"Jealous Wives Threaten Military Spouse Over Calendar"

Their headline, not mine. A couple of weeks ago, I received a press advisory about an Army wife/model who is selling a sexy calendar to help "boost troop morale." Her name is Alessandra Bosco and she is incredibly beautiful.

photo credit

Well, it seems that Alessandra and her soldier husband are having a rough go of it out in Germany. I've received some email about this and given that Alessandra's story is now in the news, I decided, somewhat grudgingly, to post about it.

There are so many angles here that are worth considering and probing. I'm very interested in reading your thoughts about this. Unfortunately, I'm knee-deep in segregating stuff for the movers so I'll simply post the story and come back later to add my two cents....

An Army spouse says her attempt to boost troops' morale with a sexy, military-themed calendar has made her a target of threats, abuse and vandalism that she blames on jealous wives.

Alessandra Bosco, who's married to Sgt. 1st Class Edward McCoy of the Katterbach-based 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, is selling a 2009 calendar that includes 12 photographs of her wearing a mixture of lingerie and military items.

The 32-year-old Italian has been a bikini model for 10 years and says she never had a problem with Army spouses before she came to Katterbach last year. But since then she has been the target of gossip, hurtful looks and negative comments from wives waiting at home while their husbands serve with the aviation unit in Iraq, she said.

"As soon as they found out that I liked to take pictures it was a problem. It's a lot worse since the calendar," she said.

The other wives, some married to high-ranking soldiers based in Katterbach, want her removed from the community, Bosco said.

"I’m a symbol that makes them feel self-conscious if they are overweight or don’t have a job that brings them in the spotlight," she said.

<snip>

Katterbach, where the somewhat-austere U.S. facilities are sandwiched into a cramped mess of rusty old German buildings, does not, at first sight, appear to be the natural environment for the glamorous lifestyle that Bosco aspires to. During an interview last week at the post exchange, she stood out from the shoppers in T-shirts and jeans in her tight black blouse.

Her husband, who stands well over 6 feet with a physique that suggests long hours in the gym, also cuts a memorable figure.

The veteran of deployments to Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, who works as the 12th CAB operations sergeant major, said Army leaders have told him his wife is a disgrace.

"I’ve never been in this situation but I’ve been told my career is on the line," he said. "I’m probably going to be relocated because my wife is a disruption to the community and it is affecting wives’ morale and they can’t have that in [the 12th CAB] rear detachment at this point."

Read the rest here.

Thoughts?

Comments

[aviator wife]

I am not sure what she has done that would require her removal. To each their own. She should be allowed to do what she pleases within the laws of the land. She had to know that some people might have a problem wih her photos.

[liberal army wife]

how ridiculous! the woman makes a living as a model. so that's enough to ostracize her?? stupid. Those cats at the base need a life.

LAW

[dutchgirl]

I'm with LAW. If a calendar is enough to make you doubt your dh, you're better off taking that issue up with him, not the model. Those women must have too much time on their hands.

[army_wife]

In the article that is linked to in this entry, it states that hard-core pornography is widely available in the PX and downrange and that "nobody cares". I would take issue with that statement because there are a LOT of people that care about that, myself inlcuded. I think that porn, whether hard-core or soft-core should not be available anywhere on any military installation (PX/Shoppettes at FOBs/COBs included). And yes, I consider a calendar full of pictures of a woman in lingerie to be a form of "porn"... disagree if you wish. I think that suggestive materials hurt families' morale whether a deployment is involved or not.

I don't like it at all and I hope my husband doesn't wish to buy her calendar (highly doubtful, by the way). However, I'd be even more disturbed if it were a spouse in my husband's unit. I understand how it would peeve the wives to know that their husbands are all leering at this calendar and can come home and know that they've seen one of their fellow Soldiers' wives in lingerie. They'll see her at some military function eventually and of course they'll remember her calendar pictures, what she looked like undressed. That could make for a compromising situation somewhere down the road.

My own personal belief is that unless a man is married to a particular woman, he doesn't need to see her in a state of undress (of any degree).

That said, I don't condone the threats and vandalism directed towards this wife. No matter how much another person's behavior might disturb me, no matter how wrong their actions are, it doesn't give me (or anyone else) the right to retaliate. If the woman has done something illegal, then the law can handle it.

As far as "being removed from the community"... well, the comment she made about the other wives being jealous because they are "overweight" or "don't have jobs that put them in the spotlight" smacks of narcissism. If she has this attitude towards the other wives, I can see how she could be causing problems with that. I wonder how well-liked her husband is? Does he go to work boasting about the fact that "my wife is a bikini model"? Are they overly proud? Some of this woman's comments suggest to me that she could be looking down her nose at the "less-attractive" spouses. I don't know her, so I don't know for a fact that this is the case. That's just the feeling I get from some of the statements in the original article. A lot of wives would find it very intimidating (I am speaking for myself as well) to even be around a woman of her beauty, knowing that she is a model, etc. Perhaps this calendar that all the soldiers are ogling is just the straw that broke the camel's back for them. I hope that my feelings are incorrect on this one, and that this woman is kind and accepting towards the other wives... but if she were so kind to them, and did not have a self-important attitude, then I suspect she wouldn't be having the problems she is having. If her attitude is, in fact, causing severe problems with the other wives then perhaps it would be fair to remove her. I suppose that is for the leadership there to decide.

On a lighter note... why are these married soldiers even interested in the calendar when they can make their own (for private consumption within the marriage only!)... ;-)

[LeeAnne]

Yeah, they should leave her alone; it's all part of the pin-up girl tradition--there was some pretty racy nose art back in the day. Fantasy. Not real life. But, then again, maybe the problem is that she's a part of that "real life" for the wives.

I have to wonder if maybe she likes the attention and being in the spotlight, no matter how negative the glare. Something about the tone of the quotes in the article smacks of self-promotion even if it is for morale.

I can see both sides but cannot condone the harassment. No matter what, it makes wives look bad on all sides. The comments section of the article makes that very, very clear. I can see why you've hesitated to post this, Andi. It just brings out the ugliness in people.

[A. Friend]

I believe people have every right to buy Playboy, Penthouse, etc. at military facilities. The troops are here to defend our First Amendment rights, so who is anyone to say those magazines can't be sold on base? Anyway, you can easily find FAR more explicit material on the Internet 24/7. The harassment is due to jealous wives who just can't compete with Ms. Bosco. Hopefully her husband can retire soon or be stationed at a big base where nobody will care.

[Flaneuse]

How sad that the other wives are so insecure as to resort to harassment. That should not be tolerated.

[Penny]

That's extremely ridiculous.. all that drama. For what? Just b'c she happens to be the actual person on a calendar? How many swim suit /sexy caldendars are available at Walmart etc etc? I think that the husband's job should not be on the line either.

I think that they need to seriously re- think how they're treating her. It's more of an insecurity from certain people that's causing all the drama.

On a side note, she also shouldn't have said that they're overweight or jobless but that's not enought to drive her out of there.

I personally know of an Army wife who made a sexy calendar for her husband and she's not a professional model.

It says Alessandra did this to boost the morale of soldiers. Do you honestly think they'd be having this big of an issue had it been Heidi Klum or anyone else doing this? I don't think so.

[Erin]

This saddens me because it only perpetuates that myth that women in military communities are insecure, like to start drama, etc. Let's stop cutting each other down, especially when you're stationed in a remote location far from home, when people NEED to be banding together.

This woman is not alone in her ideas and efforts. There are tons of vintage-inspired pin-up models doing the same thing:

http://www.pinupsfortroops.com/
http://www.thepinupangels.com/
http://www.pinupglamour.net/

Let's pick and choose our battles - this one isn't worth it. It saddens me that her husband's job is in jeopardy because of something she started with good intentions.

[army_wife]

"I'm a porker myself. That's why I don't want my husband looking at any attractive women."

Why would you post that under my screen name? Do you really think anyone is going to believe that I would say that about myself in public? Please. If you want to say that about me, feel free to do so under your own screen name. No need use identity theft to hide yourself.

As far as internet porn goes... just because they "can" look at worse things online, doesn't mean anyone should. I don't believe porn is a "first amendment right". It's obscene and a blight on society. I've seen firsthand how destructive it can be. I haven't always been the person I am now (not that I'm super-wonderful now, but I like to think I have improved over what I used to be). I can assure you that I'm not, by far, the only one who has seen how destructive this stuff can be.

If you think it's OK, then you're entitled to your opinion. I respectfully disagree with it. I'd have an issue with this sort of thing no matter who did it (an Army wife or anyone else)...

I've said it before, but I want to make it totally clear that I don't condone in any way the vandalism and hatefulness directed towards this lady. She deserves as much respect as anyone else in the world.

I still say that we milspouses should make our own "private" calendar for our Soldiers. That sounds more fun than quibbling about what some other woman did publicly.

[DJ]

Shame on all of you, especially her. You need to read further comments she’s made regarding spouses. How DARE she say that because spouses may be fat, she can provide the distraction their husband’s need. I can’t believe that men have such little respect and compassion for their wives, that they would encourage this. Their wives are home taking care of the children, pets, the house, and working full time jobs in order to support their deployed husband’s. All they have to get them through is the HOPE that their husband is looking at THEIR pictures, and that THEY provide the distraction that he needs..NOT the next door neighbor. We all know Playboy is around, no problem there, BUT their husband’s are not going to meet the Playboy models they lust over. Having this woman living on your street, knowing your husband has been looking at her in her lingerie, is totally wrong. She has a big mouth, and has said a lot of hurtful things about the spouses. If she is going to be a military wife, then she needs to act like one and treat the other wives with the respect they deserve, not thrusting her half nude body on their husband’s. It’s not a question of men looking at “pin up girls”..It’s a question of men lusting after a woman that they will see on a regular basis, with their wives right next to them.
I hope they remove her from the base and send her elsewhere. It’s time that the wives were shown some respect for all their hard work during deployments. A half naked calendar of the next door neighbor is not respectful. She needs to pedal her goods elsewhere.

