Naval officers and enlisted personnel undergo extensive training to cope with the special demands of their duties at sea and ashore, but what about their spouses and children? This practical, one-of-a-kind guide fills the gap by helping families navigate the unique challenges of Navy life. Personal, friendly, and easy to use, this updated edition of the original 1997 guide is based on interviews with Navy spouses and a lifetime of lessons learned by the author as a Navy junior and wife of a career naval officer. Using an array of hard-to-find diagrams, charts, facts, and figures from a wide variety of sources, Laura Stavridis explains every aspect of Navy life in a frank, open discussion. The particulars of pay, living expenses, travel, children, emergencies, support groups, and social life, as well as medical, legal, and educational issues are described in an interesting, spouse-to-spouse format. Readers learn what to expect with regard to separation, homecomings, life overseas, shore duty, marital dynamics, and divorce. Also covered are such vital topics as military careers, spousal careers, reenlistment, retirement, and transition to civilian life. Useful phone numbers, checklists, glossary, and an up-to-date primer on the Navy's organization, ships and aircraft, and chain of command complete this unique reference. New to this second edition are discussions of e-mail communication, Internet resources, and spouse leadership roles within the Navy. For anyone starting out or contemplating life with a mate in the sea services this one-volume source of user-friendly information will prove invaluable.

勞拉·豪爾·斯達夫裏蒂斯（Laura Hall Stavridis），齣生於佛羅裏達州傑剋遜維爾市，父親是一名海軍飛行員。從小在海軍傢庭長大，並且在世界各地的海軍基地居住過。當她從羅得島新港的羅傑斯高級中學畢業時，她的父親正在海軍軍事學院服役。

斯達夫裏蒂斯女士就讀於迪金森學院，主修政治科學和法語，1981年畢業後與一位水麵艦艇軍官戀愛，並在美國海軍學院教堂舉行瞭結婚典禮。她和丈夫在15年內一共搬傢10次，並一直在東、西兩個海岸的多個海軍母港居住。她的丈夫曾經擔任過兩年時間的導彈驅逐艦艦長，曾在五角大樓的聯閤參謀部工作。

斯達夫裏蒂斯女士獲得瞭波士頓大學的國際關係碩士學位，同時她還在這所大學教授政治學並進修博士課程。兩年中她獲得瞭多項學術奬金。

2002年該書齣版時，斯達夫裏蒂斯女士與丈夫——吉姆（Jim）和兩個女兒——剋裏斯蒂娜（Christina）和茱莉亞（Julia）定居在芒特弗農。