Published: April 20, 2021
Meet Madeline: Month Of The Military Child
Meet Madeline. She’s a #MilKid whose great grandfather served in the Marine Corps, and grandfather and dad served in the Navy. Madeline is following in their footsteps to continue her family’s long history of service as a Naval Academy grad, and she and her husband are currently serving in the Navy.
For all those reasons, Madeline is no stranger to the challenges of #millife. She moved over 10 times before college, and her dad has deployed several times. Her time at the Naval Academy was the longest she’s lived in the same zip code. Since graduating, she’s moved twice, gone through one deployment, and is gearing up for another.
But Madeline wouldn’t have it any other way. “As a military child you are shaped by both the values your parents teach you, and the values instilled by the military community,” Madeline shared. “Sacrifice, standing up for what is right, upholding the “American way” by defending the values inherent in the Constitution, are just some of the lessons you inherently learn by being immersed in the service as a military child. I am so grateful for that.”
The example of multiple generations of servicemembers, seeing the incredible “family” created within the military community, and the values instilled in her at such a young age, created Madeline’s desire to join the Navy and fuel her commitment to service today. Even while facing the challenges of being a dual military couple, Madeline remains dedicated to her military career. “My husband and I have spent more of our marriage apart than together,” Madeline said. “Dual military is difficult because there is no guarantee that our deployment cycles will line up, and in our case, they didn’t. But we both support each other in every facet of life, especially our shared desire to serve our country.”
Thank you, Madeline. Your strength and service to our country is appreciated.
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