Happy Veteran’s Day 🇺🇸!

Today is one of my favorite days of the year, Veterans Day! 🇺🇸 It’s a day the United States sets aside to honor military veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

If you’ve been following me for very long, you may already know why Veterans Day is extra special for my family but in case you don’t know, please let me share.

I am a proud wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter, niece and cousin of Veterans.

Along with my husband, James, we were the Family Readiness Group Leaders (FRG) of the 838th Military Police Company (838th MP Co.) out of Youngstown, OH, our daughter Kelly’s unit, while they were deployed to Afghanistan.

All of my various positions have given me a first hand look, in different rolls, at just what our soldiers and their families sacrifice to keep us safe and free.

My time as an FRG leader gave me a ‘big picture’ look at just how much they sacifice. As the liaison between the Commander and the families. It was our job to help take care of the many needs of the families back home and to keep them informed of important information about their soliders and the unit.

One of the hardest part of the job was was when a fellow soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED). The memory of the early morning phone call from the Commander, to having to call each family member, and all the grieving that came with that, will forever be etched in my mind.

Without going into more detail, I think you get the picture of why I hold our US Vetetan’s so close to my heart.

If you see a Veteran today (or any day!), shake their hand, give them a hug, buy them a cup of coffee, take them to lunch, or at the very least tell them “Thank you!” ♥️💙

To the many veterans that may be reading this:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND SACRIFICES TO KEEP US SAFE AND FREE!!!! You are the true heroes of our country! 🇺🇸