It is always amazing to me how you never really take the time to think about how some things impact your life until you are involved directly or indirectly with them.
My dad was in the Army for over eight years, but way before I was born. My husband served eight years in the Army Reserves and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan twice since September 11th. Yet, all of this happened before we were married.
However, it isn’t until now, after working in the Army Public Affairs office and especially during this Holiday Season that I understand the true impact of what these brave men and women dedicate themselves to for our country.
Earlier last week, I began to search for Holiday Greetings from Soldiers whom would be deployed through Christmas and the beginning of the New Year. As I begin to surf through the states to try and download a few to add to the Army’s Social Media sites, I realized these videos of their loved ones would be a better gift to a wife, a husband, a daughter, a son, a mother, a father and other family and friends than money could ever buy.
So then as I scurried (and bumped my way) through the mall, department stores and toy stores this week searching for what was on those “letters to Santa,” I thought about how the families of deployed Soldiers are just waiting on letters from their loved ones telling them how much they are missed and how they would give anything to be sitting by the Christmas tree with them on December 25th.
Don’t get me wrong, it is not that I didn’t understand the magnitude of what our Soldiers are involved in everyday. This year, more than ever before, I just realized while many of us (including myself) waited in lines for hours to buy our children a kitchen set or a Cabbage Patch Kid, our Soldiers are fighting the fight and defining what it means to be Army Strong.
So, during this Holiday season, I am thankful that my dad and husband are able to spend Christmas with his granddaughter and daughter. But more than that, I am grateful for the men and women whom are protecting our lives everyday.
To all of our Soldiers and families, I thank you for everything you do and wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Submitted By: Ashley McCall-Washington, Army Public Affairs
