After 22 years of military service, I retired. I am still very young - not exactly of retirement age. But I retired when my focus changed to my new family and especially my little boy, Lucas. There are always mixed feelings when one chapter of life ends and the other starts. Those feelings are real and are with me. However, I can't imagine being deployed away from my little one and my opportunity to continue to grow my family. This is so very special. More than any job, even the military. This choice was simple - do I want to be away or with him and my current life? I love my current life as mom much, much more than the military. That was my huge distraction and forced me to change my life, ending my military career. A great and wonderful distraction. I am so grateful for him and for my new life!