MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – Simple tasks can become tough with the added challenges of raising children with special needs, but for one mother and military spouse, volunteering with the Marines helps her cope.
Bianca Frost, who has 15 years of experience being a Marine wife, uses volunteering to help relieve her everyday stresses, and to also help the people around her.
“I believe volunteering gets me out and about and away from the everyday stresses that happen when you have two kids, a household and military life to deal with,” said Frost. “I wouldn’t change either one of my kids or what we deal with to help them, no matter how stressed out I feel. They have to live with these medical problems. They have it the hardest. I don’t think it makes it harder to volunteer. You just make time, work around schedules, or ask my spouse for an extra hand, everything usually falls into place.”
Frost finds comfort in simply helping out the people around her. She commits her time to the family readiness program of her squadron, Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 311.
“I only hope that any help I give makes someone else’s day not as difficult as the day before,” said Frost.
Frost also uses her many experiences as a military spouse, a family readiness volunteer and a mother of two children enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program to support the people around her. She explained that helping spouses be strong and independent helps their Marines be always on their toes.
“Having knowledgeable spouses that can be independent and emotionally stable and capable of everything life can throw at you while their spouse is working twelve or more hours per day, deploying or training helps our unit stay strong and mission ready,” said Frost. “Having a Marine feel that he can leave at a moment’s notice and have a spouse prepared for that type of situation is less stressful for all involved.”
Through volunteering with the family readiness officer, she can make sure no one is alone in any situation.
“The obvious and typical obstacles as a Marine wife are always there, but the hardest is dealing with two children with medical issues and sometimes dealing with them alone,” said Frost. “I want to make sure no spouse or Marine goes through any situation feeling alone or feeling like there is no one to support them.”
Frost explained that FROs often need help and no one would ever be turned away if they want to help.
“Don’t be shy, get out there and ask FROs if they need help,” said Frost. “Make more of your moments about helping others and seeing that there is more to life than just yourself.”