Day 5. Charles De Gaulle and the USS Kearsarge
So far, I had witnessed the agility and excellence of our Air Force and Army, and on this day, I was moved by our Marine and Navy branches. We so rarely get to see our spouses in action, much less the other branches work together like a well-oiled machine. As sexy as it was to fly in an MH-53 helicopter over Gulf waters and land on both the USS Kearsarge aircraft carrier and theFrench aircraft carrier,Charles de Gaulle, it was equally exciting to watch the crew do what they love. Everyone I ran into seemed to feel fulfilled by being there, while still missing family. They were not miserable and I understood for the first time why. Feeling the excitement with them somehow gave me permission to believe that my spouse could enjoy elements of deployment. Like one General told me while there, “This is a volunteer force, they wouldn’t be here if they didn’t enjoy what they get to do.”
No one, not even me, could have anticipated what it would mean to take a spouse, who has supported from a distance for so long, as close as possible to the “front line.” I felt like I carried the weight of so many of you who serve tirelessly at home to somehow answer the why. We have all been affected by war somehow. While there, I somehow made my peace with my role as a military spouse. I made my peace with Afghanistan, too. I forgave it for what it had taken and resolved to take back my ground. I came home with a renewed sense of purpose that I fit into this mission in a crucial way. Who I was at home and in my marriage had a great impact on what happened over there, but more importantly who my spouse was as he walked out the door.
Corie made every effort to make you feel you were there with her on the journey. Each day includes a blog with marriage tips and her raw emotional Vlog. Here are three ways you can experience it:
Blog: Lifegiver Military Spouse Podcast Blog: www.corieweathers.com
Vlog: Youtube Channel: Corie Weathers, LPC
Audio: The Lifegiver Military Spouse Podcast (Available on iTunes)