[Andi]

LeeAnn said, "I can see why you've hesitated to post this, Andi. It just brings out the ugliness in people." Yes, it sure does. And that was just one reason I hesitated to post this story.

It seems we have some commenters who are new to SpouseBUZZ, so it might be a good idea to explain how we do things around here before more comments are flagged. We disagree with one another on occasion, sometimes we vehemently disagree, but we always do so in a civil manner. We attack an argument, not each other. SpouseBUZZ is a community and everyone treats everyone else with respect around here, whether or not they agree with one another.

So please, no more posting rude comments under another person's name, peddling porn sites, leaving explicit comments or personal attacks leveled at spouses with whom you disagree.

Anyone is free to make their arguments, but just remember that good manners are important around here.

[Erin N.]

I feel that the threats etc that this wife has had lobbed her way are unfortunate and do not reflect well on military wives in general. That being said, I don't agree that what she did was a good idea. Lots of wives know that Playboy and other magazines in that category are around. However, as it was mentioned earlier, no one is likely to meet the girl in Playboy he saw naked or nearly naked. It's very likely that these other wives will run into Ms. Bosco and it would be quite aukward to know that their husbands had seen her naked or nearly naked, and what he may be thinking the moment they run into each other. No wife wants to think that her husband lusts after another woman, and to have that woman possibly right across the street is a bit much. Just an opinion.

[Mrs. D]

I have to admit, I am pretty disgruntled with the Stars and Stripes lately. They have turned into tabloid trash. Some of the articles and editorials they have published recently should never have been put in print for everyone to read. Articles about allowing people to have sex in Afghanistan, an editorial by an active duty female stating that people cheat all the time on deployments, then this mess about the "model" who wants to entertain our husbands. I am not an Army spouse (an AF one), and don't live in that community, but I certainly understand why the wives are upset. I don't feel that vandalism, etc is the answer, but that it should be handled by the Commander's on the base. Obviously, this has become a serious issue there. Once she started berating the spouses, by talking about their appearances, lack of a job, etc., (also, the nasty comments made by others about the spouses appearance published in the paper),she became public enemy number one.
Personally, I don't think my husband would want me posing in such a way for my peers, but then, a SSGT doesn't make a lot of money, and I'm sure the supplemental income is worth sharing his wife for.
I have a feeling this is just a way for her to get attention in hopes that Larry Flynt will come knocking.
Stars and Stripes needs to be a bit more selective in what they publish. They have stirred up a hornets nest with this one, and a lot of people are being hurt by it.
Especially, the wives who would like to think their husband's are looking forward to coming home to see THEM, not to get glimpses of the neighbor. She has done irreparable harm to many women. When the husband's return, there will be heck to pay everytime the woman is around. I can hear it now.
I'm just glad that the women in the USA don't have access to the Stars and Stripes unless they go looking for it online. Ignorance is bliss.

[Andi]

It took me a while to formulate my thoughts, and this is lengthy, so please bear with me. How many of you read the entire article? Long story short, nobody looks good in this article, and if we're getting the whole picture here, then truth really is stranger than fiction.

We should keep in mind that this article puts the perspectives of Alessandra and her husband in the spotlight. The other "players," as it were, are mentioned and there are one or two quotes from them, but the article is largely Alessandra and her husband's story.

Let's examine all the players mentioned in the article.

The Spouse Community:

"The other wives, some married to high-ranking soldiers based in Katterbach, want her removed from the community, Bosco said."

I was a bit stunned to read this. What does "removed from the community" really mean here? And can one be "removed from the community" because one is beautiful and trades publicly and legally on that beauty? This seems a tad ridiculous to me.

"After a story about the calendar appeared in Stars and Stripes last month, Bosco said she found threats posted on her Web page - www.alessandrabosco.com - and that she was awakened in the night by women banging on her front door and yelling abuse. Her husband's car, a distinctive blue Chevrolet that sports an Italian flag, has been vandalized several times with side mirrors snapped off, keys dragged across the doors and the windshield smashed, she said."

I do hope the MPs were called. As many of you have commented, this type of behavior is beyond the pale, to say the least. I really, truly cannot envision a scenario where milspouses congregate at the residence of another spouse and verbally assault her. Seriously, this sounds like something right out of the Lenore/Marilyn (Army Wives) play book. But if this really occurred, it's embarrassing and inexcusable. As for the vandalism, well, I think we can all agree that is unacceptable, and a totally unjustified response, no matter what Alessandra has done.

"Army Leadership":

"The veteran of deployments to Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, who works as the 12th CAB operations sergeant major, said Army leaders have told him his wife is a disgrace."

Really? I'd like to know who these "Army leaders" are that told a fellow soldier his wife is a disgrace. And on what did they base their comments? I'm having a hard time believing that Army leaders actually said this. If so, what's disgraceful here is their behavior.

"I’ve never been in this situation but I’ve been told my career is on the line," he said. "I’m probably going to be relocated because my wife is a disruption to the community and it is affecting wives’ morale and they can’t have that in [the 12th CAB] rear detachment at this point."

Again, hard for me to believe that a career would be "on the line" just because someone is married to a beautiful swimsuit/lingerie model and that model lives in the community. This makes no sense to me, whatsoever.

The Husband:

"Downrange it is pornography with a capital P," he said. "There is hard-core pornography everywhere and nobody cares. Every soldier could back me up, but they don’t want their wives to know that and the Army doesn’t want the public to know that."

I found this comment to be gratuitous and wonder where the connection between porn and this story (which is supposedly a story about swimsuit model and calendar girl who is getting a raw deal from other spouses) is. It just seemed an odd reference which could do nothing but provoke hostilities and make matters worse for him and his wife within their community. In his defense, we don't know what question was posed to him, but the way it reads in the article isn't pretty.

Alessandra:

And then there's Alessandra. I think it's worth noting that Alessandra is Italian. I've always heard that Europeans are not as uptight about sexuality as Americans are. I'm not sure if this is true, but of the Europeans I know, most are much more direct and blunt than Americans tend to be. I tend to like the directness, but I also know that it can sometimes come across as rude. Some of Alessandra's comments do come across as rude, but worse than that - they come across as belittling, whether they were intended in that manner or not. Alessandra shouldn't be surprised that other spouses would take offense to a statement such as this one:

"I’m a symbol that makes them feel self-conscious if they are overweight or don’t have a job that brings them in the spotlight."

That's a lot of projection and her statement assumes quite a bit. I think Alessandra is a beautiful woman, but there are outwardly gorgeous women on every military installation. Women who are well-liked and not considered "disruptive." And there are overweight women on every military installation. Women who do not resent or cause trouble for other women simply because they are thin.

You see, the problem I had with this story was that everyone involved looks bad. Everyone. Milspouses come across as petty and insecure, the post leadership come across as heavy-handed, soldiers come across as hard-core porn-addicts, Alessandra comes across as uppity and her husband comes across as someone who pokes his finger in the eye of other wives and the Army. I'm not saying this is how everyone really is, but it sure reads that way. As LeeAnn stated:

"I can see both sides but cannot condone the harassment. No matter what, it makes wives look bad on all sides. The comments section of the article makes that very, very clear."

There are no winners here. There are no sympathetic characters, and a lot of this is hard to believe. I'm not saying it's untrue, just that it's stunning if it is true. It would be nice to get some more perspective from the other wives and the Army leadership. Can one situation really be this horrible all the way around, or is there some context missing here?

I hesitated to post this story for many reasons. First, it just seems so wacky, doesn't it? Also, it deals with so many yucky stereotypes, one being that women act catty towards other women. Another being the gossipy nature of post-living. As Erin commented above:

"This saddens me because it only perpetuates that myth that women in military communities are insecure, like to start drama, etc. Let's stop cutting each other down, especially when you're stationed in a remote location far from home, when people NEED to be banding together."

But also, thanks to the unnecessary injection, there's the delicate issue of pornography and how it's viewed (not literally) from the home front to the battle field. It's a tricky subject. All in all, I just plain didn't like this story. Some of the SpouseBUZZ authors discussed it beforehand and we agreed that since it's a story about a milspouse community and it's in the headlines now (and we kept getting pinged about it), that it was a reasonable topic for SpouseBUZZ.

Some comments posted elsewhere pertaining to this story were downright brutal and I didn't want that happening here. The milspouse community and Alessandra have been raked through the coals in an unpleasant, distasteful fashion in some quarters. We had a couple of out-of-line comments (which were flagged and disposed of), but the SB community has offered intelligent, rational commentary that avoided personal attacks on those involved and we wanted to thank you for that.

[Calico]

I may not agree with what the woman has done, but I will defend to the death her right to do it. So she has a big mouth; so she might not be a very nice person; so the other wives aren't being very nice either - not all people are nice, or quiet, or what we may think is the "ideal" military wife. It is not up to me to decide how someone else should behave; or what someone else should look at; or what I think they should be thinking when they look at something. I cannot imagine that the woman's husband's career is actually in jeopardy - that's probably an exaggeration. It is up to him to fight any push from his superiors to force his wife to conform to their standards. If he isn't willing to push back, then perhaps he wants things to change. You never know. If he is willing to tell a superior officer that it is none of their business what his wife does as long as it does not reflect unfavorably on the U.S. military - then they will have to back down. Well, that's my 2 cents.

[Guard Wife]

I just can't help but think there is WAY more to this story that we don't know. And, given the 'drive by' smattering of coverage that is becoming more & more typical in grab-your-attention stories like thi sone, I doubt we will.

[Slightly Salty]

The only thing that really would bother me about the calendar is that it is of a wife that some of the troops will know personally. I don't think I'd care for my husband checking out a calendar of someone's wife from his ship or shore job. However, I'm not opposed to to the soldiers looking at calendars of any type or pinups or any "dirty" magazines, per se. It literally doesn't bother me b/c I know my husband loves regardless of what "eye candy" he might check out from time to time. And deployed military personnel have had access to calendars and other material for years so this isn't that big of an issue to me.

