MyMilitaryMedals.com Blog
Military Life
January 27th 2012 - 12:34 pm
It’s Sunday morning. I awake when I feel like it and lay there a few minutes orientating myself to being awake. My husband, an active duty Army soldier, is long gone. As a platoon sergeant, he had his whole platoon meet him at Home Depot and follow him to the head of a trail. They are all instructed to bring a backpack full of whatever in order to resemble their rucksacks. They are preparing to deploy and thus, they have no days off. Likewise, this coming week I know my husband will not make it home until way into the night because they are qualifying their weapons in the dark. I understand, I want my husband to be accustomed to shooting in the dark. I am just thankful it is this week and not the week of Valentines’ Day. Unlike any other job, most employees would complain and pitch a fit if they were required to show up on their day off, nonetheless, show up and hike up a mountain with a heavy backpack. Or if they were required to stay at work from 5am until 10pm for no extra pay or appreciation. Yet, these men all willingly will be there, back packs in place. They understand the importance of preparation and the importance of being a team.
Today’s soldiers are incredible people. These men and women are truly dedicated to their profession and we should be so thankful they are. These people do not do what they do for a military medal, or in order to pin an extra Army ribbon on their uniform. They do what they do so you can experience freedom; saying what you want, going where you please, being whoever you want to be. The dedication our troops put in is more than most civilians will ever understand. Being a military soldier is so much more than a 9-5 job, it is a lifestyle.
The latest in Military Ribbons & Medals
January 27th 2012 - 12:16 pm
Isn’t it amazing just how much times have changed? From the rotary phone to the cell phone, what updates we have seen. I remember when my mom got her first cell phone; it was about ten inches long and came in a black bag. I thought it was the hippest thing. Now a day, I can rarely find my cell phone because it is so tiny. Time has definitely changed our ways of communication. Back in World War II, the only communication my grandmother had with her uncle while he was a prisoner of war was a single letter that came once a year on her birthday. There was no way to send information back to him nor could you really even understand the message due to its distortion by his captors to prevent any information leaking out. Yearly, my grandmother’s family would wait for these birthday letters to find out if he was even alive.
As my husband prepares to deploy again, we have so many decisions to make. Should we get an international cell phone plan or just international text? Maybe he should just take our laptop and we will plan on Skyping at a certain time? Or chat through Yahoo messenger? Should he buy a cheap cell phone from the locals when he gets there? I bet my great uncle would roll over in his grave thinking of buying a phone from a local in World War II. But times have changed. In no way, could I fathom only hearing from my loved one once a year. I can only imagine the complaints the rear detachment commander would hear from the deployed soldier’s family! There would be a riot on Facebook!
Although having a family member deployed is extremely difficult and stressful, we are so fortunate to have the technology and means of communication that we do. Just like technology has updated so has the look of our soldiers. Military medals, miniature military medals, and the sleek ultra-thin military ribbons provide our soldiers with a sophisticated and sharp appearance that coincides with our futuristic advances in all realms of life.
