CROMWELL, Conn — Story by Leah Pepe
There are about 1.4 million active-duty members in the United States military.
Those 1.4 million are someone's mother, father, brother, or sister. For active service military families, the only certainty is the uncertainty they live with every day.
Corporal Allison Pepe explains what helped her get through her day while she was overseas, by looking at pictures of her husband and her family, since she was not able to talk to her family since she had left until her return home from Afghanistan.
Sheila Casey, the wife of General George Casey- Army Chief of Staff, states that “Army families are the most brittle part of the force. They're sacrificing too much and we can no longer ask them to just make the best of it.” Day-to-day military life for family members poses many challenges.
Amy Pepe, the mother of Corporal Pepe, emotionally states that never knowing what is going to happen is a daily struggle, but yet she knows that her daughter is helping someone else is huge and that is what Ally has always wanted to do.
Corporal Pepe continues to explain that it is just a different country with a little culture shock, but having the people that she works with, those that are like her work family there with her, helped them all get through it together. “You are able to get to know your guys better and you build more of a trust that you know that if anything were to happen that they would definitely have your back and be there to take care of you.” Many families eagerly anticipate their first moments of reunion with high expectations for their service members.
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