I do think it's a bit harsh with all of the criticism she is receiving and the threats of being relocated, etc. Granted, she may not be sympathetic to the other wives feelings on this, but the threats are too much. We have bigger problems in this world to worry about.

[Andi]

And just to build on my comment (because it wasn't long enough - heh) I do not like it when an entire community is painted with a broad brush, because it's not right. I don't believe for one minute that an entire post of milspouses were plotting and scheming against Alessandra just because she happens to possess some fine physical attributes. It just seems to me that everyone involved probably has reasonable points to be made but their points (whatever they may be) are somehow lost in the visceral reactions that occur when someone reads a story like this, and when we don't know much about what the other side has encountered or is thinking.

No matter what happened and no matter who did what to whom, it's sad that there is a rift so wide among spouses who, in general, tend to bond with and support one another. Wouldn't it be nice to see them work it out somehow among themselves?

Where's Claudia Joy when you need her? Heh....

[Jewel]

I couldn't agree with you more, Andi. It's a sad situation all the way around, especially thinking that milspouses are capable of such hate and vengence. I have to wonder if this would have caused the same uproar at a state side post/base. My experience has been that when you are stationed at a post/base that may be isolated and far from the nearest town, everyone turns their attention inward and focuses on the post and all it's stories and gossip, which can cause things to spiral out of control rather quickly.

[Mikala]

I wonder how it would feel if your husband has her calender (and you know it), and then you have to sit across from them at some type of function on the base. Hmmmm, I wonder where his mind would be. I assure you, not on the dress YOU are wearing! He would be focusing on what she's wearing underneath hers! None of you ladies writing on here will ever have the opportunity to experience that, because you are not stationed where she is. It's pretty easy to berate the women on the base for their actions, when it's them and not you having to see her every day, knowing she's been entertaining their husbands, barely clothed. Having said that, nobody has the right to threaten or do violent acts. Funny how an active duty girl was discharged not long ago, for basically the same thing. Doesn't seem real fair, does it.....

[NC Army Wife]

Reacting to Mikala's comments, this is one of the very reasons I stear clear of my FRG and why this calendar has created such an uproar. Yes my husband would look at her, then we would laugh all the way home on the huge scene this caused and what idiots everyone was being. I hope that I would react in a mature way and ignore what would have gone away quickly under normal circumstances.

Small minds and closed minds is what tears apart any community.

[SeabeeSeniorWife]

I'm in agreement with Andi. Its sad to see such a disruptive article printed as a factual piece of information. This reads like an unsubstantiated piece of promotional journalism. The allegations made by the model and her husband seem like a shameless ways to promote her calendar and promote her career as a model. This also seems to be the agenda of the articles author as well. Sadly, it will do just that and in the mean time it will spread a misconception about those Army wives on that base as well as military wives everywhere.

I too, agree in the right to free speech but what gets forgotten many times is that if you chose to exercise that right in a very public forum, you must accept the responsibilities and realities that come with making your opinion so public. No on should be naive enough to believe that you can put your body out there, even as a model, and not have some women react negatively to your promoting yourself to their husbands. Obviously, I don't agree with vandalism and slander as forms of retaliation, but the reality is that there will always be people who react this way and you should always be prepared for the consequences of your public actions. That doesn't make them right but reality is never an ideal world.

[Christine]

ditto NC Army Wife.

I tried to come up with a long, thought out response. Then I realized it wasn't worth the energy. It's a female scantily clad. Whoop dee doo. Still haven't seen one reason that would convince me that it's a big deal or worth all the energy of making a fuss over it.

[oldtanker3]

i've been retired 35 years now but it seems some things never change! Maybe these worried wives need to ask themselves " What am I worried about?" and then take appropriate action! A picture is just that! A picture!
1SG Jim Carner USA Ret.

[Aubrey]

NC Army Wife..he might be laughing in front of you...
but what thoughts are really lurking in his mind ;-)

[Evie]

Jim, it's more than just a picture when she's living next door to you. A military base is a small area, overseas.....there's no avoiding her. It's only a picture when it's a fantasy that you will never meet in person with your wife standing next to you

[Desi]

I, personally, cannot stand the "right to free speech" argument as being a permission slip to drop all sense of decorum, decency, and resepct. Yes, she has the right to parade herself around in front of these men. No, she isn't doing anything legally wrong and I agree with everybody else that the retaliation of vandalism and threats are way out of line. However, let us put a different spin on this idea.

Say you want to make a sexy calendar and sell it to the men in your husband's unit. Now how do you think your best spouse friend (whose husband also happens to be in your husband's unit!) will feel about her husband getting aroused by you every evening while on deployment? Could you look your best friend in the eye? Do you think she'd be your best friend anymore? Do you think you'd be invited to her labor day barbecue this year or any year in the future? I know that if I were that best friend, you can bet I wouldn't speak to you for the rest of your life. Not because you did anything legally wrong, but because you somehow felt it was your duty to entertain my husband sexually when in fact it is not your duty nor your place.

If you can't tell, I'm 100% against porn of any kind, whether I know the model or not. I think it berates women and undermines the sexual relationship between a man and his wife.

[Erin]

My husband would have the same reaction as Jim, but I understand where Evie is coming from as well.

At least for me, there's a huge distinction between tangible women ("real" people, neighbors, etc) and those seen in porn and nudie mags. Those women are inaccesible. As difficult as it is sometimes, it's my challenge as a wife to rely on the strength of our marriage and have faith in my husband. That insecurity is my issue that I have to overcome.

I'm not quite sure where I wanted to take this post, but I did want to expand on how different people (men and women) may view something like this as an issue and give my take on the calendar, as a wife.

[NC Army Wife]

I hesitate to respond to the comment about my husband. My blood curled when I saw that comment. I will not take it as a personal attack since you do not know me personally. I will instead take it as an attack on the very heart of what it a marriage. Military or not, a marriage in my view is two people who have decided to commit the rest of their lives to one another, for better or worse. As much as I do not like quoting entertainment figures, Will Smith was asked how he and his wife have stayed together so long, and his response was divorce just isn't an option. Popular opinion of marriage and what that commitment means has eroded in the past years or decades. Some seem to think that cheating and wandering thoughts and hearts is normal and to be expected. My husband and I do not feel that way, and as I look around I have surrounded myself with friends who value that commitment just as highly as we do. We are not prudes, but our marriage is the most important thing we have together. It makes me feel old and sad to see so many people make comments to this article that show just how much our culture and values have changed. And I am not old, just raised old school :)

[Semper Fi Wife]

NC Army Wife,
Lancelot and I have the same philosophy on marriage. Divorce simply is not an option. You are absolutely right.

Old school or not, it's a philosophy that has kept my marriage together for 23 years. :)

[cdgin]

I kind of think people are missing the point here.

The last line of the article a wife was quoted as saying it would be ok if he was slobbering over Angelina Jolie. Someone else mentioned it would be ok if it was Heidie Klum. All these pictures are of real people-they are ALL tangible. Angelina has neighbors and so does Heidie. All the other models in all the other calendars and magazines have neighbors..they don't live out on some sexy model/person island out in the middle of nowhere. It doesn't matter who it is or where they live, they are always going to be someone else's neighbor. Do we have to like what our neighbors do? NO. But I also think we don't have the right to tell our neighbors what they can do and cannot do for a living. That's part of being an American-we aren't told what we are going to do for a living.

I haven't seen the pictures (I'm on my work computer) however, if we don't even know what the photos look like, how can you assume that they aren't tasteful pictures? And even if they aren't-if it's legal-then we really can't say anything either. We can choose to buy the calendar or not to buy the calendar, period. If you don't buy it, you aren't supporting her.

None of us know how she is being treated, what is being said to her. Her comments weren't very nice, but we don't know what those other women are saying to her either. What they have to say could be much more nasty. Plus, if it was me and my property was being vandalized and women were saying nasty things to me..You could quote me about it and what I had to say would be alot worse, I'm sure. I'm just saying you don't have to agree with her, or what she does or what she says-but she is an adult. How she chooses to make her living is her own choice. If some of what was inferred in the article is being said by military officials-I'm more worried about how much the lawsuit is going to cost the taxpayers.

Comparing what she does to other models and saying it's ok if it is Angelina Jolie or some other famous person, but not ok because she lives on a military base and is someone's neighbor is like saying it's ok if _______ (insert anything bad you want to think of) happens in the civilian world, but on a base it's not ok. Everyone is entitled to their rights, whether they're your neighbor or someone else's.

[MO]

When will we women embrace our sexuality and stop being so afraid of bigger, smaller, pale, tan, golden, brown, inverted, bubbly, flat etc. etc.

I'm so done! Let the woman do her thang! Perhaps the next time somebody wants to make some racy pic's for their husbands they could make friends with her and get some pointers or some discounts.

Unite ladies, screw what society tells us how to think!

[plc]

Wow, sure have some emotions stirred up with this article. I have jut one thing I would like to comment on...aren't there other people besides just female spouses living on the post? Who is to say that it was a bunch of "wives" that did the vandalism? Maybe she forgot to tip a bagger at the commissary?

[NC Army Wife]

Thank you for the humor. I think we all needed that!

[Shanna]

I'm just curious as to how she is improving morale with the calendar? Is she donating the proceeds to the MWR office or the unit? I think that this article barely touches the surface of the entire story and that if this wife is being "removed from the community", my guess is it is because of something completely unrelated to the calendar. Unfortunately, the press nowadays doesn't deem it necessary to ensure all of the comments they're printing are related to the same issue. Good for her that she's beautiful and a bikini model. If I could do it, I probably would, too. Bad for her that her attitude portrayed in this article makes her a very ugly person. I think everyone is getting worked up over this situation, but I don't think anyone has been provided with the whole story. I can understand why some wives would feel threatened, I may have too in my younger years. Now, I have the "Zen-ish" philosophy that I can control absolutely nothing other than my reaction to everything. I can't control what my husband looks at, fantasizes about or is aroused by, but I can control how I react to those things. Simplistic, maybe, but it works for me and keeps my jealousy levels at a minimum.

