Hello everyone! My name is Rachael Conner and I am 21 years old. My husband, Jason, and I are currently going through our first deployment. We do not have any kids, but do have 2 beautiful chocolate labs (miya and bear) who might as well be! Though I am happy for him to come home from this deployment, I am a million times as happy because we have decided to start a family when he gets back! We have been married for just over 2 years (March 6, 2009) and shortly after we got married he left for basic training (March 10, 2009) Jason was not supposed to leave until May 2009 for basic, but the night before our wedding he was asked to leave early! We spent our "honeymoon" at the local MEPS office, and after just 4 days of being married; he left. Most people say that the hardest part of a marriage is the 1st year, well try spending the first 7 months of that year away from each other. Not knowing about Skype, available resources, or having the slightest clue about the military lifestyle made those seven months the worst of my life!
So after 7 months of Jason being gone, he received his first real set of orders! When I heard him say "G..." time stood still-I got so excited! I immediately thought "Germany here we come!!!" But then he finished his word and I heard "...eorgia." My reaction was "Ugh! PCSing from Florida to Georgia is not exciting, why didn't they send us somewhere we put on the dream sheet? Why did we even waste time filling that stupid thing out?!" I soon realized that that's exactly what it is... a DREAM sheet! Because this was our first PCS, and neither one of us grew up in the military lifestyle, I was lost when we got here to Valdosta. Immediately upon pulling into the driveway, my husband's "sponsor" took him out and showed him the area, base, and everything he thought he needed to see. Meanwhile, I was at the house unloading the truck and asking myself "why did I sign up for this again?" The first year was pretty rough. I learned how to live on my own (no mommy or daddy around) be a wife, and take care of the house. I had no real friends, no information about base, and no idea of where to start looking for stuff!
September of 2010 was a month I'll never forget! Jason came home from work one day and said that he had some information for me. I first thought "oh no! He’s deploying!" But he wasn't! Thank God! He told me that the squadron was looking for a Key Spouse, and had some information on a Moody Spouses Club event. I was so happy! Even though I didn't know anyone, I went to the Bunco event and I made a friend before I even left the parking lot! It was weird! And to make it even weirder, her name: Rachel! This too was her first event, and she and I were both about to start attending Wiregrass for the nursing program! It was pretty cool! I had never played Bunco before, but I had a blast and even won a prize for being the worst! Woooo Whooo! Within the next few months I found myself appointed by the 723 AMXS commander as the Key Spouse, asked to be the Member At Large for the MSC, and a part of the MOPS program! I have a ton of friends now, and several gals who are like my sisters! Moody has turned out to be quite alright in my book!
There is one thing that I'll never forget about Moody and that would be my new family! There is one thing that I'll always want to forget, but am sure I won't.....Bemiss Road! :-)