Her War, Her Voice!

Whether walking down a street, through an airport, or across a parade field, a military uniform signifies service. War. Strength.  Pride. And sacrifice. We all know that uniform embodies courage and valor. But what of those who wear no uniform? What of those on the battlefield here at home?

Those in uniform train to fight, survive, and emerge victorious. They spend months learning to combat their enemy and how to evade danger. We, their families, have no training. No way to ensure that we are even surviving.  We have no way to identify the enemy. And we have no way to quantify our victory. Still, we rise.*

When he walks away, leaving the life and love you have both built and cherished, the actual deployment begins. But, our battle began long before that moment of goodbye.

We spend hours wondering:  “When will he leave? Can our relationship survive? Am I strong enough for this? Am I the only one feeling this way?”

Life revolves around waiting, always waiting, and hoping you have done enough, been enough, laughed enough, loved enough.  We move through our military lifestyle, always wondering if we meet the “standard,” or if we have the strength, or even the ability, to maintain a family. We push to be more. To break free of the confines of a label. The simple fact is, as women, we cannot be defined. Or simply put into a category.

We pick ourselves up when we fall, and we move through the pain when we fail. Tried and true, we prepare ourselves for his return. We push ourselves to stay, understanding that only “half” of him may return to us. We expect night sweats. We prepare ourselves to nurture him. To listen. To be a confidant and a sense of reprieve for him.

We don’t expect to be the ones with war wounds. We don’t expect to be the ones who need help. We don’t feel entitled. After all, we wear no uniform.

But we are in the battle.

At Her War, we are breaking the silence. We hear your battle cry, your need to voice your struggle. And the beauty in your victory. Here, we celebrate you, support you, and commend you.

Our men don’t leave their battle buddies behind, and neither will we.

Her War is a safe, anonymous and free interactive community designed to hear the silent warriors.  Here, we have no rank. No judgment.  Instead, we highlight her story. Her voice.

*“You may trod me in the very dirt  But still, like dust, I’ll rise.”  Dr. Maya Angelou