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Our Kidde Hero of the Week spotlights Master Sergeant Brian Leonard.
This week, US Armed Forces Technical Sergeant Dana Leonard emailed us with his story and we wanted to share it with you:
Dear Kix,
My Hero is my husband Master Sergeant Brian Leonard!
I have been deployed since early December and Brian has taken on the role of single father like a champ. We have a 16 month-old daughter and he’s been there for her during long nights of teething, ear infections and learning to walk.
Not only is he in charge of 200 troops at work, but he's in college full time, does all the grocery shopping, cooks meals, keeps the house up, takes great care of himself and he even makes it a priority to find time to include my parents in Skype conversations.
My time here has not been easy, but having the peace of mind that my family at home is well taken care of prevents a whole lot of stress. I hear all too often of situations at home that weigh so heavily on the deployed persons shoulders; it makes me so much more grateful to have the amazing partner that I do. I cannot begin to tell him how much I love him and what a great job he's doing in my absence.
Heroes every day are left at home to manage the families, while loved ones serve America overseas, many with multiple children and much more difficult situations than ours. Here is a heartfelt THANK YOU to ALL the heroes left at home to manage day to day life.
Kix, I love listening to your show when I can on AFN Radio. Keep up the great work and thank You for what you do.
Thank you, sir,
Technical Sergeant Dana Leonard, USAF
Kix's Response:
Wow! Thank you, Dana… I was blown away the first time I went to Iraq – which was probably eight years ago – and we had a female captain assigned to us whose husband was taking care of their three year-old son and one year-old twins – and it just hit me real hard: there are moms that are serving overseas while the dad is taking care of all that business at home.
Bless all of you – at home and actively serving – we really appreciate all your sacrifices! And, God-speed getting your work done and getting your families back together!
Nominate a Hero of the Week
Now, we want to know who has made a difference in your life. Nominate a local firefighter, police officer, EMT or someone who is serving our country in the military. It could even be a neighbor, family member or friend who lent a crucial helping hand. Let us know all about the person who you feel is a real life hero by emailing us here and please feel free to send us a picture!