Fathers Who Serve

UNITED STATES

06.20.2020

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Gary Prill 

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)           

As I look out into the crowd of my state championship football game the stadium seats are packed with students waving banners and pom-poms bearing the schools colors. I scan the faces in the bleachers as my eyes settle on the player's family section, there sits my sister who recently graduated from the same school, my mother who got off work early to make it to every game I played in, but my father wasn't there. This wasn't uncommon for him to miss these sorts of events due to his military service. He traveled a lot and missed major milestones of my sisters and my mine and my childhood.

This is a common story to hear from military children across the globe. Regardless of the branch of service, family members make the same sacrifice. Being in the military is already considered a struggle when service members have to leave home, leaving family behind as their world moves forward. Many times we hear about the struggles of mothers leaving behind children and society largely focuses on the bond existing between a mother and her child. It is far less common to hear about the struggles of fathers who leave their children behind to support their country.

I can always remember being proud to say my father was in the military, and now that I have grown and made the decision to serve I too know the sacrifices fathers make when leaving home to support their country, I have missed many holidays, birthdays and celebrations. I can always count on my kids to celebrate those events upon my return or work those celebrations around my time away. One such event is Father's Day, which celebrates fathers everywhere and highlights their bonds and everything they do for their families.

As a service member I share this struggle with many men and women across the service who have the pleasure of serving their country, each of them leaving some form of family behind as their ship leaves the pier or their plane leaves the ground.

"It's tough because I've missed a lot of milestones in my children's lives," said Logistics Specialist 1st Class Joeny Rathavongsa, from Oakland, California, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) safety department. "It will always be a hard transition leaving my kids."

I'm sure my sister can attest, we always looked forward to the day our father returned home. Coming home is different for everyone. Coming home could mean that they are doing the same thing every day as they were at sea except they have to drive to work now, but to fathers it means everything when they see their loved ones smile back at them in person again.

"My two youngest are all about dad so when I see the look on their faces it's priceless," said Rathavongsa. "They stop what they're doing, look at me for maybe four to five seconds, get a huge smile and run and hug me."
Society implies a father's purpose is making sure their family is built up and fortifying them so when their children leave home one day they can be successful and happy. My father did just that for me, he showed me that I too could serve. That I could provide for my family while maintaining a military career and be a devoted father to my children. I could instill in them the importance of service.

"It's the simple basic stuff that makes a family successful in my opinion," said Rathavongsa. "Just being there and showing them I care. As long as they're happy, then I'm happy."

I make every effort to show my children I'm proud of who they are and take the opportunities when I am home to make up for the times I'm gone. It's a balancing act that fathers throughout the military do to ensure they can continue their career and show their family they are there to support them.

"I love spending time with them and seeing them grow up into their own goofy personalities," said Rathavongsa. "They are all different. It's this weird feeling that makes you just want to smile. I am super proud of being a father."

The life of a dad is not an easy job, when you add in a military career that job becomes even harder. Fathers must constantly be there for their children even when they can't.
"Happy Father's Day to all the fathers," said Rathavongsa. "Keep doing big things!"

For more news from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN78 or www.facebook.com/USSGeraldRFord

• Date Taken: 06.20.2020
• Date Posted: 06.20.2020 14:10
• Story ID: 372537
• Location: US