With 15 days to go, today, my 20 Years a Coastie post is about the support structure in the Coast Guard, and that despite all the other shenanigans, they are there for you and your family when you need it. A little backstory here. For those of you who dont know, Emily had a heart condition that was discovered when she was about 18. Over the years, they tried doing some non-surgical treatments and had her on medication, but it was pretty clear that eventually, she would need surgery. And after Karah and Dori were born, that became even more obvious. So in March 2010, we headed off to Cleveland ao a heart surgeon could pop the hood and fix Emilys ticker. Everything went well, and after being up there for about a week and a half, we came home to NOLA so she could recover. Her mom Lucy came down, and within a few weeks, she was moving about better, and pretty much back to normal. Better even, since the Doc did his magic. That is the face of it. Here are the details that are missed that really sets the Military apart. First off, regardless of what you may think, Tricare is kick ass insurance. You may need to be a bit proactive in navigating the system, but when you do, you can pretty much get whatever you need. They sent us to the #1 Heart Clinic in the country, to see one of the worlds leading surgeons. They covered everything from the surgery and both of our plane tickets, to the Hotel, rental car, and food while we were there. I am not sure what kind of payments other people who headed up there were looking at, but I am willing to bet very few were taken care of like Tricare took care of us. Next is the Unit. The Coast Guard gave me Permissive Orders to travel up and back, and then gave me time off afterwards to help Emily recover. And not Sure, you can take your vacation days, but time that was given under a legitimate program that is designed for the Military member to help his or her spouse. I dont think alot of jobs out there offer that. And last, but certainly not least, are the spouses network lead by the Unit Ombudsmen. From meal deliveries and rides around town and to watching the kids and keeping an eye on Emily after Lucy went home and I had to head back to work, they stepped up. They were more than just friends checking up on us and wishing us well, they were an important part of our support structure. And the great thing is, they do that whenever a family could use the assistance. Wether it is a post surgery issue or a new baby, the Spouses Network is something that does more than most people know, and is unique to the Military Family. A big Hats off to Printace, Sedonia, Susie, Kate, Lisa, hell, even Voldemort. And all others who wore the Ombudsmen hat out there. Yall rock. So what is the point of this post? It is that, despite all the hardships an average Military Family has to go through, from separations for deployments and transfers, to inherently dangerous jobs for minimal pay, when the chips are down, they truly take care of their own. They give you the time, the resources, and the support you need to take care of your family when they are the ones who need your focus. And I would challenge anyone to point to a job (outside of maybe Police and Fire Departments) that steps up in the same way.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 17:09:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015