In For the Long Haul
We’re the spouses who’ve been living this military life for more than 10 years. We’ve gone through countless deployments and even more moves. But we’re also wise to the tricks and trades of surviving and thriving in a military family.
She’s Spent Her Whole Life Helping Military Families
By Michelle Galvez
Angela Rodriquez is a Marine Corps spouse who embodies the Blue Star Families mission: “Support. Connect. Empower.” And that’s just the on the surface. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find her military family journey includes a long list of experiences. She was an Army brat during the Vietnam War, an active duty Marine, a Marine wife through numerous deployments and a soldier’s mother. She’s spent time on Army, Navy and Marine Corps bases around the world and now calls the Camp Lejeune, NC-area home.
“I learned in the Marines to give any and all to everything I do,” Angela said, “I wanted to give something back and make a difference in the lives of young military families.”
She’s doing just that for the next generation of military families as the Executive Director of the Camp Lejeune Armed Services YMCA. For 145 years, the Armed Services YMCA has enriched the quality of life for junior enlisted military personnel and their families. Angela has spent the last 10 years working about 12 hours a day to help young military spouses. She also spends a considerable amount of time networking in the community and speaking about the Armed Services YMCA.
“I can share my experiences with them,” she said, “it means everything to me to see them sharing information, building friendships and establishing a bond. Most of these young spouses are new to the area, don’t know anyone and this gets them out of the house and helps the kids, too, by exposing them to many different things.”
Military families at Camp Lejeune benefit from ASYMCA programs like Kids Plus, Operation Hero, Little Caterpillars playgroup, Make It & Take It, Angel Baskets, Backdoor Boutique, Helping Hands, Sights for Students, Cropping Corner, Time to Unwind, Need to Bead, and Kids Plus.
“It’s a labor of love,” Angela said, “The reward I get is seeing the smiles on those faces, the thank you notes I get and the hugs they give me every day.”
For more information about the Armed Services YMCA, visit http://www.asymca.org. To learn more about the Camp LeJeune office click on http://www.lejeuneasymca.org.
To get involved in the Camp LeJeune chapter of Blue Star Families or the chapter nearest you, email members@bluestarfam.org.
