"How did 9/11 change my life?" and "Tell me more about you and your hubby."
When Hubby enlisted in the MN Army National Guard as a Forward Observer in the Field Artillery he was a 22 year old young man with no family and no girlfriend. He did have a good job, but was looking to be a part of something bigger than himself. (At least that is what he has said in the past.) What do you get when you sign up to scout out enemy positions and call in the heavy guns? A big pay bonus. Hubby and I met after he returned home from basic training.
Fast forward a few years, we have a daughter and we are planning a wedding for September 29, 2001. I had moved home to J-town for the month before the wedding to finish up plans and Dr D had given me a job working for him like I use to do during high school/college. So, on 9/11/01 I was on my way from the family farm into Dr D's chiropratic office to open up for the day and I get a call from soon to be Hubby, telling me about what he was seeing/hearing in the news. I knew our lives had changed, not how, but I knew they had changed. We discussed going to the JOP to get married because we were so worried he was going to ship out, but we just waited it out and got married a few short weeks later on 9/29/01. It was a beautiful day. We had an open bar that night and since drinks were free we asked friends and family to put in a donation for the American Red Cross. We raised over $1000.
In the summer of 2003 with a 2 1/2 year old running around a home we had been in less than a year, Hubby deployed to Europe on a security forces mission for 9 months. Many of us call that the "European Vacation Deployment" now looking back at it. After being deployed to Europe and getting switched between units because of promotions, Hubby missed going to Iraq twice. That was enough for us, we knew someone bigger was looking out for us.
After 6 years in the MN Army National Guard, we made the switch to the MN Air National Guard and Hubby hung up his machine gun and compass and picked up sheetmetal tools to fix C-130's. You may wonder, why do you say "we made the switch". I am blessed with a husband who doesn't make life changing decisions without including his wife in the process and vise versa. We are team. When that enlistment was up with the Army, I said to Hubby, "I can support you being in the military for however long you want, but I don't think I am strong enough to know you are out their scouting out the Taliban." Hubby decided to put family first in his eyes and make a switch to a non-combat MOS (job description to the civi's out there). Baby #2 came two weeks before Hubby enlisted in the Air Guard.
Looking back on the past 10 years since 9/11, I feel I am a stronger Wife and Mom because of my experiences as a military wife, I do things I don't think I can. I feel "blessed and highly favored" with all the large military family I have gained along our journey. I cry during the singing of the National Anthem and "God Bless America", not because I am sad, but because I am proud to be an American.
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