Military Opening Statement

Being in the military takes dedication as well as devotion because it is a big commitment that one must follow through with. Rod Powers, a writer, states, “Before you join, recognize the fact that a stint in the military is not civilian employment. It's not just like having a regular job. You can't just get up and quit anytime you want to" (Powers). One must be patient because this is a responsibility Powers also states, “Along with not being able to quit, there is also the factor of being deployed for months. Soldiers may find themselves spending up to seven months out of every year deployed” (Powers). A soldier must be able to handle being separated from family and friends for a good amount of time. This separation can cause stress and anxiety between soldiers and their families. Bruce Bell, a psychiatrist, and Walter Schumm, an author, clarify that, "Returning from deployment can sometimes be stressful and disappointing" (Bell and Schumm). Soldiers can return home to problems concerning money, children, spouses, or other relatives. In addition to stress, soldiers and families also get anxious. Bell and Schumm also mention that, “Unpredictable timing can

Another battle I have faced is my brother being in the Navy. He has been enlisted for almost three years. I always say I don’t miss him, but in fact I do miss him. This week we had to say goodbye to him because he had to leave for his deployment. I look

Long absences can very often lead to complications in marriages and in relationships with children. Soldiers can miss very important moments because of a war, such as holidays and birthdays. The parent who is not at war also has to take on all of the responsibilities for home, children, and finance while their significant other is deployed. In addition to this, the parent who is left behind often finds themselves dealing with a change in behavior from their children, which is very likely a result from their other parent’s long absence. Many returning veterans blame the complications in their lives after their life in the military on their time deployed. It may seem insignificant, but this is a big reason why military force has an impact on the everyday lives of Americans who do not even serve for a military branch.

Military children and families face multiple challenges just for being part of this culture, these challenges are not limited to disruption in family routines, extended separations, mental health problems and parenting difficulties that be related to exposure to traumatic events (Paley, Lester, & Mogil, 2013). One such challenge is deployment. What is deployment, it is the sending of military personnel and materials to a specific destination from their home installation (Military, 2015). Deployment encompasses the preparation and personal needs that are needed before, during and after deployment. All families preparing for a deployment separation go through a process defined by the stages of preparation, survival, and reunion and with each stage comes with different stressors and adjustments for the military member and family members left behind. The stages are predeployment, deployment, sustainment, redeployment and post deployment ((Devoe, & Ross, 2012), within these stages are the seven emotional stages of deployment anticipation of departure, detachment and withdrawal, emotional disorganization, recovery and stabilization, anticipation of return, return adjustment and renegotiation and reintegration and stabilization (Morse, 2006).

Stress pervaded the stuffy windowless room, and the only light was the glow emanating from my computer screen. I wanted to sleep, but the mission demanded that I continue. Via the lens of a drone, while observing numerous children playing near the target’s residence, I reflected upon certain aspects of my own childhood. As a child my mother always encouraged me and said I could be or do anything. However, I never imagined that I would work in a windowless, high-security facility and hold a Top Secret security clearance. Nevertheless, while serving on active duty as an intelligence analyst in the United States Air Force, I worked with unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor, stalk, track and capture high-value-individuals in support of Special Forces operations.

I have a lot of “proud” mommy moments, but one of the most recent moments is when my oldest daughter, Brianna joined the Army. When Brianna graduated high school, she really didn’t know what to do with her life. She has always been very interested in working on vehicles, but she has also been interested in coaching basketball and becoming an Athletic Director. She thought that being a mechanic would just be a hobby and would just go to college, since that is what all of her friends were doing. That fall she started college at CSC and was doing very good. She knew something was missing from her life and just wasn’t as interested in college as she thought she would be. She started to party and go to class less and less. Then, that Christmas break

About five years back, one of my best friends Jonny died, and to this day, I still grieve his death in my dreams and there are some days that I sit around and cry my eyes out. Some people don’t get it. Jonny was a very important part of my life and my brother’s lives. He never seemed to talk very much, but he brought this very positive mood to the group. He was like one of my brothers. His parents were abusive so he kind of had a rough run at it. He was never very book smart but he was very street smart. Nothing could frighten Jonny, he was fearless.

My father enlisted as soon as he graduated high school in 1995. Seven years in he decided to attend college and become an officer. Retiring only just this July, totaling 21 years. My mother was with him from 1997 until 2003 during his service. They got divorced in 2003 and my mother was left alone with my two-year-old sister and me three years of age. She raised us alone until my 2nd-grade year when my mother sent just me to live with my father in Washington. This was the first time I was, really, exposed to the military lifestyle.

