Maybe you didn’t know that about me, but it’s true. At one point in my life I was a military wife.
My husband was in the Army National Guard for 9 years. He was deployed to Iraq for 15 months. I will never forget that period in our lives.
We were newly married.
No kids.
And straight out of college. 
J had started his first “real” job as a financial advisor with A.G.Edwards. I knew he was in the military, but never in a million years thought it would mean anything more than serving one weekend a month and 2 weeks in the summer.
Boy was I wrong.
We were married in November of 2004 and in January of 2005 I watched my husband board a bus en route to Baghdad, Iraq.
To say that his 15 month deployment was the hardest period of our life would be an understatement. A HUGE understatement.
Everyday consisted of worry. Of sadness. Of confusion. Of lack of information.
I wasn’t a Christian then. I didn’t know that I could lean on God.
Even though I HATED every single second that my husband was deployed, there isn’t a moment that goes by that I am not proud. Proud that I married a man that served our country.
I’m thankful that even though I didn’t know a darn thing about God back then, that He still chose to keep my husband safe. That He loved me enough to make those 15 months tolerable.
Every Veterans Day I look at old pictures from when J was deployed. And every.single.time I see him in his BDU’s I feel pride. I am beyond thankful for his sacrifice and for the sacrifice of our nation’s military.
Being a military wife is tough. I haven’t had a lot of jobs, but I’d go ahead and claim that being a military wife is one of the hardest jobs around.
So take a chance today to say THANK YOU! Not just to the one’s who wear the uniforms, but to their families. Their moms. dads. wives. husbands. children. I am so proud of JEFF ROSE!
Our neighbor girl who is in jr. high made this for the Veterans Day celebration that they are having at school.
So proud of my soldier!
THANK YOU TO ALL THE VETERANS and TO THE FAMILIES! Your sacrifice is truly amazing!
If you are a military wife check out the Army Wife Network! A wonderful resource and one I wish I would have known about when I was a military wife!
Also, click on over to my hubby’s blog for a list of Veterans Day discounts and free meals! Tell him “thank you” while your at it! 🙂
Thank you Jeff for all you did! I have never been a military wife, but I was a military brat! My dad served in the Air Force for 22 years. He never went to war overseas (4 daughters at home and no males in his family) and was quite upset about it. We did have friends serve during the first Gulf War. One of my best friends from high school went to Irag when the war first started. Thankfully he only had to serve one tour. My brother in-law is in the Army National Guard and has been once (they married end of April, he shipped out 3 weeks later). We are hoping he doesn’t have to go back.
Being involved in the military life in any way is life changing and eye opening. I wouldn’t change it for the world!
Again, thanks for all your husband has done!
A big thanks to you & your Hubby!! My Hubs is still active duty & returned from an 11 month tour in Afghanistan in January 2011. It was our 2nd tour as a “couple” but our first one having children. I totally agree with you in regards to the Military Wife job being one of the hardest. Having him away during the birthdays and holidays was always the most difficult and trying to help the kids understand why Daddy wasnt home was a challenge. I find myself very emotional this year with the holidays approaching because my mind always goes back to how they were for us last year with him gone. We are very thankful to have him home with us now!!!
I thank you and Jeff for the sacrafices you made for our amazing country. Without people like you, none of this would be possible.
God Bless America 🙂 Happy Veterans Day!!!!
– Sarah
I didn’t know your husband was a Vet, or that he’d been in Iraq. My husband is also, he was in Iraq for 15 months just about a year after Jeff was it seems. Crazy to think back on those times.
Great post, Mandy. Thank you Mr. Rose for your service 🙂
you’re awesome! thank you AND him, and all of the men and women, and their spouses, who we have our freedom to thank for.