Where The Millers Roam: They Don't Wear Combat Boots

I did not grow up in a military family. The closest thing to knowing someone that served was my Memother's brother and a handful of older men that went to our church.

It's funny where life takes you.

For fourteen years the military life is all I've known. It's where I have met the majority of my adult friends. It's where I have met some of the most interesting people and been to some of the most interesting places. If not for the military I would not know as many veterans as I do. For that, I am thankful. So to all my military friends currently serving or have served and to those I have not met yet (The army is a small world), I say thank you.

There is another group of veterans that for the most part go unrecognized. The ones that don't wear the combat boots. I'm talking about the spouses and children of our Soldiers.

In the nine months that Steven was deployed this last year, I never once heard my kids complain. Sure, they wished Daddy could be here to see them do this or that. I'm sure this is not just my kids, this is military kids. This is their life. I've seen pictures of my friend's boys who as they get older and their dad is deployed, they take on that roll of "man of the house". These kids understand that birthdays will be missed. T-ball, karate, piano recitals will not be seen and heard, but it's who they are and they roll with it.

I have been very fortunate that some of my dearest friends are military spouses. They know what it means to be the lone Household 6. They do the jobs of both parents. They take care of all the household jobs. They stand tall during deployments and lean on each other. They pick up and move so often that they have to stop and think about what their new zip code is ( I've lived in Texas for a year, and I still have to think about and not give our New York zip code). They leave houses, jobs, friends, and family to follow their Soldier to a post or base out in the middle of nowhere.

So on this Veterans Day I thank those of you who do not wear the combat boots, but have followed behind those who do.

(This blog post is dedicated to my girls from 3-16 FA. Near or far no matter how much time has past, you have and still are some of my dearest friends. )