Base Buddies

Send us Fan MailKaren has spent over 22 years living military life.Married at 18, she entered adulthood as a military spouse and spent decades supporting her family through the unique challenges of military service. Having experienced life as both an enlisted spouse and an officer spouse, Karen brings a rare perspective on the evolution of military family life.In this episode, Karen opens up about the identity crisis she faced in her 30s when she realized she had spent so much of her life focused on everyone else that she wasn't sure who she was anymore. What followed was a journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and entrepreneurship that eventually led to the creation of Sailors & Sons.We discuss:• Getting married at 18• Growing up within military culture• The differences between enlisted and officer spouse life• Identity loss and rediscovering yourself• Starting over in your 30s• Building Sailors & Sons• Advice for military spouses trying to find themselves againWhether you're a new military spouse or have been living this lifestyle for decades, Karen's story is a powerful reminder that your identity can evolve and that it's never too late to pursue something that's truly yours.

Send us Fan MailHosted by Ley and Micaela, Base Confessions is a new series from Base Buddies where we discuss anonymous stories submitted by military spouses and stories shared throughout the military spouse community online.In our debut episode, we tackle several difficult topics affecting modern relationships, including the rise of AI-related risks, pornography addiction, infidelity, and a story involving escorts and cheating. These conversations aren't always easy, but they are important.Our goal is to create a judgment-free space where military spouses can feel seen, heard, and supported while navigating the unique challenges that come with military life and relationships.Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of pornography addiction, infidelity, escorts, and mature themes.If you'd like your anonymous story featured on a future episode of Base Confessions, stay connected with Base Buddies and submit your confession for consideration.💙 Because sometimes the conversations nobody wants to have are the ones we need most.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Aly shares her story of becoming a young mom, surviving a toxic relationship, and rebuilding her life into something she never imagined possible. From finding love again through Tinder to discovering purpose through motherhood, this conversation is honest, emotional, and completely unfiltered.We also talk about her content creation journey, helping build North Carolina MomTok, and how social media opened doors to major brand opportunities  including deals with Dr Pepper.This episode contains strong language and real conversations about healing, motherhood, relationships, and starting over.Follow Aly: Instagram & TikTok: @alythebagelFollow North Carolina MomTok: Instagram & TikTok: @northcarolinamomtokFollow Base Buddies: @officialbasebuddies

Send us Fan MailWhen her husband deployed, Alejandra didn't just struggle, she hit a wall that most people never talk about out loud.What started as the hardest season of her life, one that landed her in the hospital became the foundation for something extraordinary.In this episode we sit down with Alejandra, military spouse and founder of Base and Bloom, a journal business born from her darkest moment. She opens up about what severe mental health looks like behind closed doors in military life, how journaling became her lifeline when nothing else could reach her, and why she turned her most painful chapter into a resource for other military spouses who are silently struggling.This one is raw. This one is real. And this one might save someone's life.If you have ever felt like you were drowning during deployment and didn't know how to ask for help, this episode is for you. Content note: This episode contains discussion of mental health struggles and hospitalization. Please listen with care.  

Send us Fan Mail What happens when life feels paused while the person you love is away? In this episode, Kat opens up about the realities of being a National Guard fiancée, balancing a career in government service, navigating the loneliness of separation, and how a season that once felt like life standing still became an unexpected journey of rediscovering herself. We talk identity, resilience, military love, and the quiet sacrifices people don’t always see, plus the joy and anticipation of planning a wedding while counting down to his return. This is an honest conversation about growth in the waiting. 

Send us Fan MailIn this solo episode of Base Buddies, I’m sharing my personal journey as a military spouse how it started, what this lifestyle has really been like, and the parts no one really prepares you for.I’m also answering questions from you guys from relationships and identity to navigating constant change and starting over.If you’ve ever felt alone in this life or just want a real, honest perspective… this episode is for you. 🤍Base Buddies is a space for military spouses to feel seen, supported, and understood because military life doesn’t come with a guidebook.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Kaley shares her powerful story of becoming a military spouse at just 18 years old after getting engaged at 17 and everything that came with it.From navigating judgment and outside opinions to supporting her husband through the early stages of his military career, Kaley opens up about what it really takes to grow up fast in this lifestyle.But her story doesn’t stop there.While holding it down as a military spouse, she’s also chasing her own dreams of owning a gym proving that you don’t have to lose yourself just because you chose love early.This episode is for anyone who’s ever been judged for their timeline, felt overlooked, or is trying to balance love, sacrifice, and ambition all at once.Because being a military spouse doesn’t mean your dreams get put on pause. 💛

