“Three-Star” Military Mother

I am a Three Star military mother, with three sons currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Their late father, Robert and I are both U.S. Navy Veterans. Being their mother, I am very proud of my children, and the jobs they are doing to serve and protect our country. Having family members in harm’s way is a very stressful and worrisome time. I am overwhelmed with fear; I miss my children and worry for their safety. With my boys being an ocean or two away, I find myself trying to keep my home together, staying positive, focused and busy knowing that my home doesn’t exactly feel like a home, and won’t, until we are all together again.

An Ocean or Two Away
Our oldest son Michael, 28, is in the U.S. Army. He is a M1A1 Abrams Tank Crewman, currently stationed in Villseck, Germany, with a Stryker Tank Brigade. Jason is 22, in the U.S. Air Force, based at Tinker Air Force Base, in Oklahoma, and is a Ground Radar System Apprentice. He is currently serving in Kabul, Afghanistan. Our youngest son, Eric, is in the U.S. Army at age 19. He is attached to the 82nd Airborne Battalion, based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Eric is a Field Artillery Fire Finder Radar Operator/Paratrooper, currently serving in Baghdad, Iraq.

I know I am not alone, because there are so many families that are experiencing the same loneliness and fear as me. We share concerns, support, pride and most of all our devotion to our family members. I know people handle these deployments and separations differently than I do, but this is what I have been experiencing and I also know that we need to keep ourselves busy, continuing with our daily routines to pass the time away, until our loved ones return home safe to us. To all of our men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces we thank you for your service! God bless you!

~Rose Mclaughlin-Dommer

Kindle version of the award-winning Heart of a Military Woman book,
by Sheryl Roush and Eldonna Lewis Fernandez.
Reprinted with permission.