Letter to a Friend Whose Husband Is Deployed

Dear Oldest Friend, It’s been a few months since your husband left again for Afghanistan. The last time he was gone, something bad happened, but it was the kind of bad that could have been worse. He was lucky to have escaped with minor injuries, and you were fortunate to not receive that visit. In [...]

Just Listen

Saturday, January 16th, I attended a memorial service for my friend, Captain Mariah Kochavi. I hesitate to use the term “friend”, because I am not sure I knew her well enough to claim that title. However, I think Mariah is probably comfortable with it, and considering that she gave me something of considerable value, no [...]

“At the NYC Veterans Day Parade with American Women Veterans.”

In September of 2010, I was up late as usual and typed the following words into google: US + veterans + organizations + women. This was a search that I had done off and on over a period of six years. Previously, it had led me to fabulous groups such as the Army Women’s Foundation, [...]

Dear Luka

This letter is written to my son, Luka. I published a book and the cover has a photograph of a solider who lost his life fighting in Iraq. This is my explanation to Luka about who this man was and what the military is. Dear Luka, I love that every time I get on Facebook [...]

My Life Has Been Altered in a Blink of an Eye

I will never regret my service and if I ever did get well, I would go back to Afghanistan in a heart beat. I just wish the DoD would admit something is happening over there with our health and look for the causes. I believe this is Gulf War Syndrome all over again…

Learning to Lead in a Man’s World

If a Marine wasn’t measuring up to standards, it was my job to get them back in the game. If a male
peer was harassing a female subordinate, it was my job to correct him. I had to be unwavering in my
conviction. I had to be a woman and a leader. I grew isolated. I grew strong. I slowly grew into more of
the woman I idealized when I was younger.

Pre-Enlistment 1975

The recruiter was great, not pushy. He explained everything. And, perhaps because I had mentioned growing up in the military I did not get the sugar-coated version of basic training. There was no mention of time on the beach, trips to Disney World (basic training for Navy women was in Orlando at the time), fancy condos, parties.

That was the night my world changed forever

I met Jenny today for lunch after she returned from visiting Sara’s grave site at the cemetery. I asked her if I could post a writing of Sara’s. She agreed

We Can Stand Side by Side as Equals

As one might imagine, there are a few infantry males that have very shallow opinions of females in combat situations. This criticism is something we all endure and then use for motivation to continue our mission with even more strength and ability. We prepare ourselves by not only being physically fit and trained in all aspects on our mission, including weapons and first aid, but we also bring with us a strong mindset.

“In war, there are no unwounded soldiers”

I left my baby when he was six weeks old to go to basic training and AIT. I came back just shy of his first birthday. I thought joining the National Guard, I was safe from deployment. Wrong. Just before my son turned two, my unit was activated, and we left for Iraq.

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