WEBVTT 00:01.260 --> 00:05.060 Tell Me Your Name . I Am Melissa 00:05.060 --> 00:07.290 Adams Ellen one . United States may be 00:10.290 --> 00:11.550 active duty . 00:12.040 --> 00:15.470 Uh tell us where you're 00:15.470 --> 00:17.880 stationed back in the states of what 00:17.890 --> 00:20.040 your job responsibilities are there . 00:20.050 --> 00:22.217 I'm facing at the region legal service 00:22.217 --> 00:24.550 office mid atlantic . I started out as 00:24.550 --> 00:26.920 a court reporter . Um I did a year as a 00:26.920 --> 00:28.698 paralegal and then I became the 00:28.698 --> 00:31.470 supervisor court reporting . Tell us 00:31.470 --> 00:33.526 where you're stationed in Iraq . And 00:33.526 --> 00:36.170 what do I work at the joint contracting 00:36.170 --> 00:38.810 command Iraq Afghanistan . Um I am a 00:38.810 --> 00:41.100 paralegal for three attorneys , one 00:41.100 --> 00:43.660 Command Judge advocate . We do ISIS 00:43.660 --> 00:45.493 with legal reviews on contract . 00:45.640 --> 00:49.210 It's posted about your 00:49.210 --> 00:52.630 family . Um I I have 00:52.630 --> 00:54.970 a four year old daughter . She's so 00:54.970 --> 00:57.480 beautiful and a seven year old son . 00:57.480 --> 01:00.370 He'll be eight may 20th . Um I have 01:00.380 --> 01:03.830 four step Children . Um ages well my 01:03.830 --> 01:06.510 son , my oldest order , she's 16 . My 01:06.510 --> 01:08.890 son is 14 , a 10 year old and an eight 01:08.890 --> 01:11.170 year old . Sorry nine year old . A lot 01:11.170 --> 01:14.060 of kids . Um They all lived with their 01:14.060 --> 01:16.282 mother . My to live at home with me and 01:16.282 --> 01:18.600 my husband . Um My me and my husband 01:18.600 --> 01:21.630 anniversary is on june 42 years . Um 01:21.630 --> 01:23.686 been together for seven years . Were 01:23.686 --> 01:25.852 doing military . He's in the navy . Um 01:25.852 --> 01:28.074 He's a master dharma first class . This 01:28.074 --> 01:31.760 is your first appointment that there no , 01:32.340 --> 01:36.110 is your husband and your 01:36.120 --> 01:38.580 Children and your natural Children are 01:38.590 --> 01:42.310 dealing with . Um My head the 01:42.310 --> 01:44.570 happiest times . I think that this has 01:44.580 --> 01:47.860 made him realize how important mom and 01:47.860 --> 01:50.800 life really is . Um He's , he's been 01:50.800 --> 01:52.856 awesome . He's doing a wonderful job 01:52.856 --> 01:55.240 with the kids . Um The military is kind 01:55.240 --> 01:57.850 of hard because we both have you know 01:58.240 --> 02:01.210 kind of crazy working hours . Um But we 02:01.210 --> 02:03.321 have family and friends who have been 02:03.321 --> 02:07.060 very supportive . Um My kids I at first 02:07.060 --> 02:09.004 it they took it really hard , they 02:09.004 --> 02:10.949 didn't really understand why I was 02:10.949 --> 02:13.260 leaving . Um But I talked to him , my 02:13.260 --> 02:15.427 daughter , she gets in her moods where 02:15.427 --> 02:17.593 she um she doesn't really want to talk 02:17.593 --> 02:19.704 to me because she's kind of busy . Um 02:19.704 --> 02:21.871 but she gets on the phone and she says 02:21.871 --> 02:24.038 when you coming home , mommy or she'll 02:24.038 --> 02:26.149 see an airplane in the air and she'll 02:26.149 --> 02:28.371 say that's my mom , we got to go to the 02:28.371 --> 02:30.316 airport to pick her up but they're 02:30.316 --> 02:30.040 handling it good . They asked me every 02:30.040 --> 02:32.262 day when am I coming home ? But they're 02:32.262 --> 02:33.707 handling it pretty good . 02:36.700 --> 02:38.922 Is there anything in particular you and 02:38.922 --> 02:41.033 your husband or friends and family do 02:41.033 --> 02:43.310 to help your Children understand the 02:43.310 --> 02:45.690 importance of being here , why you're 02:45.690 --> 02:49.650 here wife's or ? Well my son , he talks 02:49.650 --> 02:52.210 about me in class when he has his stand 02:52.210 --> 02:54.377 up days , he talks about how important 02:54.377 --> 02:56.488 his mom is and how she's fighting for 02:56.488 --> 02:58.543 our country . Um My family , they're 02:58.543 --> 03:00.543 very supportive , they call my kids 03:00.543 --> 03:03.580 constantly um friends and coworkers . 