Iwas a 19-year veteran of the Air Force and the

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1 Frontlines is a collection of real life essays from Wayland Baptist University students, devoted to military life and service. Some have seen combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some support those missions. Some are Army, some are Air Force, and some are National Guard. Others serve the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. Some are career soldiers. Some are not. All serve the citizens of the United States of America, and these essays are a historical marker and testimony to that fact. Frontlines and Wayland honors the sacrifice and service of these men and women. The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. ~ Douglas MacArthur 42

2 9 Pay it Forward By Tammy Brangard-Hern Iwas a 19-year veteran of the Air Force and the workday began like most a short staff meeting in the morning, 50 s awaiting a response, and mounds of paperwork to sift through. As I sat at my desk wrestling through reports, a young soldier entered the work area with a cheerful Good morning and a huge smile on her face. She sat at the cubicle directly across from my work area and began to speak to us of her upcoming fourmonth deployment in support of the war on terror. I heard her rattle off the many tasks she had yet to complete and voice concern over leaving her two young boys for such a long period of time. Listening to the conversation brought me back to just a year earlier when I was preparing for my deployment she was undoubtedly going through the same sea of emotions. As the conversation progressed, her shaking voice led me to interrupt the discussion. I thought a few words of encouragement and some helpful tips learned from my deployment would assuredly put her at ease. However, she 43

3 explained there was nothing easy about the upcoming trip. After months of planning and preparation, this single mother watched her family care plan for the children fall apart three weeks prior to departure. As the tears swelled in her eyes, we considered other childcare possibilities. A long list of family members and friends quickly dwindled as she explained their inability to help. I reached out to comfort her and told her we would work together to find a solution. As I returned to my stack of reports, I found myself reading the same paragraph over and over. I simply could not stop thinking of that young soldier and those two sweet little boys. My mind raced to find other possible solutions and my heart hurt because I, too, spent several years as a single mother in the military. How could there be no one to help? With a heavy heart and without a single idea, I departed work for the evening. The drive home provided a short distraction from my thoughts. My husband called to remind me that he was picking up two of our teenagers from a school activity and dropping off another one at soccer practice. I was in charge of checking in with the other two children and planning dinner. I can t recall the dinner decision, but certainly remember God s intervention as I drove into my neighborhood. He placed the desire on my heart to offer care for the soldier s children. I had a million questions for God at this point: The boys don t know me will they adjust? How will I ask my husband we already care for five 44

4 children! How will our children react who will be willing to give up her room? How will I approach the soldier we were mere acquaintances before today! He didn t offer any answers just reassurance. I took a deep breath when I heard the garage door open and met my husband at the door. As we walked into the kitchen to sort through the day s mail, I told him of the soldier s story and with tearing eyes, expressed God s desire for us to offer care to the family. Without hesitation, my husband agreed. We prayed that evening and I spent most of the night preparing for my conversation with the soldier. The morning drive to work provided one last opportunity to review my thoughts. I entered the soldier s office with a cheerful Good morning and a big smile, just as she had the day before. With a pounding heart, I told her of my conversation with God and my husband. She was overwhelmed at the offer and agreed to pray about it. After two days of prayer, interviews with references, and a million questions, she agreed to leave her children in our family s care. Our family quickly adjusted to the new additions. The four-month deployment flew by and the boys did extremely well. We absolutely fell head over heels in love with them, and we remain a very big part of their lives today. The soldier has become one of our daughters and the family now lives just a few blocks from our home. I thank God for the direction he provided that August day. He provided me 45

5 with an opportunity to help someone as many others had helped me a simple means to pay it forward led to a lifetime of blessings for both of our families. About the Author: Tammy Brangard-Hern joined the Air Force in December 1988, 6 months after graduating high school. Her original intent was to serve 4 years to earn college money throught the GI Bill. Brangard-Hern s love for the Air Force and her country kept her in active service for 20 years. She retired in Jan During her military career Brangard-Hern served as a Personnel NCO (aka Human Resources Specialist) at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana; Langley AFB, Virginia; Randolph AFB, Texas; Kunsan AB, Korea and deployed to Ali Al Salem in Kuwait in She continues to serve the Air Force as a Civil Service employee. 46