Veteran has much to be thankful for

Laura M. Levering / Northwest Guardian

When I accepted the position as a full-time journalist with The Northwest Guardian, I had a pretty good idea of what I was in for … Well, I thought so, anyways.

My experience as a Soldier journalist stationed at Fort Lewis was invaluable. I gained an immense amount of respect for our military as I dove into other military occupation specialties and in a sense role played through writing. Still It was my time as a civilian writer that truly gave me a deeper understanding of military life and my new role as a spouse.

I was fresh out of the Army when I began working for the newspaper. As a veteran married to a Soldier, I thought I knew most everything there was to know about the military. I quickly learned I was wrong. It was a multitude of people I met over the course of two and a half years that opened my eyes to the complex, yet carefully structured organization we call the Army and importance of leaning on other spouses.

I am amazed by the amount of services available to our military, the majority of it free of charge. Assistance with finding employment, financial planning, support groups for practically every demographic and need, vacation planning, religious services, physical fitness, … Virtually anything a person can think of is accessible here.

Much of what I learned did not come from researching, but instead through people I met for stories I’ve either been assigned or that I sought.

One such story was that of a spouse whose husband was killed in Afghanistan. Just as he had selflessly given his life, she so selflessly opened her heart and shared their story with me. I found myself crying with her as she shared a fairytale love story, followed by the life-changing knock of the door. This once-stranger of a woman was suddenly a fellow spouse whose pain was shared by me. And a few months later, just as I had attempted to console her, that same woman comforted me at a time when four Soldiers from my husband’s unit were killed. She demonstrated an admirable strength and compassion anyone would admire. It’s a resilience I’ve come to see in a lot of military spouses — one that makes me proud to be in the same category of people.

That story is just one of many I have had the honor of sharing with the community and beyond.

I’ve written stories about a Family’s struggle with autism, a community of runners that serve as a living memorial, a young woman born with cerebral palsy whose zest for life has anything but deterred her, a mother of three — younger than me — win one battle with cancer only to start over with fighting another, and countless others who wound up having a profound impact on me both personally and professionally.

As rewarding as it is to see a finished product on paper, the true reward comes when a friend is gained. I’ve shared life’s most celebrated and scariest moments, helped and received help and overall made lifelong friends through some of the stories I’ve written.

As journalists, occasionally we are thanked for the stories we share. As I look back on my time here, more often than not I am the one who has much to be thankful for. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity and trust I’ve received from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord community to share its stories.

My two and a half years here at the newspaper have been an honor and utmost rewarding experience. Not only have I forged friendships, but my Family is better prepared for our move to Fort Gordon, Georgia, largely because of my time here.