Thousands of miles apart, still managing to make it work.
sector security: Jason Mills is in his sector for the outpost he guards. He was guarding the border at the United Arab of Emirates.
Freshman, Ewan Mills sits down for breakfast and thinks about how things have changed. Instead of the feast of pancakes, waffles and bacon his dad used to cook, he now stares at a bowl of Cheerios. The meal dad used to cook each morning is now a distant memory.
Ewan and Lauren Mills’ father, Jason Mills, has been in the Air Force for two years and is now stationed at the United Arab of Emirates. He is fairly new to the military scene, starting his career at age 39. Before entering the Air Force, Jason volunteered for the fire station, worked as a paramedic and a police officer. At that very same base, freshman, Wyatt Leffew’s stepdad, Scott Horne, goes through his daily routine of guarding entrances to the bases and protecting arsenaries alongside Jason.
Move 1,148 miles southeast to be on the doorstep of senior Emily Jowers’ dad, Ray, in Kuwait. He has been all over the Middle East giving years of his service to his country.
Of course holidays are tough in each scenario. “[…] with the time difference it’s weird,” says Jowers. She says when it is Christmas morning here the holiday is practically over in Kuwait.
Mills, senior, said “It’s happy because it’s the holidays, but it’s sad because I can’t be with my dad. I can only talk to him through the phone and it’s hard to be happy when all you can do is talk to him instead of hug him.”
None of the kids are completely cut off from their fathers. Ewan and Lauren communicate with their father each day through WhatsApp. This app allows them to call, text and facetime their dad no matter his location. Wyatt and Scott communicate through Facebook messenger every morning and night while Emily and her dad Ray communicate through Facetime or calls a few times a week as well as texting.
Ewan and Lauren have grown accustomed to their Cheerio breakfast, but they haven’t gotten used to life without dad. They have found a powerful sense of pride that comes with being a military family, “[…] being in the military is not a bad thing, you will not always go into combat. If you can serve your country, then do it,” says Lauren Mills.
