As a milspouse, I often put on a brave face. Sure, I could panic and freak out, but instead, I push fear aside and simply handle it. Sometimes it’s for my husband, my children, my family, but a lot of times it’s just for me. Although my wheels may be turning and stomach is churning, I don’t let fear paralyze me. Instead, I bravely face what is before me, and I know I’m not alone. Why? We milspouses are a tough breed.
Embracing My Bravery
Here are some brave moments I experienced since becoming a milspouse:
- Meeting the Army Recruiter – The first time I met his recruiter, I was nervous. My expression was so brave, I think I accidentally mean-mugged the poor guy. I didn’t want my husband to be “swindled” and wanted to ensure a quality life for our military family. Turns out, all would be better than I could have imagined.
- When He Left For Basic/AIT – When my husband left for his year-long training in Basic and AIT, I was pregnant and had a 1-year-old. As we farewelled our soldier, I put on a brave face and reassured my little one, “Don’t worry, daddy will be back.” We ended up having a beautiful year living with my parents and guess what? Daddy came back.
- Giving Birth While My Husband Was Away – I was only 29 weeks along when I was admitted to the hospital for pre-term labor, all while my husband was away for AIT. At just 36 weeks I had an emergency c-section without my husband present. Fortunately, my mom was there by my side. As I struggled those first couple nights to feed and change my son, I stayed brave, knowing my husband would arrive in a couple of days, and he did.
- Moving to Another Country – We had orders for Germany, and my husband arrived two months ahead of us. I left behind my family — my village — to live across the ocean in a country where I didn’t speak the language. When my infant, toddler and I boarded our midnight flight to Ramstein AFB, I put on a brave face and reassured them. Germany turned out to be my favorite place I’ve ever lived.
- When My Husband Deployed – Although my husband had been in non-deploying units, he broke the news that he was deploying to Afghanistan. Knowing that I had to play the roles of both mom and dad for half a year, I put on my brave face. When dad came back, the kids were older, happy, confident and well-adjusted.
Honoring Brave Military Families
Face it, all military families have stories of strength and bravery. Even looking at my children, they confidently move to new houses, meet kids on new playgrounds, attend new schools every few years, and have to say goodbye to daddy periodically. Each and every time they seem to get better at it, and I am just so proud.
In addition to bravery demonstrated on the homefront, our servicemembers are brave in other areas. My husband lived in a war zone with bombings nearby and rockets fired at his base. His bravery — like that of many of our other servicemembers — was a matter of life and death. Our heroes face danger and make sacrifices every day, whether we know it or not.
Military-Inspired Series “The Brave”
When I learned that “The Brave,” NBC’s new television series, highlighted America’s undercover military heroes, my interest was piqued. With a mix of storylines from Intel in D.C. to action-packed scenes from highly-trained undercover specialists, “The Brave” will have something for everyone. The writers even worked with military consultants to include a former Navy Seal, for authenticity.
Even better? This isn’t a “boys’ club” show. There are strong female leads to include Defense Intelligence Agency Deputy Director Patricia Campbell (Ann Heche) and Special Forces Team member Sgt. Jasmine ‘Jaz’ Kahn. Don’t you love seeing women handling it like bosses and making things happen?
Beginning September 25, “The Brave” will air Mondays at 10/9 C on NBC. This drama features a team of analysts utilizing the world’s most advanced surveillance technology, who partners with a heroic special ops squad. Tune in and check out this fast-paced series as their team saves the lives of innocent people and executes missions from some of the most dangerous places in the world.
Check out the trailer below:
This piece is sponsored by NBC’s “The Brave” and SoFluential Media. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Jackie Toops
A self-described “Jackie of All Trades,” former Army wife Jackie Toops enjoys exploring the various facets of her personality by chronicling military life, world travels, family, her love of the arts and more. Her academic background is in the fields of Interdisciplinary Humanities, Museum Studies and Nonprofit Management, and she has overseen public relations for museums, galleries and universities. Jackie’s articles have been featured on Army Wife 101, Wall Street International Magazine, SoFluential, HomeAway, Military Biz Connection and FamiliesGo. While stationed in Germany, she regularly discussed her articles on-air with the Armed Forces Network in Wiesbaden. A mother of two, Jackie enjoys coffee, freelance writing, languages and discovering new ways to express herself. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
A self-described “Jackie of All Trades,” former Army wife Jackie Toops enjoys exploring the various facets of her personality by chronicling military life, world travels, family, her love of the arts and more. Her academic background is in the fields of Interdisciplinary Humanities, Museum Studies and Nonprofit Management, and she has overseen public relations for museums, galleries and universities. Jackie’s articles have been featured on Army Wife 101, Wall Street International Magazine, SoFluential, HomeAway, Military Biz Connection and FamiliesGo. While stationed in Germany, she regularly discussed her articles on-air with the Armed Forces Network in Wiesbaden. A mother of two, Jackie enjoys coffee, freelance writing, languages and discovering new ways to express herself. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.