03:03.590 --> 03:05.701 They're constantly helping my husband 03:05.701 --> 03:07.923 out and kind of trying to explain to my 03:07.923 --> 03:09.979 kids , you know , your mommy , she's 03:09.979 --> 03:09.450 over there , she's fighting for our 03:09.450 --> 03:11.617 country , She's gonna come home soon . 03:11.617 --> 03:13.728 So they somewhat understand . I think 03:13.728 --> 03:15.617 my son understands better than my 03:15.617 --> 03:19.260 daughter . They somewhat understand if 03:19.260 --> 03:21.371 you should be with all these Children 03:21.371 --> 03:23.538 and your husband right now . What kind 03:23.538 --> 03:26.550 of things do you think I would hug him 03:26.550 --> 03:29.500 and kiss him for hours ? Um Just tell 03:29.500 --> 03:32.070 him how much I love them . It's you 03:32.070 --> 03:34.237 know , the last thing that you want to 03:34.237 --> 03:36.459 say to somebody , you want to make sure 03:36.459 --> 03:38.626 you say to somebody is that I love you 03:38.626 --> 03:40.737 and and really mean it and explain to 03:40.737 --> 03:42.959 them exactly how much you care for them 03:42.959 --> 03:45.181 and love them because you never know if 03:45.181 --> 03:45.010 that's gonna be your last time telling 03:45.010 --> 03:48.670 them . And I just had a dream about 03:48.680 --> 03:50.920 coming home to them and and just seeing 03:50.920 --> 03:53.198 their faces and holding them for hours , 03:53.198 --> 03:55.660 just just surrounding them with love . 03:56.340 --> 03:59.650 He had any advice rather do military 03:59.660 --> 04:02.360 families or people considering joining 04:02.360 --> 04:05.760 the military have Children . Um You 04:05.760 --> 04:09.050 just have to um keep faith and and 04:09.050 --> 04:10.939 believe in each other and be very 04:10.939 --> 04:13.106 supportive of each other um and have a 04:13.106 --> 04:15.217 strong relationship regardless of how 04:15.217 --> 04:17.383 far you are away from your spouse . If 04:17.383 --> 04:19.494 you're doing military , you just keep 04:19.494 --> 04:21.439 that connection going . Um stay in 04:21.439 --> 04:24.150 touch . Um The support is what really 04:24.150 --> 04:26.480 gets me through here . Um My husband is 04:26.480 --> 04:29.080 very supportive . He constantly since 04:29.080 --> 04:31.302 the care packages , he constantly keeps 04:31.302 --> 04:33.136 in contact with my family and my 04:33.136 --> 04:35.620 friends . Um It is hard to a military 04:35.630 --> 04:38.030 but we do good . My husband has five 04:38.030 --> 04:40.141 years left in the Navy and he's gonna 04:40.141 --> 04:42.340 retire . Um , I have 11 years in and I 04:42.340 --> 04:44.880 plan on making it a career . Um , the 04:44.880 --> 04:47.460 Navy has been great to us and uh , I 04:47.460 --> 04:49.182 wouldn't have it any other way 04:50.880 --> 04:54.820 history . No , 04:54.830 --> 04:57.360 I'm the only navy personnel in my 04:57.360 --> 05:00.350 family , you know ? 05:00.930 --> 05:03.710 Yes . My family , they're , they're 05:03.710 --> 05:06.070 very excited and very proud . Yes . 05:10.240 --> 05:14.110 Helped you develop in any way as a 05:14.120 --> 05:17.120 leather or learn something new about 05:17.120 --> 05:18.670 yourself or your family . 05:20.540 --> 05:24.300 Um , then in the Navy you have to have 05:24.310 --> 05:26.199 three core values and its honor , 05:26.199 --> 05:28.410 courage and commitment . Um , being in 05:28.410 --> 05:31.820 a place like this . Um , I'm very proud 05:31.830 --> 05:34.640 to be here to be serving my country and 05:34.650 --> 05:37.310 helping the people of Iraq . Um , it's 05:37.310 --> 05:40.040 made me to become a better person , a 05:40.040 --> 05:42.040 stronger person . Um , a lot of the 05:42.040 --> 05:44.096 things and freedoms that we take for 05:44.096 --> 05:46.207 granted back in the States . I mean , 05:46.207 --> 05:48.262 it's just people take it for granted 05:48.262 --> 05:50.373 and you really don't know how much it 05:50.373 --> 05:52.484 really means to you until you're in a 05:52.484 --> 05:54.651 place like this . Um , I'm proud to be 05:54.651 --> 05:56.762 here . It's made me a stronger wife . 