Investing in Military Families
Author’s note: This post is dedicated to all of our military spouse leaders holding it together not only for their own families, but for other military families that are leading in official and unofficial leadership roles. To Paige Thompson Callaway, thank you for your courage and unwavering bravery to lead. You are my hero.
Happy 2020, AWN readers! I hope the Holiday Season found you in good spirits. I also hope the season showered you with many blessings and you were able to spend time with the ones that support and value the most wonderful you.
I’m super pumped about 2020, the newness that’s in the briskness of the air. The plans that I have in store for myself and for my family are coasting me into this New Year with hope for an even brighter future.
I’m going to be a student again. Say what?! Growing up (during adolescence), I detested school. I didn’t enjoy studying, and I didn’t like feeling inadequate because school was hard for me. To this day, if something doesn’t come fairly easy, I kind of check out.
Yes. I know. Totally immature, but very true. Those that know me are probably shaking their heads and laughing. Yep. That’s SJ, all right.
However, those same ones that know me also understand that there is a flip-side. There is a side of me that won’t stop. I’m a fighter. If there’s an injustice, I’m all over it, leading the rally.
I have energy for days for my military community because we’re stronger together.
Inhale, exhale.
I’m officially a doctoral candidate in the Strategic Leadership program at Regent University. I’ll begin my residency and first class, “Leaders and Followers,” this month and am totally geeked about the knowledge, skills, and spiritual armor I’m about to receive through the School of Business and Leadership. My concentration will be . . . drum roll please . . . military families.
This. This is the exact reason I’m going back to school.
We’ve been at war for almost 20 years. We, as in our military community, cannot sustain this type of pressure. The overarching mission to support our service members and their families is failing.
We’re stronger together.
I’ve been known to lead. I try and lead with love and foster community because we’re family. I don’t know about you, but I come from a big family. My dad’s and mom’s sides are so precious, so loving and nurturing. I never doubt any of my family’s love and support. Ever. Same with my husband’s family. All of the sisters-in-law (six of us) love and care for one another as if we were born into our relationships.
The point of the story? I’ve contemplated leading an initiative that puts military families first. One that supports, values, and nurtures our service members and their family members with a holistic approach. Funding for our family programs have been cut in droves because they aren’t used. While that makes fiscally-responsible sense, suicide rates among our service members, spouses, and children have risen.
We cannot rest.
Deployments, divorces, and separations are a constant source of stress where the need for military family investment is greater than ever. This type of investment and attention needs to come from all levels of leadership.
I’m going to need my squad to be ready when we take this to the next level. I’ve got your back because I know you have mine.
What are your goals? What is something that you’ve been wanting to do for a long time now?
