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Bridgette Gives Back to Military Families

By Operation Homefront

October 17, 2025

Bridgette Gives Back to Military Families Out of Gratitude and Understanding 

“I love every aspect of giving back to military families. I truly hope they feel that when they leave an Operation Homefront event.” 

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO GIVE BACK TO OUR MILITARY FAMILIES AND VETERANS?  

Military life presents lots of challenges, but it’s also full of opportunity and joy. I want to be there for our military families as much as I can so they can enjoy the good parts. 

I was 19 years old when I became a Marine Corps spouse and moved to our first duty station in California. Our infant daughter and I stayed on base there while our Marine was on back-to-back deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. I became an adult in the military, and I love every aspect of military life.  

Our military career ended with medical retirement after 17 years. I wasn’t ready to leave the military life, but now I am learning about being a veteran spouse. I’m also becoming a military mom. Our daughter is enlisting because she has good memories of military life, especially our time in Japan.  

I am proud to work for an organization that is just as passionate as I am about all stages of military life.  

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO MILITARY FAMILIES ABOUT OPERATION HOMEFRONT? 

Operation Homefront understands where military families are coming from, and we are proud of them for serving. Everything we do is out of appreciation and gratitude for their service; it’s never a handout. 

I want military spouses to know that if they put themselves out there at a new duty station and attend events and get involved, they can find comfort and find their military family.  

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO SUPPORTERS OF MILITARY FAMILIES AND OPERATION HOMEFRONT? 

Your gratitude ― whether through volunteer hours or monetary contributions ― is important. Keeping our military families strong and resilient helps our service members in their careers. Their strength and stability contribute to the well-being of our communities and our nation.  

Your actions play a part in making our military families feel appreciated, and that is easily forgotten when you’re living on constant countdown to when your service member comes home from deployment or when they leave again. 

Remember that appreciation has far-reaching effects. Some examples of your gratitude in action: 

  • When new military parents meet at an Operation Homefront Star-Spangled Babies® Shower, they come away with gifts and resources. They also connect with families that might become their lifelong friends and support networks.  
  • The other parent a military mom meets in line at a Back-to-School Brigade® event could be the emergency contact at her child’s new school.  
  • That food from a Holiday Meals for Military® event could be the only reason a struggling military family celebrates Thanksgiving. In the holiday spirit, they likely will invite others to their dinner. Gifts from a Holiday Toy Drive could be the only ones under the tree when parents have to face the heart-wrenching choice of buying food or a small present for their child.  

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