit and veg. I joined the local amateur dramatics society. 

Being a mother of twins presents my greatest challenge due to Scott’s constant absence. When they were only six weeks old, he was away for a month. They’ve just turned three, and in their lives, Scott has been away as much as he has been home, including an 11 month stretch starting on their first birthday. His long absences have shaped the way I parent and the way we work as a family.  

Army life puts both positives and negatives in sharp relief. I love the fresh horizons and new challenges as much as he does. When it’s hard, it’s very hard, but when it’s good, it’s unbeatable. It’s the only life for us.

 


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