How has your military-service equipped you to be a "better" spouse or parent, or a "worse" spouse or parent?

SGT Steve McFarland I have a whole chapter about this in my up coming book, "Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life." It even talks about men being the spouse left behind with the kids. The book will be out in January.

I like to envision a strong set of values will guide you now and in the future.

Honestly, I think military service teaches you to be more appreciative of your family. Being part of a career that can deploy on a moment's notice for long periods of time, you get an appreciation for the time you are allowed to spend with those you care about. Then when you consider the servicemembers who never come back home, you think of all the things that you've left unsaid or haven't shared with your family yet. Think of all the times you swore you were going to play catch with your kid but you keep saying next week and that next week never comes. Military service helps teach you to live in the moment. I believe proximity breeds complacency. Regular civilians are just used to having their families around all the time, they never expect that this time could be the last time.

If I had to list a negative, I would say the distance is also a negative side to military service. We might be all smiles and hugs when we return, but when we were gone, there's missed birthdays, anniversaries, football games, dance recitals, etc. Now while we understand this as part of the sacrifice when we enlist, these are harder for families to understand, especially children. All they see is you missed their big day.