[Madeline]

With all the sexual assaults in the military (just watch AFN commercials), I think I'd be leery of putting myself out there for a bunch of men to fantasize about. This isn't just about married men, but there are a lot of young, single guys "enjoying" it, too. Also, I am no prude. I have subscribed to Maxim for my husband in the past, BUT, I know that once he turns the pages, that's the end of it. He'll never bump into those women in the commissary, PX,
base swimming pool, etc. He won't see her and wonder if she's wearing the Feb, March or April underwear. By the way, an article online said that while other wives shop in t-shirts and jeans, "alessandra" is seen in tight black tops. (okay, freedom of dress is an alienable right). She is, obviously, a woman who craves attention and likes to stand out in the crowd. Conforming is not the problem here, it's being sensitive to the other women on the Post's feelings. My husband is in the Air Force, and I must say that when we go to formal functions, the woman in the low cut dress is the one everyone gossips about. My husband has even made comments on how inappropriate some of the dresses are. This woman,who feels she's doing a service for the husbands, is doing a disservice to their wives.

[Hope]

"If you want the girl next door, go next door..." (Quote from the home page at www.alessandrabosco.com)

I think that Alessandra says it herself on this one... The fact that she actually is the girl next door is likely the root of this problem.

I question what this is about for Alessandra. She claims she wants to support troop morale. However, with all of the uproar this has created, I wonder if this is ultimately doing the opposite in terms of creating turmoil in families and showing the military in a negative light.

Perhaps she is coming from a good place, but it seems like she is a bit of an attention hog. I've never thought to myself.."Gee, I hope that my goodies can get Jane's husband through his deployment." But then again, I'm not a bikini model...

Alessandra and her husband don't deserve to be harassed and moved, and she does have every right to do what she is doing. And perhaps the wives should just be confident in themselves and their husbands, and just assume that it's another lingerie calendar. However, the fact of the matter is that not every wife can do that, and if it is making a deployment more troublesome for even one family, then Alessandra's project has defeated it's purpose.

[Bonny]

I just read the article and I have some questions? Did the article post every quote as stated by everyone or did it cut and paste what it wanted? How accurate was every quote? If the article was meant to provoke, it did its job. I may not like all the comments made but I do also know how comments can be distorted to fit the perspective of the writer.

I definitely do not have the body to sell a calendar, so I give her a lot of credit for doing it. If she and her hubby are okay with it, then there should be no problems for anyone else. No one is forcing other husbands or wives into buying or looking at the calendar.

If she is distractingly beautiful, that is something she cannot change nor should she. If some people are uncomfortable with her looks, what does that say about them? Wrong is wrong. Saying she is too pretty is just as bad as saying someone is not pretty enough.

We, as women, should be banding together for sisterhood, not tearing each other apart. We should also support each other since we are milspouses. All for one...

[DJ]

"Sisterhood?". I don't think my sister would want her husband seeing me in lingerie.
Nor would I want my husband seeing my sister in HER lingerie! As for all the damage being done to their property, perhaps it's the husband's of the wives who are making their lives miserable because of all of this. Men who may never give her a second look, are now being subjected to accusations by their wives, because so much attention has been given to this. At some point in our marriages, we have ALL been jealous of other women, and we ALL know the snide remarks we've made to our husband's over it. Imagine what these guys are going through from their wives. They probably never want to leave the house, just in case they run into this woman, while with their spouses. Even if they turn the other way, the wives will throw tirades.."I saw you looking at her", etc. etc..the damage is done, folks. It's time for this to stop being front page news and let it die down for everyone's sake

[SigGal]

Andi, Thank you for the thoughtful commentary. You are right on - no one one looks good in this.

The Stars and Stripes has been partly to blame for making some ridiculous stuff into news items lately - and then printing opinion letters to further stir the pot. Their editors do soldiers and families a disservice.

But of course they have the "right" - we all know who protests that.

I live overseas. Europeans are different culturally in their opinion of nakedness - it abounds on billboards, in regular magazine ads, etc.

Allesandra knows this difference in culture - she's lived in both places. She knows Army wives because she is one. I bet that most of the difficult reactions she is dealing with (not the vandalism and threats - that is unaccepptable and I hope they have called the authorities) are things she has experienced throughout her career as a lingerie model.

I bet the story is very different if you were to actually talk to the members of that community.

Anyway - interesting discussion. Can of worms, Andi - you were courageous to post this!

[SigGal]

Andi, Thank you for the thoughtful commentary. You are right on - no one one looks good in this.

The Stars and Stripes has been partly to blame for making some ridiculous stuff into news items lately - and then printing opinion letters to further stir the pot. Their editors do soldiers and families a disservice.

But of course they have the "right" - we all know who protests that.

I live overseas. Europeans are different culturally in their opinion of nakedness - it abounds on billboards, in regular magazine ads, etc.

Allesandra knows this difference in culture - she's lived in both places. She knows Army wives because she is one. I bet that most of the difficult reactions she is dealing with (not the vandalism and threats - that is unaccepptable and I hope they have called the authorities) are things she has experienced throughout her career as a lingerie model.

I bet the story is very different if you were to actually talk to the members of that community.

Anyway - interesting discussion. Can of worms, Andi - you were courageous to post this!

[NewArmyWifeMegan]

MY husband and I have a very open mind when it comes to porn and pin-ups. I honestly don't care if my husband looks and the person in the pics lives next door. I am an artist. I have sat through life drawing and sculpting classes and my own work has mostly nude females figures as the subject or main image. I have framed photos and drawing that I have taken or made of men and women that I went to college with. My husband has meet some of them. The only one he has an issue with is the drawing of my ex boyfriend.

[TigsPooh]

First of all, these are only my thoughts/opinions. I have to agree with Mikala. The whole thing makes me feel slighted. I hate to say it, but it's still a man's world. Has anyone read the comments on military.com posted mostly by men? Its really disgusting. A lot of men apparently lose brain function/common sense when their you know what is engaged.
Anyhow,I feel whats good for the goose is good for the gander, right? I just hate the unfairness of it all. I often wonder, if she is out to 'boost the morale' of the men, then why not teach other women how to look fantastic for their husbands.
I think of that programme "How to Look Good Naked". Now, theres a programme that attempts to change the way a woman feels about herself. And when a woman feels good, she exudes confidence. And that is the most attractive attribute of all!
How is this confidence building. Its more like confidence stripping at someone else's expense. I feel that this woman's petty comments smack of narcissism,and it seems she *needs* the attention.
I think if given the opportunity, most military wives, heck, women in general would love to have the chance to look this way for their hubby's or boyfriends. ( It's been my experience that most women, especially military wives cannot afford to, or they are just plain busy.)
And besides, wouldn't you think that military wives/any wife would just want to do it for their husbands' eyes only?
Makes you think about her and her husbands motives.
Here's a thought, what if there were places just for women to go to, to see half naked men, to stand next to them, dance with, have them to hang out with, have calendars of, pen pals, etc., (and to actually have daycare available while women attended these functions) and all the while we would let our men know that hey, this keeps our mind off of deployments and gives us much needed breaks from the family while you are away......... I wonder how if this would cause as much commotion as this story?? just my 2cents worth.

[HorsesRule]

I think that the issue is that when men typically engage in porn, or a sexy calendar, the objects of their affections are unattainable. In this case, these men can enjoy their "object" at the next company party...that's a slightly different ball game. Not saying I agree either way, just pointing out that there is a difference between men lusting after someone they will never meet and someone you run into at the commissary.

[Mrs. S.]

I hope you can stand one more letter about the “bikini model.” I personally could care less about her selling calendars. She is a woman who is married to a soldier and is trying to continue her bikini modeling career while she can. Maybe that is her only skill? I was glad though the Stars and Stripes had a non airbrushed photo of her in the paper. She is very pretty, but I’ve seen just as attractive (or more so) spouses walking around base. Ok…meow. Her comments on other military spouses bothered me. When asked: “Do you think Italians are more glamorous than Americans?” She answered:”We have a better way of expressing passion through a picture. We are more blessed with looks.” Her comments whether meant to sound hurtful or not were insensitive. If she normally expresses herself like this, I can understand while other wives may not like her. It was also insensitive for the Stars and Stripes to print these remarks. In all honestly, I think all the articles done by Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes reporter, have been, in my opinion, just plain poor journalism. What’s with the Stars and Stripes??? I thought they supported military families???? I agree with Mrs. D (17 June 2008). I, too, have been disgruntled with the Stars and Stripes. These articles by Mr. Robson are not supportive of military spouses and have done a great injustice to the military community. Now the whole community is in an uproar. I also don’t think the Stars and Stripes should be promoting her calendar. When she says she only wants to support the troops with her calendar, I want to laugh. No dear….you want to make some money OFF the troops. This is just a business and she and her husband have used military sources to promote her calendar.
This is not the first time The Stars and Stripes has done an article advertising what my father who is retired military would call “girlie” calendars. Back in September 2006, there was an article published on a group of models out of California who were putting together a calendar to raise money for wounded soldiers and their families. Their 2007 calendar was called Camouflage (www.operationcalendar.org). The models were “clad only in body paint” with an “a button here, a scarf there.” Many of the models worked with Strategic Operations at Camp Pendleton. According to the article, 100% of the proceeds went to Fisher House Foundation. The Stars and Stripes had a picture of one of the “pinup girls” next to the article. I remember I tried to see if see "anything" with these painted on swimsuits…I couldn’t. The photos were more like WWI pinups. I don’t think there was uproar about this calendar since the women in the article made no negative comments and all the money went to wounded troops and their families. Their goal was to help the troops and their families. I don’t think Ms. Bosco is donating anything to the troops.
So now, I wonder what will happen to this couple. They say they have been persecuted by the community. Well, they only have themselves and the Stars and Stripes to thank. I would think they would want to leave. I think it would be best for them and the community.

