Month of the Military Child: The Wessling Family

Photo By Senior Airman Cassidy Woody | U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Joshua Wessling, 33rd Fighter Wing wing staff superintendent, helps his daughter practice her writing and reading skills in his office Apr. 25, 2019, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. April 25th is "National Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day" and Wessling decided to show his son and daughter his daily life at work. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Cassidy Woody)  

FORT WALTON BEACH, FL, UNITED STATES

04.25.2019

Story by Senior Airman Cassidy Woody 

33rd Fighter Wing

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA-- U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Joshua Wessling, 33rd Fighter Wing wing staff agency superintendent, spends time with his two children before deploying later this year.

Wessling celebrated "National Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day" by bringing his children to work with him at the 33rd FW headquarters building. His children got the opportunity to see their dad in action as the superintendent for the 33rd FW WSA.

"I deploy soon and I'm going to be gone for a year," said Wessling, "so every second with them counts."

Wessling introduced his children to the Airmen who work in the various careers that make up the wing staff agency and then took some time to help his daughter with her writing and reading skills.

April is "Month of the Military Child" across the Department of Defense. The month is dedicated to celebrating the children who grow up and sacrifice beside their military parent(s).

Many challenges the children of servicemembers face are unique from other children such as a parent deploying, changing schools, or moving around frequently.

The Wessling family is no stranger to these challenges. Wessling said his daughter will be starting 1st grade and his son will be starting Kindergarten while he's away.

"My wife and kids will be going back home to Tokyo to live with their grandma while I'm deployed which means they'll be super far away and I won't get to see them for a year. Which further reinforces the importance of spending every day that I have with them, together."

• Date Taken: 04.25.2019
• Date Posted: 04.25.2019 12:12
• Story ID: 319416
• Location: FORT WALTON BEACH, FL, US