05:56.762 --> 05:58.818 Um , I think this has kind of helped 05:58.818 --> 06:00.929 mind my husband's relationship , um , 06:00.929 --> 06:02.762 being away from each other . You 06:02.762 --> 06:04.707 realize how much that other person 06:04.707 --> 06:07.020 needs to you , my Children are my life 06:07.030 --> 06:10.110 and my world and I just can't wait that 06:10.120 --> 06:12.342 wait to get back home to them . It made 06:12.342 --> 06:15.760 me strong and always can you name any 06:15.760 --> 06:17.927 of those things that you think we take 06:17.927 --> 06:21.250 for granted over here and you realize 06:21.270 --> 06:24.480 you really take this for granted . I 06:24.490 --> 06:26.768 mean , just the places that we live in , 06:26.768 --> 06:28.934 the freedoms that we have , Freedom of 06:28.934 --> 06:32.160 speech um are right to say whatever we 06:32.160 --> 06:34.860 want to say on how we feel . Um the 06:34.860 --> 06:36.749 luxuries that we have back in the 06:36.749 --> 06:38.804 states that some of the Iraqis don't 06:38.804 --> 06:41.400 have here um when you're when you're 06:41.400 --> 06:43.622 going out on the streets in Baghdad and 06:43.622 --> 06:45.678 you see how the Iraqis live , I mean 06:45.678 --> 06:48.050 you really think about your life and 06:48.060 --> 06:50.620 and the things that you have and how 06:50.620 --> 06:52.710 much you may not appreciate some of 06:52.710 --> 06:54.932 those things and when you're in a place 06:54.932 --> 06:57.190 like this , you realise I've got it 06:57.190 --> 06:59.510 good , you know , and to be here in 06:59.510 --> 07:02.400 Iraq and to be somewhat giving , 07:02.410 --> 07:05.320 helping out the Iraqi people to live 07:05.320 --> 07:07.376 better and to have a better life and 07:07.376 --> 07:09.610 and stop this war and have peace . I 07:09.610 --> 07:11.721 mean , it's just an awesome feeling . 07:12.950 --> 07:15.006 Well is there anything you'd like to 07:15.006 --> 07:16.950 close this , telling your family , 07:16.950 --> 07:19.870 friends , Just that to my husband , I 07:19.870 --> 07:22.630 love you to my kids . He hasn't and 07:22.630 --> 07:24.840 Isaiah , I can't wait to get back home 07:24.840 --> 07:27.660 to you to Ariel Sandy Jordan and Justin 07:27.670 --> 07:30.070 um I love you guys and I miss you . I 07:30.070 --> 07:32.800 can't wait to get back home . I I think 07:32.800 --> 07:34.856 about that day that I'm going to get 07:34.856 --> 07:36.967 off the airplane and I'm going to see 07:36.967 --> 07:39.189 your faces again and I just love you so 07:39.189 --> 07:41.300 much and I miss you . Um , my mom and 07:41.300 --> 07:42.967 dad . I love you have been so 07:42.967 --> 07:45.078 supportive . I could go on and on and 07:45.078 --> 07:47.300 on . I just , my family , my aunts , my 07:47.300 --> 07:49.522 uncles , my grandmother , everybody . I 07:49.522 --> 07:51.522 just , I love you all so much and I 07:51.522 --> 07:53.689 can't wait to come back home . Tell us 07:53.689 --> 07:56.210 about her luxury . Um , my mom is 07:56.210 --> 07:58.860 wonderful . Um , she's so supportive . 07:59.340 --> 08:01.562 Every time I talked to her , I can hear 08:01.562 --> 08:04.090 the love in her voice and the support . 08:04.100 --> 08:06.860 She is the reason that I am the person 08:06.860 --> 08:10.090 that I am today . I just , she's 08:10.090 --> 08:12.440 everything to me and I love her and I 08:12.440 --> 08:15.140 love everything that she's taught me 08:15.140 --> 08:17.360 and the better woman that she has made 08:17.360 --> 08:20.950 me become ST area .