One of the most significant reasons why I stayed in the military occurred when I was a young, 26 year old First Lieutenant and my Army Family rallied to support and take care of me during my darkest days as a widow and single parent. At that time, I was married and had a 4 year old son when my then wife unexpectedly and tragically died. During the ensuing period, The Army quickly supported me and my son, immediately moved us closer to my parents, and provided us time to grieve and begin healing. The Army supported my Family from those most painful days, months, and years through a very successful career and 30 years of service to our nation. As a Warrior, I joined the U.S. Army for the welfare, job security, and well-being of my Family and I stayed serving for 30 years to give back because of the support & committed service of the Army Family.
