About the Author
This blog is about a military family with a mother serving on active duty as a Commander in the Navy JAG Corps, a civilian husband (it’s the toughest job in the Navy), and our children Citrus and Lemon.
In August 2011, CDR Ng-Baumhackl volunteered to serve in Afghanistan and will return home in about a year. Until then her family is staying in Singapore, where she served as Staff Judge Advocate at Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific (COMLOG WESTPAC) from 2009 to 2011.
Prior to being a full-time parent, Mitja Ng-Baumhackl was a Portfolio Director at AARP where he developed and implemented the Association’s operational plans on financial security and affordable housing issues. He has volunteered with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, served on the Military Officers Association of America’s President’s Currently Serving Spouse Advisory Council for 2008-2009 and was recently the President of the local military spouse association in Singapore.
A high school dropout and double graduate of New York University, Mitja holds a bachelor’s degree in Metropolitan Studies and a Master of Public Administration with a specialization in policy analysis and non-profit management.
Mitja grew up in Berkeley, California and it is probably safe to say that he is the only military spouse named after a Marxist revolutionary — his middle name is Che.
[All images and content on this site Copyright 2008-2011 by Mitja Ng-Baumhackl, All Rights Reserved unless otherwise noted. Do not use without permission.]
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey–we may be heading to Singapore in July for a wedding. Any advice on plane trips, things to do, etc…?
Good morning! (or evening in your case)
I came across your blog a month or so ago after doing a search for “male military spouse” information on the web. I would love the opportunity to ask you and your wife some questions about life as a male military spouse, and life as a female officer in the Navy, as I am considering joining myself!
Would you be available to email with some of my questions?
Sincerely,
Nicole B.
Hi Mitja,
Thank you very much for your pretty bold sharing of your personal life. I really enjoyed reading lots of people personal profile. It’s just my curiocity about people’s personal lifestyle. I hope to learn from them and learn from you as well.
It’s so nice to have you here in Singapore Mitja and your family members too. You have a very nice daughter and of course a very understanding hubby too.
I could see that you are very happy from your family pictures.
God is indeed very blessings to most of us in this tiny little globe.
Goodday once again.
Eric Foo
Singapore
Bedok Reservoir
Mitja,
I meant to contact you a few weeks ago, but it completely slipped my mind! I work for a startup that provides support for military service members and their families, and we recently mentioned your blog in our post about links for military husbands. There aren’t many voices of male military spouses out there, so keep up the good work! I really enjoy reading your blog – congrats on the new addition to your family!
Best,
Jenny
I’m so sorry, I forgot to include a link to the post. You can view it here: http://bit.ly/9QG0QS
Hi Mitja,
My name is Joe Starr and my wife is in the Army National Guard. I am doing background research for a book featuring non- military male military spouses. I would love to talk with you or any of your readers who fit this mold to hear their experiences with deployments, children and life in general. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you and your readers.
Best,
Joe
Dear Mitja:
I am a MHN military spouse financial intern and discovered your blog from your post on the military spouse fellowship google group. I share your frustration with the MHN folks (I can’t get so much as a name tag from them for my presentations at Natl. Guard armories in Massachusetts).
Anyway I also am a “sea service” spouse as my husband is a Lieutenant Commander in the Coast Guard. He is currently stationed in DC but we chose to stay behind in Massachusetts (not because of any family ties-I was actually born and raised in San Francisco) because we felt we did not want to do another PCS with my husband only having 4 years left until retirement. In further coincidences, I also have a MA in Public Administration (Univ. of Hawaii, Manoa 2005).
Thanks so much for posting your exploits as a military spouse on your blog because your point of view is certainly refreshing.
Dear Mitja:
I would like to talk with you about two of the photographs you have for the flat mommy entries. I did not find a link to an email for you so I hope you don’t mind a comment posting. I have been looking for a photo of a flat mommy for our holiday fund raising campaign and yours are about the only ones out there!
I love the blog and being from a military family myself it is always great to hear other perspectives than the traditional “army wife” style.
You children are enchanting! Thank you for sharing.
I’m retired – USAF. I go to Thailand to visit my family every summer. Spacea of course to Singapore. I have been doing research
re ISOS. As a result of your blog, I can forget doing as such.
I would like to mention a program that might be legit. About 3 years ago, I had to visit Polo Hospital in Udon, Thailand. There I was given a form that would allow me to get supplemental insurance as long as I had Medicare parts A and B. The cost would be about 300 dollars per year and cover most if not all expenses. Have you heard of such a plan? Thanks from a former Squid (USS Kitty Hawk).
Hi there! Love to read your blog! My husband is with GW stationed in Yokosuka, Japan and I’m from Singapore. We usually go back to Singapore during summer vacation. I’ve a question if you don’t mind to answer….Does the US Navy Base in Sembawang has any special rates for hotel in downtown or maybe short term service apartment? We are looking to go back to Singapore this Summer and am looking for cheap hotel/service apartment.
Fay: No downtown hotel deals that I know of although you might be able to try to get a government/military rate if it is a U.S.-based hotel.
Hi,
I came across the site when looking up new uniform designs and saw the pink kaki’s or i guess that would be just pinks since kaki would indicate the color as well. Anyway, I just thought it was funny as my husband is in a similar situation. I am a 9 year in nurse corp officer and we are currently stationed in Japan. I would have to agree being a spouse in the navy is one of the toughest jobs around. I think the guys have it even worse as they often find themselves as the odd man out. My husband has been taking care of our two kids, the house, and running a photography business for the last 10 years. Add in the fact that I uproot and take us all over the place which means he has to start his photography business back up in a whole new place every few years. I know it can’t be easy but he sure makes it look that way. He has never been anything but 100% supportive of my decision to join the military. Thanks for the blog. I am emailing him a link so he can see he is not the only one out there.
Hi Patricia, thanks for saying hello. There are a lot of guys ‘married to the military’ but I think we’re often under the radar.