Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Angel Jaskuloski | Yeoman 1st Class Jazzette Bailey, from Sparta, Georgia, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford...... read more read more
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In 1986, the United States military designated April as the Month of the Military Child, a time dedicated to military children’s sacrifices, hardships and challenges.
Yeoman 1st Class Jazzette Bailey, from Sparta, Georgia, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) intelligence department, is a mother of two children and has been enlisted in the Navy for almost 20 years.
Bailey comes from a lineage of military service, covering every branch of the military. Her grandfather was a Soldier, her mother was a Coast Guardsman, her father was an Airman and her husband is a Sailor.
One of the challenges military families face is the stress of moving.
“I spent my summers with my father, so I didn’t experience a traditional military childhood like some others do,” said Bailey. “Most of the time, I moved around the United States to visit with my father whenever he moved around.”
As a military child, Bailey grew up wanting to understand what the demands of military service meant for her family.
“My father was in Desert Storm in the 90’s,” said Bailey. "I remember when I was a little girl, I would call and ask him if he was going to war.”
Bailey recalled a time she had to be separated from her sons and the toll it took on her when she came back from deployment.
“After my husband and I both left for deployment for about nine months in 2012, it took the biggest toll on my eldest son and his performance in school. His biggest challenge was us not being there for him,” Bailey remembered. “Meanwhile, my youngest son didn’t understand it and when we were gone, he didn’t even remember who I was. That hurt my heart.”
Despite these challenges, Bailey and her family overcame each hardship. She and her husband pushed to be “homesteaders,” a term for Navy families assigned to commands in a specific area.
“Most of my career has been in the Hampton Roads area. I went to plenty of platforms, but I have been stationed here since 2003,” explained Bailey. “Since my husband and I are in the military, we decided to homestead for our children to avoid putting them through that unstable experience.”
Raising a family while serving in the military introduces unique and unpredictable circumstances, and although Bailey’s son experienced unstable times due to her service, he is still looking to enlist in the U.S. Air Force.
“I wanted to give my son the option of trying college before he joined the military, but college wasn’t for him,” said Bailey. “My son sees the structure and good financial balance, and I told him that even if he didn’t want to stay in for a full military career, he could serve a few years and have some idea of what he would want to do.”
The Month of the Military Child is key in thanking and recognizing the sacrifices of those who do not serve, but carry the weight of a loved one’s service.
“This lifestyle can be hard, but at the end of the day I am proud of my children for enduring these challenges,” Bailey said. “We are a stronger family because of these experiences and I am grateful to my sons for their resiliency and never-ending support.”
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2022 13:06 |
| Story ID: | 418195 |
| Location: | VA, US |
| Hometown: | SPARTA, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 221 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Navy Mother Continues Family Legacy of Service, by PO2 Jacob Mattingly, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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