Army Wives, Season Finale…Now What?

One of the most popular Lifetime shows, Army Wives is ending yet another successful season this Sunday. The show has come to represent the military home effort, putting the spot light on military wives and giving civilians a glimpse into what it really means to be an Army wife, at least a closer understanding than they had before. The show has a successful social media component that offers online communities that unites real Army wives. The cast also does plenty of work off camera and goes into military communities to extend their support. When the show ends for this season, I can’t help but wonder, what main stream vehicle will continue to showcase a light on military families and give us a glimpse into this world?

Army Wives serves a greater purpose than just entertainment-it gives the American public a rare glimpse of what typical military families go through and brings about serious issues that are worth noting. While military families may not be the most popular topic, it is one that deserves media attention. For those not having any exposure to the military community, it is programs like these that remind us of the sacrifices and the lifestyle that these men and women go through. This type of exposure fosters acceptance and appreciation and it is necessary to serve as a reminder in a society that doesn’t always have the best representation of the military. The individual military branches are doing a great job with social media outreach to showcase interesting stories about their communities as an attempt to be more open and inviting to the civilian community. Before season four comes back in the summer of 2010, it will be interesting to see if similar type of programming will emerge.