Category: uncategorized (Page 2 of 2)

Just Take A Lorazepam And You’ll Be Fine

If there’s anything that I can take away from this entire experience it is that the military has allowed me to find a joy in traveling.

Before I was exposed to this military lifestyle, I had only minimal travel experience. I’ve always lived in Maine so naturally I have travelled throughout most of New England but I never strayed off too far from home. I new that once he had left for bootcamp the next time I would be able to see him was at his graduation ceremony in  Chicago, Illinois on October 26th. I had never been on a plane and I had never traveled without my family so this was going to be quite the journey for me.

Oh Money, Money $$

Flying was a new experience, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had thought it out to be. I had flown with his side of the family and knowing I had never flown before, they made it as easy as they possibly could for me. The only downside is that flying can get costly and I am a full time college student (college = broke).

After his graduation ceremony in Chicago, he was immediately sent to Charleston, South Carolina to the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command where he would learn how to engineer nuclear reactors.

The first time I flew by myself was when I went to see him in Charleston over my Spring Break. This flight was much easier than the first because I wasn’t traveling with his family ? and second, I was traveling next to other students also on Spring Break. ?

The Journey So Far..

Navy Timeline

August 29, 2018

The day he left for bootcamp.

This was the first time I’d ever seen him cry, as he hugged his father (U.S. Navy veteran) goodbye. I had spent the last three years spending every day that I could with him and for the next two months he would practically disappear from my life.

I looked up to him, he was my best friend and always seemed so strong and confident, nothing could bother him (not even the Sarah McLachlan SPCA commercial).

The Basics

Recruit Training Command (Naval bootcamp), located in Chicago Illinois, is a 7 week long program that turns a civilian into a sailor. During these 7 weeks a recruit is only able to have written contact with family members. At the end of the program a graduation ceremony is preformed to recognize the recruit as an official U.S. Navy Sailor.

Hopelessness ensued

Shortly after he left, my junior year at UNE began and it quickly took a turn for the worst. I stopped eating, studying and going to class. I missed him terribly and an emptiness quickly developed inside of me. The weeks went by slowly and my sadness turned to angst as I began to worry that the person who he had been before may not be the person he is now.

I wasn’t coping with his absence, I was deteriorating.

United States NAVY RTC Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, IL

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Just Another Three Day Weekend

This time last year, I had not experienced what it was like to have a loved one in the military during Memorial Day, the day in which America remembers and honors those who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Before now, Memorial Day just seemed like a good excuse to have a three day weekend, and to some it still may.

For me, Memorial Day represents my biggest fear that one day he may not come home.

This  Memorial Day I am fortunate enough to be with him as he has been on leave for the past 10 days. Unfortunately, he leaves tomorrow morning to return back to his base in South Carolina for an unknown amount of time. I don’t know when I’ll be able to see him again and because of that, I always make sure to tell him how proud I am for committing himself to this country.

How You Can Show Your Appreciation

Labor Day and Memorial Day should not be the only two days we take out of the year to remember and thank those who have fought for our freedom and safety. We should be thanking these individuals every single day and always remember not only their sacrifice but the sacrifices made by their families. As an individual who has come to understand just how hard it can be to have a loved one in military, don’t forget about the families who stood behind these soldiers and supported them everyday. A country may have lost a soldier, but a family lost their son, daughter, brother, sister, mom, or dad. Always keep these brave soldiers in your prayers so that they may return home safely and reunite with their loved ones.

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The altered lifestyle of having a loved one in the United States Navy.

In this blog, I will discuss how the military has changed my life and how I maintain hope and happiness despite given many reasons to be sad and worrisome.

• staying updated on military news and changes
• traveling through the military
• loved one becoming the ‘property’ of the government
• understanding concepts: leave, reserves, active duty, A-school
• the process of learning to live without a loved one
• communication restrictions
• learning to be flexible and maintaining happiness throughout the process