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Base Buddies, we’re joined by Maddy from Details In Hindsight to talk about her journey as a young military spouse and podcaster navigating the early stages of military life.Maddy shares how she started her podcast, the experiences that inspired her to create Details In Hindsight, and what it’s been like stepping into the military spouse community while building her own platform.We also dive into the realities of making friends, finding your identity, and figuring things out as you go in a lifestyle that is constantly changing.If you’ve ever wondered what the early stages of military life really look like, this conversation is for you.Connect with Maddy / Details In Hindsight: https://linktr.ee/detailsinhindsight

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Base Buddies, Mina shares her experience growing up in Japan as a Japanese/American citizen and what it was like moving to the United States after spending most of her life overseas. We talk about identity, racism, belonging, cultural expectations, and navigating military life while carrying multiple identities.This conversation explores the side of military spouse life that doesn’t always get discussed race, LGBTQ identity, cultural transitions, and what it means to build a 5-year plan when life feels uncertain.If you’ve ever felt caught between two worlds, this episode will resonate.

Send us Fan MailWhat started as a simple reply to a Twitter DM turned into a marriage, a move across the world, and a whole new life in Japan 🇯🇵In this episode of Base Buddies, I sit down with Kyra, a military spouse, content creator, and mom navigating overseas life while balancing motherhood, identity, and the emotional weight that comes with military life.Kyra opens up about how she met her husband through social media, what it’s really like being stationed in Japan, and the challenges of finding yourself again while raising a child far from home. We talk honestly about the mental load of motherhood, building a routine overseas, creating content while juggling family life, and learning how to grow through seasons that don’t look anything like you imagined.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Base Buddies, I sit down with Hallie, an ER nurse, military spouse, and pregnant with her first child to talk about how daily exposure to death has shaped the way she experiences military life.Hallie opens up about working in the ER, becoming emotionally desensitized, and why the challenges many military spouses struggle with haven’t hit her in the same way. From never having PCS’d to navigating military life with a calm nervous system forged in high-stress environments, her story challenges the idea that there’s only one “right” way to be a military spouse.This episode is an honest conversation about perspective, resilience, and why not every military spouse story looks the same and why that’s okay.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Madison opens up about navigating newlywed life while choosing long-distance in the middle of military service. She shares the emotional challenges of loving a spouse from afar, how distance reshapes expectations, and what it really feels like to prepare for deployment as a young military spouse. This honest conversation highlights the strength, patience, and reality behind milspouse love stories that aren’t always seen. 

Send us Fan MailHer husband served 20+ years in the military, including deployments to the Middle East in 2001… and Stephanie lived it all alongside him. The deployments, relocations, and sacrifices no one talks about. In this episode, she opens up about what it really costs to love a career service member the struggles, the growth, and the reality after retirement. This is the side of military life most people never see. 

Send us Fan Mail Alessia is a new milspouse who’s gone through multiple deployments — but this time, she’s doing it with a toddler on her hip. In this episode, she opens up about the emotional load, the small victories, the lonely nights, and the strength it takes to show up for her family every single day. From balancing motherhood with the unpredictability of military life to redefining what it means to stay grounded during deployment, Alessia’s story is honest, relatable, and deeply empowering for any spouse walking a similar path. 

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Micaela opens up about what it’s really like leaving her entire life in the UK to become a military spouse in America. From culture shocks to unexpected challenges, finding community, and adjusting to a whole new world  she shares the honest, unfiltered journey so many foreign milspouses go through but rarely talk about. 

Send us Fan Mail Julia’s journey from Navy brat to LGBTQ military spouse is full of challenges, growth, and resilience. She shares what it’s like navigating military life, raising her child in the same world she grew up in, and embracing her identity along the way. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Jocelyn shares her postpartum journey as a new mom and military spouse — from the mental load to the moments that almost broke her. It’s an open, raw and honest conversation about motherhood, marriage, and finding yourself again. 

Send us Fan MailOur first guest is Teresa, and she’s sharing her story about being in the military, getting out, and stepping into life as a milspouse. From deployments to proposals, Teresa opens up about what that transition really looks like — the highs, the heartbreaks, and everything in between.