It’s funny how things work out sometimes.

My goal for this issue was to feature “Moms in the military.” We found a lot of active duty moms to write about, but they were all too shy to share their stories.

That got me to thinking.

Moms, whether they’re in the military or not, don’t really like to own the spotlight. They’d rather shine it on their biggest accomplishments, their children. In this, at least, I speak from experience!

So it’s rather fortuitous that this week’s issue wound up featuring a lot of our area’s youth. There are quite a few moms out there who can appreciate that.

Let’s start with our youth who have embraced the military through their connection in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. These are kids have set the bar for themselves high. The program here at Oak Harbor High School is the largest in the state, no doubt influenced by the large role the Navy plays in our community. And, they’ve once again been named a Distinguished Unit, but with Academic Honors, no less.

Then we have the children of deployed military throughout the state who left the shores of Coronet Bay to set sail on an overnight adventure in the San Juan Islands. For some it may have been their first experience with sailing, but they were up for the challenge.

And our story about Navy parents highlights the lengths to which parents will go to give their children the best experiences they can. I’m sure there are challenges for those children, just as there are for children in the private or public school system.

So, while we may not have gotten to put Mom directly in the spotlight this week, we did it anyway. If the children we feature in our pages are any indication, our moms, military or not, are doing a great job.
–Kathy Reed, editor