Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/571090
August 31 - September 21, 2015 8 Working World l WorkingWorld.com E very person and family has a life story absolutely unique to them; their motivations, milestones, failures, and successes are what, often, defines their future. Each of these stories span an array of careers paths, homes, and changes, and for some, include service for our nation. Among those who answered the call to duty is David Gomez and his wife Monique. For David, 9/11 struck a chord, the country was at war and he felt as though the United States needed the American people, including himself, to stand up and fight to defend the country, thus David enlisted in the United States Army, where he served as a combat medic, and deployed for a year to Iraq in 2005 and again for another year in 2007 to South Korea. Throughout his military career, his wife Monique stood by his side and supported him, though, she knew when David told her he was joining the Army, that the journey would be tough, but she would do what she needed to for their family and for David to be successful as a soldier. She worked a full-time job while they were stationed at Fort Hood, Texas to make ends meet, and during David's deployment to Iraq, Monique moved home with her parents to focus on a further her education and ease her mind and worries that accompany having a spouse over seas. David and Monique decided to put off having kids until David was out of the Army. David would have missed out on at least two years of their child's life, David acknowledges that while the military was great and the opportunities offered were outstanding, he had missed out on a lot of time with his immediate and extended family, and missing his wife was difficult. He and Monique also decided it was time for them to start a family, thus the time had come and David got out of the Army. Monique remembers the feelings of fear and worries of him deploying again leaving, and hoped for a chance at a "normal" life together, however she kept in mind that the transition out would be an adjustment period for them, especially for David. David planned to get out, go to college, and get a job, however the reality of post-service life was not exactly what they had expected. For David, the structure of the military no longer existed, so getting things done was a lot tougher. The two faced some rough patches, however they relied heavily on patience, love, and support to get through the tough times and made sure to appreciate the time they had together until things started to fall in place according to their plan. That's US Army Combat Veteran David Lopez to Firefighting Career by Maus Media Group in affiliation with Combat Veterans to Careers Every person and family has a life story absolutely unique to them; their motivations, milestones, failures, and successes are what, often, defines their future. Each of these stories span an array of careers paths, homes, and changes, and for some, include service for our nation.