2012 Mission to Give Back *Armed Forces* Winner

The judges have spoken! This process took several days as there were so many heartfelt entries to read. It was also very hard on the judges, as they value and respect every single member of the armed forces, and how do you choose which family deserves something over any other? The vote was not unanimous, but this email from Melody did receive the most votes. Melody sent me a beautiful email about her brother-in-law, Ricky, and all that he and his family have sacrificed for our country.

Melody writes:

My brother in law Ricky is in the national guard and has been deployed to Kosovo and Afghanistan in the past five years. He was deployed when I met my husband and I didn't get to meet Ricky for several months. Ricky has missed out on so much with his family. He missed his youngest daughter's first year almost. He was lucky enough to get to come home for the birth though. She did not even recognize him when he returned. I am so grateful for all the troops and the sacrifices they endure for their country. Seeing how it affects the whole family though really gives you a better understanding of just how much the troops and their families sacrifice. I respect my sister-in-law for all the single parenting she has had to do. I am nominating them because I don't even remember the last time they had a professional family photo taken. I know this is a long shot as I know other families have probably sacrificed so much more, but for our family he is a hero and I feel that they deserve a nice family picture. He has missed several Christmases, birthdays, first days of school, dance recitals, Easters and so much more. I remember holding my sobbing niece after they got home from saying goodbye to their dad. That was very hard on me. It is so hard to console a child who has said goodbye to her dad several times. It never gets any easier, especially for a child who doesn't understand. Thank you Katy for doing this. When you send off a troop, you never know if they will return to you alive. They may pay the ultimate price for our freedom, and the best gift you can give their family is a picture to cherish. May God bless all our troops and hold them close while they defend and protect our country.

Thank you so much to all that entered. And Melody said it perfectly: May God bless all our troops and hold them close while they defend and protect our country.