[Mark]

There is a big difference between her picture in the Stars and Stripes and the pictures on her website...once the makeup and lighting goes away.........................she's quite ordinary

[Mark]

She married an American, got a green card, and has used it to hurt American military spouses who have devoted a good part of their lives to their husband's careers,often at the expense of their own...
Time for her to move on...in the USA she'll just blend in with the crowd. She's not extraordinary enough to stick out. Models are a dime a dozen. Does she have kids? Maybe she should walk in the shoes of the women raising families, virtually on their own because their husband's are deployed 3 out of 5 years. Then she can see what HARD work really is. Their husband's should respect their wives more, considering they are doing the day to day, and sometimes year to year, handling of home and family matters, so that their deployed husband's can concentrate on their jobs, not on the "girl next doors" have nude body on their walls.

[army_wife]

I just wanted to pop back in and say I love the comment about teaching other wives how to look good for their husbands. What a great use of Ms. Bosco's talents that would be! She knows how to look good -- how edifying it would be to the Army community it would be if she were to help the other wives! How confidence-building that would be! I think it would be great for her to offer a class for the wives.

[angela]

I am wondering what the kids in the neighborhood are thinking when they listen to the adults argue over this. I mean I try and teach my son to respect women and my girls that they should take care of their looks but not let that be all they are. So what are the kids thinking when they see dad looking at the women next door and not their mom. I don't want my girls growing up thinking if they gain a few pounds or get old that its ok for their husbands to look at other women. We are more than that. I had 3 kids for my husband and really raise them alone because he is gone so much. What would that say to my girls if they caught him looking and commenting on the model next door. That would teach them that all women are is something to look at. Hey if I am the one washing the man's underwear and raising his kids he better only look at me.

[Jenny]

According to Alessandra in yesterday's paper, "men will cheat with or without her calender"..Such a classy comment in a newspaper read by thousands of military wives! Somebody needs to muzzle her

[SigGal]

This in our S&S paper in Germany today. You can find it at Stripes.com

Thanks to calendar supporters

I have been following the responses regarding my calendar project. I would like to thank everyone who has made an effort to understand the real meaning of this calendar and understand that this is my career and not an overnight venture.

I have received hundreds of letters from servicemembers worldwide, particularly from those deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have also received a ton of supportive letters from military spouses who aren’t blinded by jealousy and even bought copies of the calendar.

Thank you for being able to think outside the box and for understanding that this calendar wasn’t made with the purpose of dragging your husbands to my doorstep. Many thanks also to fellow European ladies who always supported me: We are generally thought to admire a successful woman and learn from her, rather than hating her, and it shows.

Some people do not like individuals who are ambitious and go after their goals. Jealousy is a reflection of fear. It is easy to blame personal insecurities on my calendar, but let’s be realistic: Poor self-esteem will be there with or without my calendar. Husbands have cheated and will continue to do so with or without my calendar.

If some think their husbands are so "weak" they’ll drop on my doorstep, maybe the option is to get rid of him or see a therapist. There’s obviously a deeper reason why some marriages are so fragile.

My project was created for the troops. Their daily messages thanking me for what I am doing remind me of one thing: I have accomplished what I believe in and my work is done. As long as they are happy, that’s what matters.

Alessandra Bosco
Katterbach, Germany

[Gary]

What have you accomplished? How are you helping the troops? Did you put the proceeds into MWR supplies for the war zones? Did you buy phone cards for the war zones, so the servicemen could call their wives? Or did you build up your own nest egg? I think that what you did was done for purely selfish and egotistical reasons and the only morale it helped was your own.

[AmmieNavyWife]

I seriously don't see what the problem is with this woman. I don't doubt for a moment that these wives are insecure and jealous. I find it ridiculous that the Army would take opposition to this woman, just because the wives got their panties in a bunch.

Further, I think they should distribute the calendar military wide and if I could get my hands on some, I know MANY sailors who would feel a little more patriotic if they had one.

Maybe if they could get other wives involved with the calendar project, they could be a part of it rather than lashing out at the model. A little confidence goes a long way, and I would bet money their husbands would think it was HOT HOT HOT.

[Bonny]

I hate to admit this but she does have a point. A cheater is a cheater, whether it's with a model, the girl next door, or the model/girl next door. A spouse who wants to cheat will do so with anyone willing. I'm not so sure a calendar is the deciding factor.

I now have two questions.

1. Does she say where the proceeds from calendar sales went? A few have said she kept them. Just wondering.

2. Are the people buying her calendar getting the same grief that she is getting? Fair is fair. The buyer is as guilty as the seller.

[Former MP/Current Army Wife]

This is ridiculous. Seriously, so this woman decides that she wants to do something to IMPROVE MORAL..she has good intent and a good heart and now she's being slammed for it!?! WTF, over. What does her husband's job have to do with it at all?? Oranges and apples. And it's all because someone is listening to this bs and that someone or somebodys don't have enough of a spine to say, "Get over it ladies." Seriously, these women are acting like they are in the 2nd grade. Two words for those ladies: "SHUT UP".

[Navy Wife Gossiped About Also]

You go girl. I was the center of a gossip chain as well. Like you, they were a buntch of military wives who don't have a job and are nothing but breeding machines. Keep up the great work. I hope it works out and I hope to get a copy to show the support from the Navy side.

[A VStouwe]

I'm sorry to say but this woman has no common sense. She is obviously a fool, probably conceded and she may have her reasons but that does not make it okay. Plenty of people in the military have problems in their marriages and she's just giving some people one more reason to get angry. Doesn't her husband care that his wife wants to show herself off to the other men he works with so they can do God knows what with it.. She is definitely a disgrace to herself if not to her husband and it's a shame that something like this even has to come up. How would she feel if I or friends of mine made "personal" calenders of ourselves and sent them to her husband.. knowing that it's possible to meet in person... She needs a reality check.

[drill sgt's woman]

This is crazy. Women acting like children over pictures??? Whether these insecure women want to believe this or not their men are over there watching porn every chance they get. It's a natural thing for men. It doesn't mean they are going to leave their wives. Does it mean they are stirring up some fantasy in their head...of course! Everyone fantasies everyday about something and if you are a inscure women that usually means your not giving your man what he's really wanting in the bedroom. Given that, while you two are doing your thing he already got that fantasy in his head before you even get busy.
These women need to get some self confidence in themselves and be proud of who they are and stop showing the whole world how low their self-esteem is.
And for this man to have to be worried about loosing his job??? Wow, they will sell porn at the PX to any person, married or not.

[Jodi]

I am one of the people that posted a reply to the stars and stripes after the article about the calender. When they did the follow up, I was not surprised. It seems that Mrs. Bosco has a case of foot in mouth disease, as in, she is always inserting her foot in her mouth! I made a comment that in a previous article, Bosco said that European are sexier and more beautiful than American women. Then the comment about women who are self concisous because of their weight being jealous of her. This is all such a pile of bull, I can't belive it! How in the world is her "job" more important than the job of the women that stay home and raise their children, manage their finances, support their husbands during deployments and hold a paying job at the same time?
I don't think that the reactions are based on jealousy, i think that it is anger over the fact that the stars and stripes continue to print Mrs. Boscos digs towards American Military Spouses. This does go to show that beauty really lies within.

[Jerianne]

My main problem with all of these arguments is this...pornography, playboy, penthouse, whatever...those are women who are "untouchable" and therefore a fantasy for men, same with the Pin-Ups of the olden days. The main difference here is this, she is an actual army wife, a flesh and blood creature that interacts with other wives and probably with some of the soldiers who are looking at her calander. I realize that her job is as a model, and good for her...and it would be fine if she made a calendar and distributed it to the masses, but that's not what she did..she made it and directed it at our men overseas, away from loved ones, lonely and homesick. Imagine if the girl next door to you or across the street was this drop dead gorgeous creature and she was a model and made a calendar and sent it to YOUR husband? and then say he came home a few months later and was standing face-to-face with this creature he had been drooling over in a calander. how would you feel about that? I know me personally I would be angry...i think that if she wanted to make a calander for her husband, great, but that should remain between them. I can't believe that her husband would be happy having all those guys oogling over her either. And as far as her comments? that's just the Europeon attitude towards Americans...they think we're all fat and ugly, but I agree she should not have made those comments, it only put her in a worse light..I can fully appreciate the punishment they want to hand down,but removal i think would be too harsh, but a reprimand is defintely in order. The Army holds our men to a higher standard, and as such we are held to that same standard..everything we do reflects back on them ....just my two cents

[Rose]

1. 95% to 99% of all military wives are venomus vipers. They aren't worth the time of day from what I have found.

2. You want to use military things to pose on a calander where you also show off your body, you should damn well know better your going to be the main target with most wives.

3. Any man who can't be faithful to his wife should just get his balls blown off. If the wife is the unfaithful one leave her dead in the gutter.

Everyone should stop their damn bitching and move on. If you can't do anything better than bitch here about some dumbass who wants to whore it out to men or who wants to show off her body to make herself feel good then you need to be slaped in the face so you wake up and get a damn life. The people who place shit like this here are pathetic. I don't get the news letter to read about some dumb ho thats jealous of some crack pot whore. For a full blooded italian that chick surely don't stick to true customes of her family heritage.

