Memorial Day: An Army Mom’s Reflection

I awoke this morning thinking about how different this Memorial Day is from 2011’s.  I recall—all too well—the dread that plagued me this holiday weekend last year as my son was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan in early June.  Those last couple weeks prior to his departures are always difficult with the constant anticipation of [...]

Military Families Ministry’s Co-Founder Receives Award

Paula Parker, staff assistant in the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute, is the 2012 recipient of the Barash Award for Human Service. Created in 1975 by the family of the late Sy Barash, the award honors a full-time member of the faculty or staff or student body on the University Park campus who, apart [...]

Deployment Cycles: Stage 3 – Emotional Disorganization

Emotional disorganization, or stage 3 of the emotional cycle of deployment, occurs during the first six weeks of deployment.  My experience with this cycle, as the mother of a soldier, is different from that of a spouse; my husband is still here, my daily routine doesn’t change, and I don’t take on new responsibilities as [...]

Army Mom Shares Her Story: Boot Camp for Military Moms

“It is a mother’s instinct to protect her children.  From the moment we feel the first movement as they grow inside us; we take on the role of protector…                 …What happens to our basic instinct to protect our child when he or she is ordered to one of the most dangerous places in the [...]

Army Mom Responds to Burning of Korans

It is unclear yet if it was a very bad decision or an inadvertent error, as the President stated in his written apology, which resulted in the burning of Korans at the Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan.   In either case, it is deeply troubling and quite honestly mind numbing that this could happen. Anyone who knows [...]

Army Mom: Expecting the Unexpected from a Deployed Son

My son’s platoon arrived back at Fort Carson on December 21st.  Alison had their new apartment all set up and decorated for Christmas—everything was perfect and the only thing missing was Josh.  Unfortunately, my son did not come home with his platoon.  Josh’s orders had changed and he would return at a later date. All [...]

Army Wives and Army Moms Have a Bond All Their Own

In mid-December, I spent a week with my daughter-in-law, Alison, and some of her friends who are also Army wives.  A surprise announcement came that our deployment, which was to continue until June of 2012, was ending early for one company and approximately 500 soldiers were scheduled to return to Fort Carson in time for Christmas. [...]

An Army Mom Given Glimpses of Afghanistan

The Afghan summer, with average daily temperatures of 115 degrees, has ended and the extreme cold of winter replaces the heat.   It was hard to imagine what those hot summer days were like for my son, Josh, who has been deployed in Afghanistan since earlier this year. He described long days out on missions, vehicles stocked with [...]

Heroes Among Us: Military Spouses

How do you define a hero?  I immediately think of those in uniform—the men and women serving in the Armed Forces or the first responders who protect us in our communities.  Heroes, however, don’t always wear uniforms and carry guns; they live among us in most neighborhoods in this country. My husband, Jeff, and I have been living [...]

Military Families Ministry’s “Stockings for the Troops”

Military Families Ministry (MFM) has launched their 2011 Christmas project:  “Stockings for the Troops“. Please join us in sending stockings to our deployed troops who will not spend this special holiday with their families. This is a great family project to reinforce the importance of giving to others–particularly those who sacrifice so much for us. How can [...]