Air Force Brat to Army Wife

On this independence day, I first want to say thank you to my dad and my husband for their service to our great country. I'm thankful to all of our military, in every branch, for the sacrifices they make in order for us to be a free nation.

I grew up enduring many days, weeks, and even months, of separation from my dad while he was traveling around the world with the air force. Fortunately those periods of separation weren't as long as many of our military families face today and his job didn't require him to be on the front lines, but for a young child, even those shorter periods of time seem like years. I remember many nights crawling into my mom's bed to fill that empty spot where my dad was suppose to be. I remember the phone calls he made to check on us and to make sure we were all doing okay. I also remember all the t-shirts and trinkets he would bring home for us from around the world. My dad was in the Air National Guard so we didn't have to move around at all. My sister and I grew up going to the same schools with the same friends clear through high school. I really think that experience growing up was just one of God's steps to prepare me for the life I now have as an Army wife, raising three Army kids.

It's a lot different for my kids than it was for me growing up. In the 6 years we've been in the army, they've already faced two pcs moves, two lengthy deployments, weeks of daddy being away for training, and currently our third deployment. I'm so thankful that God made our kids so resilient and so willing for change. They handle everything that our Army life throws at us with so much courage and strength. They embrace the changes, even through the difficult times of saying goodbye to daddy and saying goodbye to the friends they've made as we pcs to another station. They don't like the goodbyes, no one does, but they are always looking forward to the welcome homes and to making new friends. They always stay so positive and focus on the good things that are to come. From day one of daddy stepping on the ugly white bus they talk about what we will do for him when he comes home. During both of our moves, they have all made new friends from day one of being in our new place. That may be one of the benefits of living on post too. There are kids everywhere that are willing to welcome their new Army friends in with open arms. After all, they were that new kid once and will be again one day as they too move on to another station.

To the general public it may seem like a lot to go through. They may wonder why we put ourselves out there and actually volunteer for this lifestyle. There are many reasons that a soldier joins the service. Maybe it's to get help in furthering their education after high school. Maybe it's just to prove that they can do it. Maybe it's to carry on a family tradition. Maybe it's for the stability the military provides or the benefits that come along with it. Regardless of the initial reason they join, it's always for their country. It's always to stand up for the rights of our American citizens. It's always to protect our freedom and our way of life. As for the families, we voluntarily welcome this life with open arms because we too love our great country. What's greater than that, we love our soldiers with all our hearts and we would do anything to stand beside them. We will go the distance, no matter what that entails, to be sure our soldier have the strongest support system while deployed, or while away at training, and even when they're home. We will endure uncertainty, separation, anxiety, loneliness... Just to be able to spend our lives with the one person that God has created just for us. The one person that takes a piece of our heart no matter the distance between us!

Just remember as independence day has come and gone, that our troops are fighting for our freedoms every day. Let's not only pay tribute to them on those specific days we have set aside throughout the year, but honor them in our day to day lives. Keep them in your daily prayers, give them a hug, say thank you, or even just simply nod your head at them and smile. They are very humble in what they do, but in their hearts, those kind gestures make a world of difference. God Bless America and God Bless Our Military!