[shannon]

i think that what this model is doing is great... these wives should get on their husbands, and not this woman trying to boost morale.

i am a Marine wife of 6 years, going on 7. and everytime my husband deploys i do not hesitate to send him some racy photos. that boosts his morale, and keeps him from buying some cheap calendar or magazine. plus hes looking at his own wife.

wives.. dont be affraid to step infront of that camera, and get a sexy face on. you have no idea how much that does for your man.

hes married to you. not some calendar.

i dont care about the politics of this article much.

but wives if your pissed off at this woman because of your own short comings.. then step it up, and get something going on for your man. otherwise get off of this womans A$$.

[Amber S. Proud Navy Wife]

I do not see the problem with a beautiful woman showing off her body to boost morale. I know what some of you might be thinking, "Oh she must be one of those women", but the truth is I am not. I am an average American woman a little too heavy, I have bad hair days and I certainly won't win mother or wife of the year this year, or any other. But I will tell you what other kind of woman I am; I am woman who believes if you got it flaunt it, and if you don't hate on women who do.

[Patriotic American Girl]

I see this from both sides. I think it is kind of ironic that someone from a foreign country isnt getting enough attention in her own career so she has to create drama by making a calendar to boost american troops morale. I'm all about being proud of what you have, and I understand the sacrifices of having that sort of physique being a part time model myself. However, in this case it seems the good wife shoudl consider her husbands morale over the morale of the troops. They'll appreciate her just the same for free online. If it makes SO many other people unhappy, it doesnt seem like rocket science to nip it in the bud... but sometimes intelligence or grace are a part of the sacrifice made.

[honey]

I think that she is a good thing I was station in Germany and grow up there and i believe that moral is a important thing you have problem with a spouse trying to boost the moral and downing her for doing but you don't have problem with your husbands downloading the shit off the internet and watching it with their buddies down there. I think that if her husband supports her in doing that that's fine because that means he knows that she is doing her job as a model it shouldn't matter that she's a military wife. She doing something that noone else thought about and just because she beat you to the punch don't make her look bad. You ladies need to get a life and learn that if someone is trying to help the cause that's a good thing and what your husbands need is support and high moral not you going after a model that is is trying to help the cause. If you have a problem with model or people that pose go after people that make major money for shit like this not someone that is helping our soliders out. Some of you just like to sit on your ass not have a job and spend all your husbands money the reason i say that is because i lived in Germany i know how much money you get on a monthly bases and i know that if u don't have any bills you will go out and spend the money. And for the one of you that just stay at home to make babies get a life and learn that this country needs more then people making babies get a job and learn the more about the place that your in because if your just going to sit on your ass while in germany and not see the beauty of the place then your going to hate where you are the whole time your there and your going to try to bring people down with you and that is not fair to them because are jealous and what makes it worst is you are all pissed out that a spouse that wasn't an american beat you to the photo shoot.. Alessandra keep your head up and don't let jealous people upset you. Good Job and HIGH FIVE to you.
Honey

[A VStouwe]

Also, I don't care if it's someone my husband will ever meet or not... Seeing another woman in her lingerie or naked for personal enjoyment is NOT okay. And saying it's to "boost morale".. come on.. we all know what it's really for.

[Jerianne]

wow..do you eally think that bashing military wives is appropriate here girls? give me a break...the angrier you get the more names you call, the worse your look....

ROSE?
95% to 99% of all military wives are venomus vipers. They aren't worth the time of day from what I have found.

and where do you get you facts swetie? maybe you should come meet my friends...

and Navy Wife??

Like you, they were a buntch of military wives who don't have a job and are nothing but breeding machines.

ummmm, you need to get a clue...

this is really not a place to bash other wives, aren't we a little more mature than that???

[Marine wife & former Airman]

I've been around the military for years, many of them spent overseas. I've been active duty and a dependant wife. Sad to say, a small percentage of men, usually after having a few to many drinks have, to say it nicely, taken advantage of women. I personally see nothing wrong with the pictures, but I would be afraid that if a man was obsessively ogling, as someone else put it, and if Ms.Bosco was in the wrong place at the wrong time she could be in trouble. If you are in the eye of the public there will always be issues of one kind or another. A persons insecurities will not go away if the calendar goes away. I hope that both men and women can be mature enough to "get over it" and not cause harm to Ms. Bosco or her family. I suggest if couples are having issues about this that they seek councilling and get to the root of their problems.

[Kharalew]

The whole point to all of us being in the crazy military life we are in is to protect people like this bikini women. Anyone who is in the army now or who has been in the past is there to protect our freedoms. We don't have to like what someone does, but the idea of throwing someone off post when they have not even come close to breaking a law is rediculous. So for you wives who are upset enough to cause harm to this woman's mental state and property, in reality, you are undermining what your soldier is fighting for.
However.... My own personal morals are quite different from the rights that we are allowed. I am a strong believer that anyone who promotes herself in a sexy way for the purpose of pleasing men has set women back generation. We have fought long and hard to be recognized as equals to our male counterparts. In my opinion, everytime a woman participates in a wet t-shirt contest, dances on a pole, or distrubutes sexy pictures of herself, she has slapped the face of generations of women who have spent their lives working for our rights and our image.
This is a tougher issue because she is in the community. I alwasy tell my husband,"It's ok to say the chick on T.V. is hot, but not the girl walking down the street." When it boils down to it however, we have the right to be angry, but we do not have the right to harrass and terrorize. Take the high road, believe in Karma, and leave the bikini girl alone.

[Danika]

After reading this story it makes me truly sad that women can be so petty and vindictive and hurtful. The fact of the matter is, she had an idea, a way to blend what her job is, in with trying to show her support for her husband and the troops. And the first thing we do, instead of commending her, many judge her and say she needs to leave the community.
And sadly I think she's right, by putting herself out there and showing that she is proud of what she does and how she looks it makes many other women take notice of the things they don't have. And we don't like that. Granted she doesn't have kids, and I'm sure that if she did, she might not look as well put together as she does now. But there are plenty wives out there that do take the time to look good, even with kids. It's not just pride in yourself, but the want to look good for your husband. Is that really such a bad thing? How many of us, work hard while their husband is on deployment to get into shape, to surprise him when he gets home?
Yes its hard to manage everything on your own. Stop bitching. You knew what you were getting into when you married your husband. I did. I don't have kids yet, but I take care of my husbands elderly father, work a job of 25-30 hrs a week, and go to school near full time, while still taking care of the house and working out. My husband as do yours, step up and work longer hours then I do. And he doesn't complain. We should be rallying behind this woman, not ridiculing her, for stating the obvious. I live in military housing in California, and I can't stand to be around to many Military wives, if they aren't cheating on their husbands, they are complaining about the fact that he didn't take out the garbage after a 14hr day.
If you have an issue with the way your look then do something about it. And stop being so petty to complain because somebody is doing a little better then you. If you want it that badly then do something about it.
So the troops are looking at a calender of an Army wife, so what? If anything its a reminder as to what he's missing back home. If your that worried about your husband cheating then maybe you should be looking inwards instead of outwards for problems.

[apachegirl]

Troop morale? that's a joke she just wants to be the center of attention and hopefully get noticed by Playboy that's all it boils down to!
The problem is, there are too many raw emotions involved when spouses are deployed for someone to be so shallow to add this problem to the mix. My husband was deployed to Iraq twice and as a wife you have so many things racing through your mind that you don't need anyone adding to it. Being away from your spouse puts a strain on your relationship and the last thing you need is some Narcissistic woman to use this as her excuse to display her pictures of herself half naked. I take offense to the title "Jealous Wives". It's more an issue of respect for the other wives. I'm not overweight and from what everyone tells me, I'm considered a very attractive woman but I would never have gone and had a calendar made for all my husbands friends to "boost the morale"??? The only pictures I would have sent would be to my own husband. I can also tell you that my husband wouldn't want me being the object of his fellow soldiers lust. This could have all been avoided if this wife would have kept her morale boosting for her husband's eyes only!!!!

[Mac]

I understand that the spouses don't want their men looking at pornographic pictures especially when the woman lives in the community with them, but seriously keying cars, vandalism...that is stupid and immature. As a military spouse I wouldn't want my husband looking at this kind of thing, but I also know that most of the men are going to anyway and i 'm not going to go tell the girl to put her cloths on, I'll ask him not to look. She is a modelwho wanted to boost moral, many of us use our personal talents to attempt that goal, what better way for her than to do what she does best. I guess i'm torn on the subject. I wouldn't want my husband looking at this calender, but then there isn't any law that says she shouldn't do this. She and her husband do not deserve the treatment they are getting. Maybe she should find another way to boost moral that doesn't ruffle as many feathers and aquire as many stalkers.

[A wife to MY Soldier!]

OMG! ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS? I swear, I can't believe how some military wives act. I've been a military wife for 2 yrs. and have been with my husband for 3 yrs. I'm not a model, but I am an attractive and THIN woman. I was the subject of scrutiny, lies, harassment, and rumors when my husband and I first got together. I lived 2 hrs. away from the base, so that meant I was a cheater. Like 98% of the wives in his old unit were overweight, stay-at-home moms with no college education...and here I was, 5'5 and 110 lbs. plus I had already graduated nursing school and worked as a nurse for nearly 4 yrs....plus I was in college again working on my 2nd college degree...and I was a mom! They were purely jealous! The guys in his unit who were his friends would tell him all the time that people talked trash about me. His unit's FRG leader made up so many dang lies about me. While they were in Iraq, she contacted her husband and told him that I "jumped" her (keep in mind, she was about 5'8 and well over 200 lbs.) and cussed her out in front of the Sgt. Major's wife. She was so full of BS! I had never laid a hand on her! So many freaking Army wives (esp. on our base) are so freaking obsessed with rumors and gossip that they are willing to be two-faced and back stabbing just to get people on their side. My husband was switched to a new unit when he got back from Iraq, and this is a small unit, so I have only gotten to meet a few of the wives, and they are super nice. So far, all of our neighbors are super nice too. So, since he's left that unit, I haven't had to deal with any negativity...except for in our daughter's school. It's pretty much ran by all military wives...and they love to pull rank and treat everyone's kids like crap if their father's rank doesn't match their husband's. It just makes me mad! I can't believe that people are so darn jealous of other peoples' accomplishments that they would set out to ruin a soldier's career and his wife's reputation.

