A few words from Andrea

Hello! I would first like to say that Military Missions is a great organization and I am proud to be doing my small part to support our troops.

My name is Andrea and I am a junior at Eastern Kentucky University. I'm studying for a bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a minor in fire safety and engineering technology. My family has always been a huge supporter of the military and there is a long tradition of service on my mother's side of the family, dating back to the Spanish-American War. I plan to carry on this proud tradition when I graduate by enlisting in the Coast Guard. I also plan on joining a local volunteer fire department in the fall.

I've been doing a lot of running lately, so tonight I sat down to make a list of heroes to honor. I had to keep double-checking to make sure I didn't miss anyone. Besides my family members, I know dozens of career and volunteer firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and military personnel. One of my best friends is a decorated Marine and another who made the ultimate sacrifice in 2008. I have a neighbor who is a retired Navy SEAL. I have friends serving overseas and a few in the National Guard. It is both humbling and overwhelming to know so many who do so much for their communities and our country.

I am honored to be surrounded by so many people who devote their lives to something greater than themselves and have core values like duty, honor, service, courage, and integrity. Our military and emergency service personnel are tragically underpaid and underappreciated by the public. Every day, these men and women run toward situations that everyone else is running away from, all the while knowing that this fire or traffic stop or battle could be their last.

God bless everyone in the military and emergency services. You are all heroes. Keep up the good work!

Journal Entry - Tues 9/2/08

I’ve been thinking about those that stand in the gap for me lately. I always think about the military. I will be honest and tell you that I used to think most about the Marines. Since my son joined that branch, I am naturally drawn to any words that remotely resemble Marines or Semper Fi. As I begin to look past me, myself, and I, it becomes apparent that there are soldiers, airmen, and sailors. If I look even farther outside of my own little world, I start to realize that there are people right here in my hometown that are standing in the gap for me 24/7. My house may never catch on fire, but if it does, there is someone waiting and ready to answer my call for help. That person is ready to answer the call for any of us at any given moment. Most of us don’t need their help, but everyday someone calls our firefighters. I may never be in an accident or become the victim of a crime, but if I do find myself in those circumstances, there is someone already prepared to come to my aid. Even now as I sit safely in my home, there are people working in local law enforcement to make sure that I am safe. Everyday our police officers say goodbye to their families and step out of their homes to protect me and you. Not only are they willing to protect us in the most dangerous circumstances, but they are also ready to humble themselves to direct traffic. I imagine that if you asked most police officers if they joined the force so they could direct traffic, they would quickly say no.....but they often find themselves doing jobs such as that to protect us from ourselves. How many of us consider the other guy when the traffic gets backed up? Something as simple as our lack of patience can become a danger. Our law enforcement officials are there to keep things safe so we can go about our lives normally. So today I am picturing myself as the mother of a police officer or firefighter rather than that of a Marine. The idea of my son going out every single day with the real possibility of facing a dangerous situation is causing me to feel a shortness of breath. It is one thing to worry for a few months during a deployment. It is quite another to live with that fear every single day. Suddenly my mind fills with numerous scenarios....I watch enough TV to have plenty of great ideas....and I wonder how anyone lets their spouse, child, or parent out the door to face the eminent danger lurking around the corner. It occurs to me that it isn’t just the members of the Armed Forces that make serve on my behalf, but it is also those who work as fire fighters and in law enforcement. I have a lot of people to which I am grateful and I figure I will never meet most of them in this lifetime.