Transitions a Part of Military Life

Photo By Brigida Sanchez | Prospect Point Elementary School Principal Dana Chandler (center) speaks with Field Day Coordinator and military spouse Candace Vance (right) during their ninth annual field day event in Walla Walla, Wash. Principal Chandler, is a retired military spouse, and has welcomed and supported military spouses during her tenure at the school. Corps personnel volunteered at the primary School and showed support to Walla Walla community youth with a Water Safety activity and play through Science, Technology, Engineer and Math.  

WALLA WALLA , WA, UNITED STATES

06.27.2018

Story by Brigida Sanchez 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District

Every year Prospect Point Elementary School, celebrates the end of the school year with a field day celebration. For two years, Ms. Candace Vance has volunteered to organize the event. Candace is one of the few U.S. Army Corps of Engineers military wives in Walla Walla.
Dana Chandler Prospect point Elementary Schools Principal, former Department of Defense Civilian and a military spouse herself understand the rigors of belonging to a family of a service member.
Dana explains: “Military spouses have all sorts of disadvantages, while they have great training and wonderful certifications, and experience they have to move every two or three years. And so getting longevity anywhere is very difficult.”
Maintaining a career, integrating into a new community, are just some of the obstacles that spouses face.
Transitions can be difficult. Candace Vance has been an Army spouse for fourteen years she advised me on how she navigates some of those hurdles.
“So the biggest challenge as a partner and as a parent is maintaining the family relationships. When he is in the field, it is important for me to maintain the same habits the same rules, and discipline. So that when he comes home it’s easy for him to reintegrate and he doesn’t have to be the bad guy because that is not fair to him or the kids.”
Candace volunteers at Prospect Point Elementary School where her daughter Sophia is a student.
Sophia tells us why having a parent at school is a good thing.
“It’s comforting because if anything happens, that is not so great or if I need some help with something she is there to help.
Military families, often go without a mother or a father. They move every three years to a new duty station; these relocations can be stressful. Dana, says that at Prospect Point Elementary they try hard to ease those stressors.
“Military kids are so resilient, Military kids here they are temporary and sometimes that can make it tough when there are kids that have been here there whole lives. And so fitting in is difficult, but we try hard to make sure that any new student whether they are military our not get kind of a home base with a teacher and a social skills group of kids. That they can enjoy and become friends with and stay in contact with even after they leave.”

• Date Taken: 06.27.2018
• Date Posted: 06.27.2018 20:12
• Story ID: 282522
• Location: WALLA WALLA , WA, US