Retiring from the Military Not Easy on Everyone

March 28, 2017 Sarah Smiley

About 10 years ago, I grew weary of military life. Well, honestly, I had grown tired of it before then. When I was still my Navy dad’s dependent and in college, I said I’d never marry anyone in the military and live that kind of lifestyle again. Pretty much the next day, my now husband asked me on a date, and we were married a year later.

But it was 10 years ago, when we were due for another military move and probably more deployments, when I really began to resist. And if there’s one thing the Department of Defense knows, it’s this: when the spouse isn’t happy, the service member is probably looking to get out.

In Life and in Death, Marines are Always Faithful

October 19, 2014 Sarah Smiley

Like most military children, Marc Tace knew how to wait. He knew how to wait for his Marine Corps dad’s next job, his next homecoming and the next deployment. Marc knew how to wait even when his dad’s absences could only be explained by the words Semper Fi. And for a child who’s missing his dad, that’s a hard concept.

8th and I: Unforgettable

September 19, 2014 Sarah Smiley

Dustin looked sharp in his choker whites as we arrived at the Commandant’s house for a reception before the parade. But when a Marine offered to escort me to my seat, Dustin smiled knowingly. I love the Navy, and I’ve been a Navy dependent for 37 years, but those Marines — well, there’s nothing quite like them. If a bear jumped out of the bushes, I was sure this Marine by my side could stop it with one hand and not miss a step or release my arm. In fact, I overheard someone behind me say that the Marine Corps Barracks is the safest block in Washington, D.C.

Military Widow Reflects on Parenting Alone

May 24, 2014 Sarah Smiley

“Eight months have passed since my husband was killed in the Red Sea. Landon was not killed by enemy fire, nor as a result of a mechanical failure. He was killed as he sat in his helicopter, rotors spinning and chained to the deck of a ship that was going too fast in high seas. A large wall of water hit the side of ship, shot up, and crashed onto the helicopter, causing it to break apart and eventually go over the side with both pilots still strapped in their seats.

Copyright Sarah Smiley

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