Missing moments – one family’s deployment story

This month, we’re sharing inspiring stories from America’s military heroes. [DONATE NOW](C480r9cW/VW9IcjgzalRGM3RYRjdqZjBpT0FLcE82QitQQzZTU1pmeFRENDdKWjRWK1hMeVBCcGwwdEJTZ2ZCeXBxZCs3ek1wdUFPbTdJNTMrUS9OTTQ0VnlzREtCNjVqUllySEt4NnJVSlpHYW1PU2s9S0/cEkwZ25Kc2tKNjNLSHJ2K1VpVHhhb0tDdkowS0tocUxaMzJXSmVnZFBrdz0S1) [Image of Capt. Richard Weathers and his family]( Capt. Richard Weathers spent 30 years serving in the Navy, missing countless holidays and special moments with his wife and daughters over the course of several deployments. Weathers was deployed to the Gulf War almost immediately after the birth of his oldest daughter. Although his deployment was only meant to last six months, it was extended, leaving his wife, Andrea, to navigate the first 16 months of their daughter's life alone. [Image of Capt. Richard Weathers and his family]( In the days before FaceTime and Skype, communication between a deployed spouse and loved ones back home was usually limited to writing letters and the very rare phone call. Andrea would regularly go two or three months without even speaking to her husband. She and her daughters would send packages for birthdays and holidays so "the kids could feel like he was celebrating with us." At times, Richard was able to make a quick call home from a plane, but he was limited in what he could discuss, and each sentence had to end with a curt "over" per aviation guidelines. "At least I could hear his voice," Andrea remembers. [Image of Capt. Richard Weathers and his family]( Another particularly tough moment came as the Weathers family prepared for their youngest daughter's first year of college. Just before it was time to drop her off, Richard got orders to move to Okinawa, Japan. "I bawled my eyes out the whole way there," Andrea says, remembering how she rushed to settle her daughter into her freshman dorm and then boarded a plane to Japan the very next day. "We always talk about the little ones during deployment or foreign duty stations, which is very hard, obviously. But then when they're older, it's a whole different set of worries," says Andrea. Over the next three years, the Weatherses would miss countless more moments with their daughters. [Image of Capt. Richard Weathers and his family]( Andrea says their family would never have made it through without the incredible sense of community they found with the USO and other military families. This allowed them to create a sense of normalcy and camaraderie and make sure special occasions still felt special. "[My daughters] could relate to other military kids — all of them going through the same thing — and that made it easier for [them] to deal with their dad's deployment." Powered by this community's generosity, the USO works hard to help families like the Weatherses find community and stay connected no matter where they are in the world. Our centers are comforting spaces where troops will always find a warm welcome and a staff member or volunteer ready to give them the support they need. Thank you for making this important work possible for the heroes sacrificing so much in service of our country. The USO The USO works to keep America’s military heroes connected to family, home and country as they make immense sacrifices to protect our country. But our work is only possible because of the generous support of patriotic Americans like you. [Will you make a gift of $29 or more today so the USO can continue supporting troops around the world as they risk their lives to keep us safe?]( [DONATE NOW]( United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO) is a nonprofit 501(ϲ)(3) organization (EIN/Tax ID: 13-1610451) and not part of the Department of Defense (DOD). The appearance of DOD visual information does not imply or constitute DOD endorsement. Photos courtesy of the Weathers Family ©2022 USO, Inc. All Rights Reserved P O Box 96 860 Washi ngton, D C 20 077-7677 1-888-484-3876 [Click Here to Unsubscribe](/VW9IcjgzalRGM3RYRjdqZjBpT0FLcE82QitQQzZTU1pmeFRENDdKWjRWK1hMeVBCcGwwdEJTZ2ZCeXBxZCs3ek1wdUFPbTdJNTMrUS9OTTQ0VnlzREtCNjVqUllySEt4NnJVSlpHYW1PU2s9S0/WUdrSzdsOTlsaU9vd2Z4MTBmOGtadFZST25sR2UycW1jZW9WYjRDZWNYT1NHNFBxL3NLaEViQXhCZFRpOW82ZFBkVXFvMi9CU0Y1Z3JPVVNjcHpVcW16eW9ydmE5ZTJic3dNUDNKL1JLM2lvRFpLVzNsWUNVZXhxQVZ0U0ttcExzdVZxZ0o4N1p2ZkNNTGxtQWk0Q1poSHdVYnBzbXZPNDhENkVZSGYzQUE5Nm4ycVU5YlU4TkcvekxERmNab1hWcmxTRGdjUkM0Sk09S0) | [Privacy Policy]( | [State Disclosures]( [DONATE NOW](