Blog
Not a Milestone to Mark
May 19, 2024 3 CommentsYesterday Yesterday as I drove my eldest child to school, I mentioned to her that the date marked the one-year anniversary of the day I left my family to deploy to Afghanistan. She looked at me in an exasperated manner and exclaimed, “Mom, I just got all of that out of my head. Why do […]
Read MoreFilling Holes
May 19, 2024 No CommentsJason and I struggled when I got home. I had disconnected much more from my family than I had anticipated going into this. It felt like there were holes all around me. While our children had an amazing summer with trips to California and New York City, new four-wheelers and a swimming pool, there was […]
Read MoreWaking Up from a Coma
May 19, 2024 3 CommentsI don’t know what it’s like to wake up from a coma. Most of us don’t. We can certainly imagine. We can hear stories, and read about what it must be like, but most people don’t slip into a coma and then eight months later wake up. As I try to describe what coming home, […]
Read MoreFlipping the Light Switch
May 19, 2024 1 CommentAll this talk of resiliency and empathy… The chaplain asked us, “What did this year cost you?” “What did this year cost your family – your employer?” He asked us what we knew worked well for reintegration? What had our challenges been in the past. And then one Navy Captain spoke up with something that […]
Read MoreThe Smell of Fresh Air
May 19, 2024 No CommentsI’m in Germany for what the Navy refers to as “Third Location Decompression.” Another words back in I think somewhere around 2009, the Chief of Naval Operations mandated that all Navy service members returning from individual augmentation deployments must attend the Warrior Transition Program (WTP). There was heavy fighting and Sailors, many of who were […]
Read MoreWhen the Homefront Guilt Hits
May 19, 2024 No CommentsArriving in Qatar is when it slams into you. I second guess my connection with my family over the past seven months. All the doubts just pour over me. I didn’t Facetime the kids enough… I didn’t appreciate the monumental amount of stress Jason handled so gracefully… I didn’t tell my parents how much their […]
Read MoreKissing Kabul Goodbye
May 19, 2024 No CommentsWhen you step on the helicopter that is about to fly you away from a place that has been home for six-months, I’d like to tell you it is sentimental and joyous all at the same time. The truth is – it doesn’t seem to register. My friends and the people I’d been serving and working […]
Read MoreSecurity and The New Reality
May 19, 2024 No CommentsEsercito Italiano is the Italian Army. We work closely with them at Resolute Support, and after the past few months I now have a number of Italian Army friends. I was excited when Jason and I stumbled across a military Humvee in Rome, and quickly pointed out they were wearing the same uniform my friends […]
Read MoreBreaking Away
May 19, 2024 No CommentsIn what I can only call a pure miracle, I’ve managed to get the opportunity to go to Rome during my deployment for a NATO conference. I’ll be presenting a workshop in content design and creation. Of course, Jason will fly over any meet me in the land of love for a mini-holiday and a […]
Read MoreThe American Way of Life
May 19, 2024 No CommentsAsk me what’s going on back in the States? I gather from my Facebook feed that people are debating Nike’s recent ads, football season is swinging into full gear and there are lots of back to school pictures. It’s been a rough few weeks here and I’m letting it get to me. I think about […]
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