Stew's Story...military years part 2

This post is a continuation of the previous one.


Stew then included a personal note along with his answers:

There is another side of all this that Deb and I would like to share with you that probably doesn’t apply to your report, but will hopefully give you a whole perspective of military life, not just war time.

Our years in the military, except for Vietnam, had special times and difficult times, just like every life does. We know without a doubt we made the right decision each time we reenlisted. We would pray and do what we felt God was saying.

 In the military, fellow soldiers and their families became more than friends, they were family. 

Living away from home, each of our own families could not be there for family events. So, we became each other’s family as we shared life together. We went to each other’s children’s special events at school, sports, and church. We celebrated holidays together, laughed together and cried together. We stuck together through the most difficult of times and in the best of times.

Each change in duty station was filled with sad good byes, concerns for how our family would adjust in the new place, the apprehensions and joys of starting over, and the hope of making of new friends…a new sense of community.

It was not always easy. Sometimes the places we were assigned experienced terrorist threats, bomb threats, and heightened security. One time military police had to patrol our children’s schools to ensure their protection.

 But we look back and know without a doubt it was all worthwhile. Our memories are shaped with the places we lived, the people we met, the experiences we had, and the things we learned. Some of those people are still our friends and family and have been for at least thirty years. We have so many more good memories than negative.

 It has instilled in all of us a love of country, God, and strong sense of patriotism. We began learning how much we needed God in our life and what a gift it was to have the freedom to love Him and live for Him.

We asked Amy how it impacted her, and this is what she said: " I loved being an army brat. It allowed us to experience other cultures and different locations in a way that changed us and added to who we are …not just vacations. We grew up with diversity. The negative was leaving friends and schools. There was always a sadness in leaving and a nervousness in being new, but it was always mixed with excitement too. For the new experiences.

I think it helped me to become someone who is more accepting of change and even looks forward to new experiences. And, I think it helped me to know who I am and what I believe better because I was exposed to so much that was different. "

Thank you _______________ for the opportunity to share.

*Stew and I were asked once if we were angry with the military/government because he is now battling mantle cell and it is considered Agent Orange related. Our answer was and still is, "No."

How can we be angry or have regrets when God used our 24 years in the military to:
Grow us
Teach us
Love on us
Walk with us through difficult times and joyful moments
Give us wonderful opportunities to see His creation around the world
Bless us with friends like family who are still with us after all those years, and
Build for us memories that we still hold dear.

He was with us then as He is now. To look back with regret or anger would be to diminish all the good...all the blessings He brought into our lives. It would be like saying He is not enough.

And, He is always always more than enough!

Love, gratitude, and faces to the wall,
Stew and Deb