Giving Back: Operation Welcome Home MD Experience

So tonight I participated in an awesome volunteer event that I am really pumped up about so I wanted to blog about the experience. Operation Welcome Home Maryland is a volunteer program that organizes well-deserved homecoming celebration events for our troops returning from deployments. There are sometimes several events a day at BWI airport, which is actually a main hub for military deployment flights. A large group will gather with signs and warmly welcome each service member home. This includes family members and fellow service members welcoming home their loved ones too. They also provide goody bags for the troops after their long flights. Overall, it’s just a phenomenal event. I was honored to be apart of it.

When I arrived tonight with my coworkers, we were put to work in an assembly line putting together the goody bags with water, snacks and a thank you card for each troop. Then we waited for their flight to land. My boss, coworker and I were given the job of awaiting the troops with hugs and goody bags when they walk out of customs and walk the “parade route” of high fives, handshakes and cheers. I am all for hugging hot men in uniform, so it's a win-win. We were warned ahead of time though that some of them don’t want to be hugged or even talk to you, and some will even refuse the goody bags. It makes you realize you can only imagine what some of them have just been through or how they must feel. Talk about perspective.

Overall, almost all of the troops were so grateful and gracious. Despite being tired, homesick, dehydrated, traumatized, or whatever the case may be. They almost seem surprised at how we were so happy to see them and that we were even there. Some of the guys quickly walked away with their heads down. But even an Army General will usually give in when you insist on welcoming him with a hug and a genuine thank you. It was beautiful to see the reunions of families, with little girls jumping into their father’s arms with joy and not wanting to let go. The men and women in uniform just kept pouring out, one after another, all 300 of them from the same flight. Some were smiling, some were crying, some simply looked exhausted. But all of them were clearly so happy to be home.

Three people in particular made me emotional. The first was an airman who was returning home with an injury. But yet he seemed so happy just to safely arrive back in the states. We don't even knowledge how many of our heroes come home with injuries but believe me I see it every day. Yet so many will never even get to come home or be welcomed like this because they lost their lives serving this country. It’s so much more real when you see it firsthand. Another lady’s eyes were so red from crying. I reached out to hug her and I said “welcome home, THANK YOU for your service” and she cried in my arms, “It’s been seven years! Seven years!” WOW. I can’t even imagine how it would feel to come home after sacrificing seven whole years of my life in service. And finally, one lady was reunited with her daughter, who couldn’t have been more than four years old. She was crying hysterically. I gave her a huge hug and I just lost it. She had to leave her baby. That has to be one of the most painful things a mother can experience. And one of my best friends is about to deploy and leave her 6 year old son for the second time, so it hits even closer to home right now. I just can’t fathom. It touched me in a very deep way.

Yet they do it selflessly every day. So many men and woman risk their lives and sacrifice living comfortably so that we can live safely. Yet your average American doesn’t think twice about this. I have a biased perspective not only because my mother was the Army brat daughter of a Colonel, but because I work side by side with military members every day. Working for the Department of Defense had always been my dream job so that I could contribute in some way and make a difference. And anyone who knows me know I absolutely love what I do. So I’ve had the pleasure of not only working with military folks, but becoming friends with them, hearing their stories and really getting to understand their perspective. They are some of the coolest people I have ever met and I respect them more than I could ever put into words. But their lifestyle is not easy. Their jobs in the military put incredible strain and hardship on their families. They constantly have to move and detach themselves from loved ones and homes. The danger they are put in during deployments is unimaginable and the ones who survive often face PTSD symptoms for life. And they do it all for very little money. In fact, many of them go through hell just trying to find jobs and transition back to civilian life after their service. It’s truly a roller coaster and yet they choose this in order to serve this country. 

Many people know these things and may even appreciate them. But our heroes rarely ever get the thanks that they truly deserve. I know firsthand what kind of crazy things our military protect and defend us from. Trust me. There’s more evil in this world than your average civilian can even imagine. We often forget how much has to be done to prevent a tragedy such as 9-11 from ever happening again. One of the reasons the United States is such a great country and gets to live so freely is because of how phenomenal our military is. It is known worldwide as a powerful force not to be reckoned with. The things our men and women in uniform do is really incredible and they make me so proud to be an American. Regardless of whether or not you even support the war they're fighting, realize that they're just doing their jobs and they do it for me and you. So spending my evening in an airport welcoming home our brave heroes couldn’t possibly feel better. 

So I say all this to say that this cause is very near and dear to my heart and this program is something I plan to partake in regularly. I have always loved volunteering. There is no greater feeling than giving back. As my friend described, “it just fills a hole inside you”. It makes you realize that no matter how much you go through, it doesn’t compare to what others in this world endure. And helping others is what truly makes it all worth it. In the past I have volunteered at an animal shelter, food bank and others, which were awesome. But nothing compared to being apart of Operation Welcome Home. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

I understand that not everyone can make it to these types of events or may not even have anything like this in their area. However there are still plenty of ways to give back and I encourage each and every one of you to do so in some way. Donating even just a couple dollars helps. I personally donate a small amount of each paycheck to causes I support, two of which are military charities (Wounded Warrior Project and Operation Homefront). Another wonderful one that I endorse is Operations Ward 57. These organizations work diligently to provide assistance for active-duty members, veterans, wounded warriors, and military families who definitely deserve to have our support. There are so many ways to donate time and money to whatever you feel passionate about. I just  hope that more of my generation will feel more passionate about supporting our troops and veterans as I do!

In addition, something as small as mailing a greeting card is a very easy, inexpensive and simple way to express your appreciation, yet goes a long way. Walter Reed military hospital in Bethesda, MD has many great programs to visit, feed and comfort wounded warriors. But they also encourage anyone to send in a holiday card for “veterans, military families and active-duty service members at hospitals and installations around the world”. As we embark on this year’s holiday season, I challenge every person reading this to send at least one card. This gesture truly means a lot to people on the receiving end believe me. The address is:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

And even if you can’t or won’t contribute to any of the ideas I just listed, perhaps you can even just say a prayer for our heroes and thank God for the service that they provide to each and every one of us. Because you would not be here reading this blog right now without our military. Don’t ever forget that. :)

“We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.” - Winston Churchill

Life without liberty is like a body without spirit. - Kahlil Gibran