A Letter to Our Dual Military Child

From the moment I found out we were expecting I knew for sure that I could not continue my service in the United States Navy. I went back and forth about it for the last two

years but was so happy that you gave me clarity. I couldn't imagine both I and your dad having to deploy and us having to leave you in the care of someone else. I didn't know if you would understand, and I didn't want you to think that mommy and daddy didn't love you because we were always away. I had until 2019 to perfect my plan to maximize the amount of time I could spend with you. I know that with your dad continuing to serve, we both will have to say "See you later" at some point. having deployed four times, I completely understand what your dad will be experiencing and I will try my best to help you understand. As of April 2017 the longest I've been away from your dad has been 30 days. However I know that having a piece of him (You) will make the separation much easier. I'm sure we will face challenges along the way, but we will get through it because we are strong.