I learned how difficult it can be to stay focused when you’re worried about someone that you love, and for that learning I’m grateful. I think that it made me a better officer on deployment. I’d check in with guys: “You call home recently? Everything good?” Usually guys would just brag about how great their kids were doing. But on a few occasions, I had guys wake me up in the middle of the night to tell me that they feared their marriage was falling apart, or to tell me that their kid was sick. Strong guys would break down crying. Of course, just like life doesn’t stop at home, the mission
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