Sacrifices

Sacrifices

People see the Uniform and watch the news and vaguely think they know about sacrifices military service members and their families make…

Time apart
missed births, deaths, hospitalizations
firsts…breath, tooth, word, step
Missed swimming lessons, dance recitals, ball games, birthdays, anniversaries
lack of sleep

Moving thousands of miles
alone
with children
while pregnant
without friends or family at your destination

But there is more.

Lost income from moving, spouses unable to finish courses of study or develop a career.
Many professional spouses with large gaps of “geographical unemployment” because they chose family, duty, honor over money, career, personal success.

Geographical single parenting.  Sometimes even when the active duty spouse is home, he/she isn’t really.  Because you can’t depend on him/her to pickup the kids, the dry-cleaning, the mail or take out the garbage or keep the lawn mowed so you don’t get a notice from housing…TDY happens, duty night happens, and so many others.

But we survive.

We move, we move again, and yet again.  We lose track of the number of addresses we have had in the past 7 years when we fill out a security clearance form.

We make new friends, we adapt.  Our military family becomes our family.  Our kids make new friends again, and again, and again.  Until/Unless they are just so tired saying goodbye to new friends that they become the quiet kids in the classroom. 

Military service is not just a commitment for the service member it requires sacrifices from the entire family.

So, when I hear of a retiring General and his appreciation for that support I say, “Amen!”  Keep bringing light to the sacrifices and support because our military would not be nearly as strong without our military families.