The military has changed not only my husband's life, but mine as well. I remember the day when my husband, Brandon told me he officially enlisted in the United States Army and would be leaving for basic training sooner than we had anticipated. Given that we would be away from each other for a long period of time, we made sure to always remind each other to stay strong as this will be the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. The day he left for basic training was very emotional for me because I had to say "See you soon" to my best friend. The weeks felt so long without having his presence around me or at least hearing his voice, but I will never forget that feeling of receiving my first letter in the mail from him! I read his letter over and over again; this is how Brandon and I communicated for the four and a half months we were apart. I would look forward to the time I could sit down and write about my day and send it to him, as he would do the same. I was overwhelmed with excitement when it came time to pack up my bags, head to Georgia and watch him graduate. The best feeling ever was watching him succeed and seeing all his hard work from those past four months finally pay off. You could say I was one proud wife!

Just when I thought the hard part was over, it got harder. We had orders to Washington, D.C. and that was going to be our new home for the next 3 years. It was hard on both of us as we grew up and lived in Arizona our whole life and to think it was time to move away from our family and friends was a little tough. Also, because we were young and newly married, we were new to lots of things thrown our way. We drove 2,200 miles to begin our journey, in a new house, new area, new people, new jobs, new life. The military has instilled in my husband and I to never take anything for granted, and always appreciate what you have and that sacrifice makes you understand. All the obstacles we had to jump over and challenges we had to overcome were a blessing because it has made this whole journey forever worth it. Therefore I am thankful for my soldier and appreciate his service to our country. I love you! 

Thanks for reading about why I appreciate not only my soldier but our US military. 

Sincerely, 

Danielle