In infancy, I was a normal healthy child who bonded well with my parents. I became securely attached child as I grew. During the first two years of my life I started to become self-sufficient at walking, talking and feeding myself. In early childhood I learned from my siblings how to be a good girl. I didn’t want to be spanked by my authoritarian parents. As I became school aged, I learned new skills, had great friends and had everything I needed. Be the times I graduated from high school I knew who I wanted to be. I wanted to be athlete, Christian, good student and person. That is what I became as I entered college and became an adult. The many people I encountered in my life have helped me to be the person I am today. I feel that God has a plan for my future and has put people in my life to help fulfil his plan. I hope my husband, children and I grow very old together and continue to look at life with integrity and not

I recall my experience with boot camp and I do not envy what you may be going through right meow. All of the impossible tasks that require you to bust out your standard issue time machine to complete them. The training (I'm sure yours is more physically demanding). Being tired and strung out. And of all of the things I had difficulty by far the most difficult for me was the feeling that a part of my heart was missing. I was alone amongst strangers completely for the first time in my life and without my friends and family I felt a steady throbbing and sometimes stabbing feeling in my chest. Honestly it was the first time I cried about what feels like losing those in my life that I care for: my friends and family. It wasn't because of where I was or what I was doing it was because of that feeling that I was losing those I loved and wouldn't see them again. It's really wierd because it definitely didn't hit me until I made that first phone call home and I heard my mom's voice. But it's interesting because as time got closer for them to come see me and for me to graduate the throbbing turned more and more into excitement. And it does get better when you get out of boot camp. Because it's like a black hole in that place and it's really different when you get to your tech school and even more different at your first duty station. You can call people whenever you want to, text, or even Skype

The military is a great way to have your life impacted exponentially. As a military spouse I had the opportunity to work with children in the child development center. I have always enjoyed working with children and knew I wanted my career choice to be centered around that fact. Being part of the military family I was able to not only work each day with children and their families, but I also got to become friends with many people from all over our great United States. I feel so blessed and honored to have had those opportunities. It has been amazing to learn what so many families endure to ensure that freedom reigns. There are times when families are separated for months on end or when you have to move from your current base to another and

Leaving us to stew in our own thoughts. Growing up in a military you realize just how valuable time with loved ones are. You regret the time you spent away from them, the time you fought with them, the time you wasted. Time seems unlimited until it runs out. Life seems so safe until you gain knowledge. Death seems so impossible until someone in your family is faced with the possibility. Growing up in a military family I have learned about sacrifice so even though I want my dad to stay:I know he has to go. As we get into our rental car to head back to the hotel I realize all of this comes with growing up in a military family and I would not switch lifestyles for anything. I may have grown up a little different, but it made me strong, it made me capable to face the reality of life, it made me who I am today. Growing up in my family has prepared me to send my dad off to war and taught me to live each day as it could be my

. Once I got to my destination to meet my friends and colleagues, I couldn’t keep a smile on my face. I was incapable of explaining, to a table of people, the loss I had just experienced. I excused myself early to be alone. The anger in me boiled over, as I realized the impatience I felt was guilt; shame that I fell away from someone I cared so deeply about. How I let him slip through the cracks for the sake of my pride. In my mind, I painted the scene of his last moments before he took his own life. The cycle of ‘If I had just…’ began quickly and completely consumed me. I blamed myself. The responsibility that comes with friendship became such a confusing thing for me to navigate from then on. In an attempt to prevent this heartbreak from repeating, I distanced myself from social relationships. I isolated myself and let all that sadness and bitterness collect and stick like pollen around my inner

“Hello, and good evening,” Gregg began, “I would like to thank everyone for taking time to come here, and celebrate the life of my father, Patrick Norman.” Gregg paused as he looked down to see what he would move onto next, “My father was the busiest person I ever knew. He spent hours on end working for the company that he started and was fortunate enough to have it take off. It was his dream to live with class and to not have to worry about food or disease.” Gregg paused once more letting the tension build. He looked away from his paper, not needing it anymore and deciding to instead speak from the heart, “However, not everything worked out. My mother died an early age, and my father soon realized with her gone, he not only had to work the company, but had to take care of three boys by himself. But that didn’t stop him. My father was able to manage taking care of us and the company. He sacrificed time from work to help us with school work and made sure we were always doing our best.” Gregg began to tear up from all the emotion, “He did everything he could to make sure I would be ready to take his place when the time came,” he looked down to Steve and Richard and

It is always a blessing to have the opportunity to share all God 's marvelous works in my life with believers and non-believers. I believe that every Christian should examine their hearts and return to the roots of salvation through Jesus Christ. This autobiography gives me the liberty to review my shortcomings and Christ’s victories through me walk. As I review His transformation in me, I be in a deep enamor adoration for my sovereign God. He is the potter, who gradually mold me into His effective servant and continue to use me to serve His kingdom. I am grateful that He loves me conditionally and does not hold my shortcomings against me. Here is a testimony of God’s correction and my submissive to the Good Shepherd.