[Aviation Wife]

YA know I'm with Law & someone else earlier in this whole ordeal,if she was just a model,waht's the BIG deal,IF the women are THAT INSECURE of their husbands looking at another woman,then shameon you!! I'd rather my husband Look than touch!! If he's NOT doing anything BUT looking what's the matter of the whole ordeal!! I mean C'mon,I can be insecure myself but MY GOD it was a calendar from a model,Good Gravy it wasn't a naked pic!! GET OVER it & find something Else to do other than pick on anohter wife trying to boost morale,Hell How do we know that all our men,let alone others even think she's hot or even pretty!! THey may think hey I have the REAL Deal & NOT something that looks soo phony!!Ya know,Besides how do ya'll know EXACTLY what your hsuabnd's are doing wether they're online or not,you're not there,it's Called you NEED to TRUST your husband!! & Get a DAMN LIFE & leavae this couple ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[amb2313]

it seems apparent to me, that some of the people posting things really didn't get a chance to read through the other comments and see the entire story. i believe that morale boosting for our soldiers is a great thing.. let them look at the dirty magazines and the pornography videos. i think just like Andi stated, we are missing huge parts of the story here. i don't think it's right. i sure as heck wouldn't want my husband looking at a calendar of another soldiers wife.. one who could be in his same unit. i'm not okay with the harassment she is getting either. all us army wives know that we are WAY better than that, and like someone said, we are just living up to the "classifications" about us that have already been set. there were plenty of other ways to go about discussing the issue with her. in my opinion, she has every right to distribute the calendar. it'd have been much nicer if it would have been something aimed more toward the public and less toward our soldiers. yeah, a lot of the soldiers would have found it anyways, it would have kept things less dramatic. i don't see the point that she had in offering it only to the soldiers.. it puts off a bad image in other wives' heads and then leads to thinking things that may or may not be true. there is a ton of miscommunication here. and i really think someone needs to sit her down and try and let her understand what it'd be like for her hubby to do that with another wife who lives down the street. it just seems like no one has made her see all the sides to this.

[Jennifer]

I've read through the article, read through her website, and read through every comment here. I agree with a lot of what Andi has written. I've noticed an assumption over and over. Why do we (as wives - not just milspouses) assume that our husbands will undress the "woman next door" if she's in a pinup calendar? We're not dead - we all look at that hot guy in the exchange, or doing pt, just like our husbands may look at some hot chic in same way. We look, but we don't touch. At the end of the day, my husband and I can talk about it, we can laugh about it... even the ones dressed inappropiately at unit functions. I trust him, I know he won't sneak off to the neighbors house. I don't care if he looks, I know he won't touch. I think a lot of it comes down to self esteem and trust in our own individual marriages. I agree it is harder when it literally is the girl next door, but instead of berating and belitiling, thats the time to talk to your man. Not assume and accuse. I think communication is the key here, and the stars and stripes hasn't done anyone any favors with its, shall we say, lackluster journalism on this one. And as to the career in jeopardy, isn't it illegal these days to have your wife's involvement/job/volunteerism... play a role in any military career? I'm thinking there was a court case against the DOD in the late eighties or early nineties about that, that was found in favor of the wives. I think it was something about three wives who sued the DOD because their community involvement was an item on their husband's performance evaluations (fitreps in the usmc) for promotion consderation... I can't remember clearly, and I'm sorry I don't have more details. I wish I did! Just my own humble opinion.

[THE one]

You know what, I get what she is going through. 90% of the women where I am wear t-shirts and jeans and are overweight. I say do ya thang girl. If anything they should be trying to see what they can do instead of sitting at home eating doughnuts waiting to get pregnant again and again and again. I've received those same looks because I don't look like the norm. I'm sorry, I like to wear clothes, and I'm pretty sure Alessandra does too. If they don't get over it toooooooooooooooo bad. Why don't they get off the couch, get out of the PX and do something with theirselves. I say let em' talk. As long as they're talking you're doing something right. It's when they stop talking that you need to worry. TRICKS ARE GOING TO HATE NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, SO DO WHAT YOU DO.

[Netta]

The sad thing about all of this is that it is just a snapshot of what has happened to the moral compass in society today. We have all become desensitized to what is right and wrong and lost the ability to have self control. Not all men look at pornography, soft or hard. And if you want to know what is wrong with a husband looking at a scantily dressed beautiful woman other than his wife, just ask all the social workers and chaplains who collectively counsel thousands of military men addicted to porn, and women and children whose families and lives have been torn apart because of something that outwardly seemed harmless and inwardly began a descent into the hell of addiction. If you don't believe me, read the research and the statistics. Men, and women for that matter, who regularly look at some kind of stimulation outside of their spouse have trouble developing trust, intimacy and communication. I would say honest fear is at the base of these women's emotions, more than mere jealousy over how this woman looks. Sexual, emotional and communicative intimacy between husband and wife is meant to come from husband and wife. Period.

[navywife]

My husband is in the USN and we are newly weds. We have been in a long distance relationship for 4 years so if there is any who can understand how hard it is to keep morale, it is me. In fact, we only got to spend 4 days together as husband and wife before he was sent away again. So yes I can relate. But the thing you HAVE to remember is that your husband is a grown man who is going to do whatever he wants to do anyway! Regardless of who you kick out the neighborhood or if you take porn away from them,there is nothing you can do to stop grown people from making choices. So, the only thing you can do is to STOP worrying about it. It does you no good trust me!

In the case of this woman, it isn't like she is having prostitution legalized or anything. They are just pictures. The fact that you say you don't want your husbands viewing her pictures says a lot about you and what you think of him. First it says that you have low self-esteem, and low faith in the fidelity in your marriage. Second it says you think your husband can be lured away easily by some models pictures. It's just dumb to mess with someone over that let alone threaten the womans HUSBANDS career! So I say, get a life! Leave them alone! Have faith in your husband and think highly of yourself! Maybe this is that womans way of dealing with military spouse problems. Maybe this makes her feel good. Everyone has a way of dealing with things, but being mean to each other shouldn't be one of them. We military wives have GOT to stick together. We are a different breed from other wives. So as a special breed, let's have each others backs. Stay positive and prayed up cause it's the only thing that will get you through this stuff.

-Sheena

[Gary]

Interesting that so many of you who think you are so special, and condemn military wives for no education, etc., can't even spell. Where did YOU go to school??? I know of a lot of marriages that have become victims of infidelity in Iraq. Looking at sexy women on calenders only promotes that feeling of lonliness and "need". By the way, when my husband was in the Middle East, we were given explicit instructions regarding sending pornography, etc. When did the rules change to allow it back in the country? And those of you who said that you send pictures of yourselves to your husband so he won't look at pictures of other women, are living in la-la land..I assure you, if the pictures are there, he's looking. The blinders don't go on because the pictures aren't of YOU...

[martina]

It's sad, it's not like shes sleeping with their husbands, there arent many people out there caring about troop morale anymore now that america is "safe" its women like them that give good military spouses a BAD NAME. Don't stop what you are doing and thank you so much for supporting our troops!

[Rhonda]

I have been an Army wife for over 13 years and I am a Navy Brat. There are several things that bug me here. 1) Some one stated that the actions of a spouse should not affect the active duty spouses job. Wrong. The active duty spouse is responsible for all of his/her dependents actions. This means your actions should not embarass the military in any way. This includes the people who are making threats and destroying personal property. This is the way it has always been. 2) There are several of you that are putting down military wives and some putting down wives in other branches. If you are a military wife and you are doing this it makes me ashamed to be one. Some of the best people I know are military wives. I do not work, I do not have to. I raise my kids, lead a scout troop, go to school, take care of finances, the house, and my husband. If and when I ever need to work, I will. 3) I am not going to put down Alessandra. She had a good idea. I do think that she could have gone about it better and instad of just her, used spouses out of the unit and not taken it to the level that she did. I hope she thinks her next project through a little better and what it could mean to her husbands carrer.

I have to agree with Dankia, you either knew your spouse was in the military or you made the decision together. It is not just free medical care and a dependant I.D. card. It is hard work and dedication to your spouse and your family.

God Bless America and ALL of our Military, both Active Duty, Spouses and Family.

[shannon]

navywife.

i see what you are saying.. my husband looks at porn mags, online videos and whatever he can get for free. and i know he looks at other pics. and i dont even care that he does..

i am comfortable enough in my marriage to know hes not out when hes deployed doing anything wrong.

but i also know, that when he is in his rack at night, i am his calendar girl. he would, and most of his friends would rather have something to look at that they know they can have.

it keeps the anticipation, and romance a live.

like i said. i know most of these guy look at other womens naughty pics. and i dont claim to live in la la land.

but i promise if you are sending your man pics.. the chances of him making the effort to look for something else is a lot less.

when my husband was deployed, they used to keep everyones wives pics in a locker. like to compare notes, votes, and what ever else they feel like saying.

men are men, and some women are always going to be insecure when it comes to their men.

all i was saying is give your man a reason to keep his interest in you, and not a calendar. they do enjoy seeing their wives.

you have to understand that when these guys are stuck with a bunch of men on deployment.. any glance at a girly, clean, put together woman is an appreciated thing.

so seeing a calendar of a knock out is awesome to them. and most of the time the guys
dont even care.. things like that usually end up at the bottom of a stack of magazines of car magazines, cosmo, and celebrity gossip. ( and im not kidding about that one at all lol)

porn and half nekkid women are usually the last thing on their minds. except when they have a moment alone in the head.

