Posted on Jul 28, 2015
What lasting effect has your military career had on your family?
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Think about your military career, no matter how long or short it was or has been. What lasting effect has your time in uniform had on your immediate family? On your extended family? What would you change, if you could?
Military Family
Family
Relationships
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 15
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Learining to work with each other to make things work. To love one another no matter what the problem is. God First, Family Second.
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CMSgt Mark Schubert
I like God, Country, Family - only because I don't think I would WANT a family in any other country! :-) (there are a few exceptions like Switzerland, Germany, England, etc - I'm more referring to the countries we are not allies with)
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PO1 Roger Waddle
country GOD family, preserve and fight for what is left of this country to keep GOD in control and praise to have a great family
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CH (MAJ) William Beaver Unfortunately in my case it has had a negative affect. First, I missed a lot of events because of my constant military duties, secondly; I went through a divorce and was separated from children from the time they were 10 and 12 up today. I didn't get to talk with them much even though I tried very hard through deployment and being gone for 18 months. I can say now that I have a great relationship with them at age 22 and 24 and they are both attending college that I paid for myself (their mother didn't attend and wouldn't have sacrifice to get them through college. If I had to change it at all I don't think I would want to. If I said I shouldn't have married their mom in the first place then they wouldn't be here, so I wouldn't change that. I would have tried to find more time to be at special events after the age of 10 and 12, prior to that I was their baseball coach, basketball coach at the Boys and Girls center. I tried to be there for everything, but once the family split and the deployment back to back it all kind of fell apart. We are good now and they coming to spend time with me here in California in August. The good news is that their mother and me get along better now, which is important for the two girls. I have a new stepdaughter now that I'm raising and getting ready for college. Life is good after retirement.
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CPT Wayne Douet
Thanks for sharing CPT Beaver. Your experience gives me hope. Unfortunately for me as well it has had a negative effect. approximately 2 years after returning from my 2nd deployment to Iraq, My wife and I separated on valentines day, I was served divorce paperwork on 5 March and The divorce was finalized by 16 June of the same year. I had no clue, did not see it coming, but quickly realized there was nothing left to fight for.
I now struggle to maintain connection with my 2 boys ages 12 and 9 as they have moved back to TX and I am residing in IA. The fact that things have improved with you and your boys give me hope.
I now struggle to maintain connection with my 2 boys ages 12 and 9 as they have moved back to TX and I am residing in IA. The fact that things have improved with you and your boys give me hope.
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CH (MAJ) William Beaver. The long hours away from home and some of the harsh work conditions led only one of my sons to join the Army. In general the values which seem to have stuck with my sons can be attributed to my faith in Christ primarily and my military service secondarily. My sons learned to treat all people with respect and several of them learned to stand up for those unable to defend themselves. They have all been through challenging situations and they seem to have learned that while we may not be responsible for what happens to us or what is said to us we are responsible for how we respond.
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