This is Brentt Eads of Line Drive Softball and earlier today I shared my personal experiences of gratitude for the veterans and current military including those of my late father, Jack Eads.

My beautiful wife, Shannon, has strong personal ties to military service as her oldest child, Michael Doermann, just returned to the U.S. from serving with the Navy in the Middle East while her son-in-law Tauai Tualatamalelagi is actively serving in the Air Force.

Here are Shannon’s thoughts on what she’s seen and learned of those who defend our country from her own up-close personal experiences…

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In every military family, there’s a story of sacrifice and resilience and I’ve seen that up close in my family.

My eldest son, Michael Doermann, is a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy, and often finds himself away on deployment which can include him being out to sea more days than he is home.

While stationed in the country of Bahrain in the Middle East, Michael and his wife Emma had their first child, a daughter, in January of this year.

The beautiful young child recently stepped on U.S. soil for the first time, a moment that carried deep meaning for our family. While overseas, Emma has handled all the responsibilities of motherhood, even throughout her pregnancy, showing quiet strength that defines so many military spouses.

Also in our family, my son-in-law Tauai Tualatamalelagi serves in the Air Force and plays an essential role in managing complex communications and electronics for airborne radar systems while his wife (my daughter, Alyssa) and their precious young daughter endure the long hours day and night that he is working.

They live in Oklahoma, but his work often requires him to be away for extended periods of time and compromises many holiday plans with family. Nonetheless, it is their selfless spirits that are shared by all those in uniform and their loved ones around them.

It reminds us that freedom comes at a cost, and the strength of these military families past and present is what sustains the nation in ways unseen.

Their sacrifices allow us to live freely, and it is their unwavering support that enables those in uniform to carry out their duties with honor.

As we honor those like Michael and Tauai and their families on this Veteran’s Day holiday, let’s remember and appreciate the common threads and characteristics those in service of their countries share.

This will include resilience, great supporting networks of family and friends behind them and the willingness to make sacrifices to so we in our country can be “The Home of the Free” because of the brave who protect us.