Dual Military Family Finds Security in Village Program
Mara Berthier enlisted in the Navy in 2019 for a reason she laughs about now — she liked the uniform. After joining, however, she found a place she felt she belonged.
Mara’s first assignment was in San Diego and from there in 2019 she deployed to Bahrain and the Pacific. In San Deigo, she met her husband, Curtis, who is also a veteran. They did not realize at the time they met that both were in the Navy.
The couple has two children, daughters, Ce’Mara, 1, and Cataleya, 8.
Mara planned to make the Navy her career. She felt it provided stability and security, but a health scare that involved a temporary loss of eyesight resulted in a diagnosis for multiple sclerosis. At that moment, everything changed.
“It was very, very scary,” Mara said. “Then when you are talking to your provider, they tell you about medical retirement and it is not an option. I did not want to leave.”
“I’m so grateful for the village program. I do not know where we would be without Operation Homefront. It literally changed our life.” – Mara Berthier, Navy veteran
Mara had no idea what she was going to do. Her family was in Texas, and Curtis discharged as well because he needed to take care of her and the children. He served for 10 years and reached the rank of petty officer 2nd class. She heard about Operation Homefront’s Transitional Housing – Villages. The program provides fully furnished apartments for wounded, ill, and injured service members with families to live rent-free while they go through the process of medically separating from the military.
Mara applied and was accepted into the San Diego Village – one of three in the program. They moved into their apartment in September 2024. The children and their dog, Rino, settled in well.
“When we got accepted, I could not even believe it was a real program,” Mara said. “This program helped so much. We were in debt; we had nothing, and we had two kids. It came right on time.”
Financial counseling that is part of the program helped the couple form a budget and plan. They paid off $36,000 in debt and added to their savings. Mara was given the time to work on her health, which improved in the program, as well.
“MS is triggered by stress, so by having less stress because of the program it really helped,” Mara said.
Mara and Curtis have graduated from the Village and are relocating to Texas. She is looking forward to finishing a paralegal program at the University of Houston. Curtis has been offered a transfer to Houston at his job, as well. Everything is looking up, Mara said, putting the family on track to be homeowners in the future.
“I’m so excited,” Mara said about the future. “And I’m so grateful for the Village program. I do not know where we would be without Operation Homefront. It literally changed our life. It helped establish our future and really and truly helped us figure out what we needed and wanted to do.”
