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.

劳拉·豪尔·斯达夫里蒂斯（Laura Hall Stavridis），出生于佛罗里达州杰克逊维尔市，父亲是一名海军飞行员。从小在海军家庭长大，并且在世界各地的海军基地居住过。当她从罗得岛新港的罗杰斯高级中学毕业时，她的父亲正在海军军事学院服役。

斯达夫里蒂斯女士就读于迪金森学院，主修政治科学和法语，1981年毕业后与一位水面舰艇军官恋爱，并在美国海军学院教堂举行了结婚典礼。她和丈夫在15年内一共搬家10次，并一直在东、西两个海岸的多个海军母港居住。她的丈夫曾经担任过两年时间的导弹驱逐舰舰长，曾在五角大楼的联合参谋部工作。

斯达夫里蒂斯女士获得了波士顿大学的国际关系硕士学位，同时她还在这所大学教授政治学并进修博士课程。两年中她获得了多项学术奖金。

2002年该书出版时，斯达夫里蒂斯女士与丈夫——吉姆（Jim）和两个女儿——克里斯蒂娜（Christina）和茱莉亚（Julia）定居在芒特弗农。