When Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Padgy Soltis experienced her first separation from her son, Michael, in 2016, he was only 8 months old. Working away from him for two months at such a young age was incredibly difficult for the new mom. In her downtime, she poured her emotions into writing a poem about the … Continued
On April 10, 2021, Brantley Gilbert took time away from preparing for the Academy of Country Music Awards to be with three military families. To him, they are the real stars. The virtual event was organized through a partnership with Operation Teammate, a nonprofit organization run by Air Force veteran Timothy Montjoy. When asked why … Continued
Charlie and Tae Willis found each other in the most unexpected place. Both active duty in the Coast Guard, Tae was lost at her new duty station in Hawaii — like, literally lost. Charlie, being the gentleman that he was, helped her get where she was going. The rest is history. They were married not … Continued
A military doctor inspired local children to support frontline workers after sharing his secret to becoming a superhero: wearing a mask. Christy Hanbyul Na, a military spouse, teamed up with military kids from Travis Air Force Base to decorate and distribute masks for frontline workers and deployed service members. Na’s husband, who treated the first … Continued
Having a parent or family member deploy is rough on the entire family. This is especially true for young kids who might not have the emotional capacity to understand a family member being gone for months on end. (Let’s face it … few of us do.) After all, it’s supposed to be the happiest time … Continued
The holidays are near and while it’s one of the most exciting times of the year, for military parents, it’s also one of the most dreaded. For service members, of course, it often means holidays spent away from loved ones. And, for parents on the homefront, it means explaining to kids why Dad is away, … Continued
Family first, mission always.
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Charles Vanscoyk and his wife, Staff Sgt. Alexandra Vanscoyk, are both aviation supply specialists who recently returned to the fleet after completing tours on recruiting duty. The transition …
This post is sponsored by the UCLA/VA Veteran Family Wellness Center (VFWC).
The UCLA/VA Veteran Family Wellness Center is honored to continue to serve and s…
As the time drags on that we are left to stick with social distancing, more and more folks are celebrating their birthdays — away from loved ones, isolated from friends, and instead, in the safe quarters of their own homes.
But just because …
We all know military kids have grit. They are resilient. Gone are the days when t…