"YOU DON'T EXPECT YOUR FAMILY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING. YOU JUST HOPE THEY'LL ACCEPT IT. AND WHEN YOU GET HOME, YOU HOPE YOU CAN PICK UP RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT OFf." -ACT OF VALOR
Certainly the job of a Navy SEAL places major stress on the family. As a husband and father, a SEAL is often absent from the home. Besides deployments, there are numerous training activities that interfere with daily family life. For this reason, families of SEALs typically connect with each other for support. The added stress of the danger involved in the job creates a unique family dynamic. Imagine wondering if your husband or father were going to come home alive each day. I remember when I was young while my mom was dating my stepdad, she decided to break up with him around the time he was preparing to go on a long deployment oversees post 9/11. The break up lasted no longer than twelve hours due to them missing each other too much. When I recently asked my mom about why she did that, she explained that she felt as though she was distracting him from his job. She did not want to put his life at risk by causing him to constantly worry about how she was feeling. Once she realized she loved him too much to not be with him, she had to understand and be commited to the life of a "Navy SEAL wife". She made a commitment that no matter how long he would be gone, how lonely she got, or how little she would be able to talk to him, she would not turn her back from the relationship. Very few women can handle this life. They must remain patient, independent, and faithful while their husbands are away. Unfortunately, there are many unsuccessful marriages throughout the Navy SEAL community. While many marriages fail, the strength of the ones that survive is stronger than any obstacles or hardship that may be thrown their way.
my dad is superman
Above all things, I would say that loyalty is what separates these men from any other group of people. Loyalty to their country, loyalty to their teammates, and loyalty to their families is incredibly important to each one of them. If it wasn't, they simply would not be able to do the job. I have been lucky enough to experience this firsthand throughout my childhood. When I was seven years old, my mom started dating my stepdad (pictured to the left) who was a Navy SEAL at the time. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing when it came to caring for a child, but he made every effort in the world to do it. From the time they got married when I was eight, I have not gone a single day without thinking about how grateful I am to have had him in my life. He has had an incredibly positive influence on every aspect of my life. I can honestly say that I would not be the person I am today if it had not been for him. Anyone can marry a little kid's mom, but it takes a special kind of man to accept the challenges and responsibilities of being that little kid's father. He has been a better father to me than most, and he did it because he chose to, not because he had to. If that doesn't say something about these men and loyalty, I don't know what else would.