".....May all that come behind us find us faithful." ~ Steve Green

 It has happened again, in a state, in a city in our country, a group of volunteers and Service Members have had to pull their families together to give them information in regards to fatalities in the unit. These days are the hardest of all when you are a military family. An emergency meeting must be called and official information has to go out to all the families so that whatever is being said in the media can be verified or reconciled. Emotions run high at meetings like these. Families want to know every detail, they want to know when they can speak to their service member again, they want to know how and why it all happened and they want to know what they can do to help the families who have lost their loved one.
 Behind the scenes, something incredible has also happened. Volunteers have been called to man the "battleship". In preparation for all that will happen, childcare must be organized, the meeting place, families called, drinks and snacks and other things must be prepared. Those volunteers that muster are the families as well of the troops and airmen who are deployed. In the midst of chaos, the heroes march on. Leading the way with experience are the family members who have unfortunately been here before. The ladies manning the childcare room are season military spouses and blue star moms who have dropped everything so that this meeting can be organized. By their side are new spouses who have decided that they will do whatever they can even if this is their first experience with the military.
 Before the meeting ever starts, the dozen volunteers stand together to plan for what will take place. As they talk about the potential emotions, the anxiety, the worry, the anger, the grief, the frustration, the looks in their eyes say everything. The seasoned wives have determination and calm in their eyes. The Blue Star moms have compassion and dedication in theirs. The new, young spouses have energy and vitality in theirs as they soak in what they are experiencing. If they didn't know before then, they know now, that the legacy of sisters that they have stepped in to is a mighty one. The power of the passion in that back room is inspiring. There is nothing that these volunteers can't do.
 This road has been a long one for military families, but something is incredibly evident even today. The strength of our military is not only in our Service members but also in their families. All you have to do is to see the looks in their eyes.