[Pat]

If Ms. Bosco doesn't like all the negative comments about her calender, perhaps, she needs to stop fueling the flames with her ridiculous remarks to Stars and Stripes.
She is, obviously, enjoying the attention, negative and positive. No doubt, the hullabaloo has been good for sales. Perhaps, she's hoping Hustler or Maxim will get wind of it, and exploit her in their publications. I have news for her..models are a dime a dozen and she doesn't stand out enough to play with the big boys....so, she'll keep playing with the little ones in order to boost her ego and her bank account.

[Liz]

I have been a Army Wife for two years now and still can't believe how some women get so jealous. You know I am not skinny and definently weigh at least over 200 pounds. But I have confidence in my self and good self-esteem. So for someone to judge a person who poses in a calender really does have low self-esteem and needs to stop being a jealous person. It gets you no where in life and their is obviously some internal issues going on inside yourself. I am happy with the way I look. I am pretty, have a nice body, and a beautiful face. So all of you overweight women out there it's about attitude and your self-esteem. It is not right to judge a person and make up things about them. Sooner or later karma does come back to bite you.

[Mike]

The reality is, when a man has been looking at his wife for x amount of years,,looking at someone else's wife in sexy clothing is a whole lot more fun. The intrigue and fantasy is why.
He knows his wife, but he doesn't know these strange women..so fantasy is a lot more fun.....Keep sending your man pictures, but don't be foolish enough to think that if calenders such as this are available, he's not looking, admiring and probably putting them to good use.....It doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate and love his wife, it just means he's away from home, lonely, hormones are raging, etc., so diversions like this are much welcome...I suggest the wives buy a Chippendale video if they think it would even the odds....If the worst thing your husband does on a deployment is look at sexy pictures, count yourself lucky.

[Mandy]

Has anyone noticed that the Stars and Stripes only prints opinions by "pro" calender people? Where are the negative opinions? I know there are many.

[knotheadusc]

I agree that Alessandra Bosco's remarks about other wives were not very nice, but there is still no excuse for people vandalizing her property, making threats, or otherwise breaking the law on order to express their displeasure.

Personally, I am not threatened by Ms. Bosco's calendar. I know my husband loves me, even if I am one of those overweight, unemployed Army wives. My self worth is not defined by how I look or what I do (or don't do) for a living. I wouldn't care if my husband bought a calendar, because at the end of the day, it's me he's with, not her.

Good for Alessandra Bosco for making the most of her talents. More power to her.

[Sharron]

My first reaction was what is their problem but the more I think about it, I don't think I would be too happy if my husband was down range and had views of a half naked fellow spouse in his face. Talking with my husband about it, he said that he would personally be embaressed to be looking at another man's wife - especially if he knew them both.

My thoughts about how the wives reacted to this is maybe that exact reason - it is not that they are oogling over a calender, it is the fact that they personally know her. Isn't it the same as sending your husband pictures of yourself so that he can show them around the mess hall? A bit tacky...

[Amber]

I have to throw down the BS flag on most of these comments. Of course, this couple doesn't deserve the kind of illegal harassment they're getting. That said, I think that if the wife down the street from you distributed lingerie pictures of herself to all the husbands, including yours, you wouldn't exactly be inviting her over for afternoon tea...and what she's done basically boils down to that. I wouldn't be keying her car, but that's not the kind of person I'd want to spend any time around, and I consider myself to be pretty hot ;) I just choose to only parade it for my husband's and my enjoyment! And yeah, if I distributed a calendar of myself wearing lingerie to all the guys on our boat, I would fully expect to not be a popular wife after that. She knew exactly what she was doing and what reaction she'd get. Someone who makes the kinds of comments she did clearly enjoys the spectacle she's creating and hasn't learned the difference between positive and negative attention. She's no different then the "That Wife" we've all experienced who thrives on crazy antics and malicious gossip to keep herself entertained.

[jojo]

whats the big deal its just a calender she has every right, my husband might look at her but at the end of the day i know he is coming to bed with me! women should be more confident in their own bodies, i dont have the thinest bod but he still asks to see me on the web cam ;)

[Fonda]

Okay I would be lying if I said it wouldn't make me feel self concious to think my hubby looked at the "perfect" body and then looked at my not so perfect body. But I also know that he is just looking like he does at the store or anywhere public, and you all know girls dress half naked these days. He always comes home to me....because he loves me. I am sure he has fantasys..everyone does at times. I am also sure that my hubbys not so perfect body bothers him at times as well...and didn't the article state the husband in this case was toned and good looking? Well there seems to be only one solution then...where is the calendar featuring his half naked body for all the wives to look at ...LOL

[kpyramid2003]

OMG!!! are you guys serious..it's like we have nothing better to worry about then a MODEL..That's her JOB!!! what u gonna do , fire a doctor for dressing sexy??? and doing a calender?? plus i heard that people in Germany are pretty uptight..they need to relax...the wives are probably mad because she looks better then they do...i would do one if i had the body..and if the husbands want's buy or look at the calender..ladies that should tell you something!!!! She has something that u don't!!! and furthermore , we have far more important issues in the world today , like IRAQ , rising through the roof GAS Prices , economy, we should be worried about when our soldiers will be coming home , and where to go from there, DO you guys watch ARMY WIFES???? Now that's a story for you , then again this is the ARMY<<< it's sadens me that we have all this kind of gossip..you should have more important things worry about in your life and your world..i was shocked to even read this kind of news..you call this news..more like jealousy...ladies if you have a problem ...then head to the GYM!!! It's her bussiness , not ours..IT's not like WE don't look at OTHER MEN!!! If you say you don't , can u say DENIAL!!!

[Ashley]

As the Granddaughter of a Army Nurse Pin-up in World War II and the Wife of a US Sailor, I feel like she should be allowed to do whatever it is that she feels appropriate for herself and her enjoyment. If your one of the women who don't like her because she's setting up too high of a standard, I'd say, take a long look in the mirror and hit the gym, lay off the big mac, or just come to terms with who you are and stop projecting your insecurities on beautiful women.
Especially, her husband should not have any career ramifications for what she chooses to do in her professional life. God bless her for actually being proactive with her time instead of not pursuing her passion because of what people might or might not say.

[1.5generationUSNwife]

Two things to share with my fellow military wives:

1. What you focus on "expands." This calendar girl/Army wife definitely knows how to do her business. if any mil.wife sees her, please say, "thanks for sharing your talent with us. By the way, how much did you contribute to U.S. military? You didn't by any chance donate that revenue to your Italian military, right? Pamela Anderson was originally from Canada but she pays her taxes in the states, you know that right? Please keep up the good work and keep donating for us!"
I'm in the states so I don't get a chance to see her face to face but that's what I would say to her. People...please ignore her. She makes money out of our attentions. She has a short career life and has to promote herself as much as possible while her figure still retains some commercial appeal. Beat her by at least one step. A tip for those who wish she wasn't even existing: Invite her over a casual miliary wives' party and speak in real American English over subjects that ONLY real American women have access to. I'm talking about PTAs, The Great Gatsby, Citizen Cane, Bush, Hillary, Hybrid cars, 80's music and etc. Also chat over things only well educated American women would know...like Reaganomics. Wouldn't she feel lonely and left out...

2. What goes around comes around: if she is to pay her due, if there is, she will get to do in one way or other. None of us or you has to fret over her promotional self-stirred gossip. This is just any celebrity's old trick to keep her or him alive in the entertainment world--getting attention by stirring up a scandal. By paying attention to her, we are silently making her a celebrity she wants to be. Maybe there is another calendar girl coming up in the future. It can be interesting to see this particular one gets a big smack on her face by a much more spectacular one. I hope the next one is a genuine state side born, a proud tax payer, a true Yankie girl in her heart. I really hope the next one publishes a statement on her calendar that says every single penny earned by selling the calendars goes to the fellow military wives and the United States military!

[Amber]

Ok, after checking out her webpage, I'm laughing. She's obviously an amateur trying to drum up press to boost her career. Half the articles she has scanned in are about this controversy. She's a "party galz" consultant, for pete's sake, so I guess she's not getting much in the way of modeling jobs ;) Now I really do feel sorry for her. But I still say it's totally tacky to distribute lingerie pictures of herself to the men her husband works with.

[Tiffany]

And men wonder why I hate my own gender so much, seriously everyone of the harassing wives & the model included needs to get a life. If another woman's tits make you insecure about your own body you've got problems far deeper than what amounts to a Sports Illustrated swimsuit calendar.

Also, I'd love to know why women who think porn is evil and that their husbands shouldn't have access to it should be able to ruin it for the guys & girls who just don't care? When did we start allowing the morals of one couple to dictate the morals of all?

And to think my man is getting shot at because American's believe Iraq is our worst enemy. *eyeroll*

[Diana]

Well, this story gets old. Somebody needs to get her act together and there are tons of (even more) beautiful girls out there who do not put themselves in the spotlight like this. This is not about physical appearance, this has something to do with Army Wife traditions and the fact ,that one spouse uses the military to boost her own career, who else gets so much attention unless they have done something absolutely outstanding to give back to their communities? I do not see how a calendar like this boosts troop morale, if the money made off the calendar would actually go back to the soldiers in some way, I guess it would, but this is a for her own profit calendar to basically boost her swim suit calendar which again makes money. It doesn't surprise me at all that she gets funny looks and even threats. Oh well, own darn fault.

[NOT IMPRESSED]

I think it is extremely unfair for Military.Com to post such a heading like "Jealous Wives Threaten Military Spouse" without any solid proof or evidence. Those are all insecure allegations made by Ms. Bosco and there is nothing to suggest that anything she is experiencing is being done by "jealous" military spouses. Shame on Military.Com for posting such a heading. Furthermore, Ms. Bosco claims her calendar was done to support the deployed troops and boost their morale; however, this is far from the truth. Ms. Bosco is simply trying to earn a dollar off of our troops hard earned money. If she wants to support our troops and boost morale then maybe she should try doing what most supportive military wives do which is start stuffing care packages. While she is at it, she can include one of her festive calendars free of charge! No better way to boost marale than that.