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Being on the beach at 6:30 am on the 81st annivers

Being on the beach at 6:30 am on the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings on Omaha Beach was a career highlight. It was surreal, powerful and devastating. It hits hard, of course, being a girl born in Bedford, a girl who first enlisted into the 29th Infantry Division more than 22 years ago, who proudly wears the 29th’s blue and gray patch every single day I spend in uniform. But, it’s also the people. It’s the Soldiers, it’s watching them experience this place alongside me, capturing their milestone moments. It’s getting to know them, listening to their stories, hearing their individual and unique connections to this place. It’s the people of Normandy, the people who invited these Soldiers into their homes, who offered rides on DUKWs and in Jeeps. It’s the people who stopped to shake our hands, who easily returned our smiles, who asked for photos beside us. It’s the effort we all put in to overcome language barriers, placing hands over our hearts, expressing appreciation in the most universal way we know how. Thank you, thank you.Vive la France! 🤍🥀

Most of the time, my job is pretty neat. I get to

Most of the time, my job is pretty neat. I get to be there for milestone moments. I’ve watched and documented as Soldiers conquered their fears on obstacle courses, pushed harder than they ever thought possible on ruck marches and through training lanes. I’ve been there when EIBs were pushed into their chest, when they escorted veterans at ceremonies, when they flew for the very last time as a member of our military. It is the best job in the U.S. Army. Here in Normandy, I’ve watched as Soldiers took their first steps onto Omaha Beach, as they peered from German fighting positions, and, this morning, at the Normandy American Cemetery, as they honored the men who wore the uniform before them and fell on foreign soil. Their detail this morning was simple: place flags at the gravesites and clean the headstones. So, today, I observed and documented again more milestone moments. I watched as an NCO carefully washed away pollen from a row of headstones, pausing after cleaning each one to say a silent prayer. I watched as Soldiers said aloud the names of the fallen at each grave they stopped at, as they noted the Soldiers who wore the same unit insignia, who were born in the same state. “Surreal” is the only real way to describe this experience. #dday #dday81 #military

1 day ago, I arrived in Normandy. 22 years ago, I

1 day ago, I arrived in Normandy.22 years ago, I enlisted into the 29th Infantry Division, as a public affairs specialist. 41 years ago, I was born in Bedford, Virginia. (Nearly) 81 years ago, Virginia Soldiers assigned to the 29th Infantry Division stormed the beaches of Normandy, including the “Bedford Boys,” 19 who lost their lives that day. This morning, after years of trying to get here, I was able to rest my hand on the sands of Omaha Beach. This evening, I visited the Château de Vouilly, the primary allied press camp set-up after the D-Day invasion.Today was a good day. —#dday #france #travel #militaryhistory

Hello, yes, I am still building out a van. Here’

Hello, yes, I am still building out a van. Here’s a tiny update on how I lost my mind, cut up a chunk of my floor & uninstalled my electrical system. 🤪 #vanbuild #vanlife #vanconversion

I drove more than 2,200 km in Iceland, first headi

I drove more than 2,200 km in Iceland, first heading south, then up and around all the way to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula on the western side of the island & then back through Reykjavik. It is one of my most epic adventures to date. ——#icelandtrip #icelandexplored #solotravels #solotraveling #icelandroadtrip #iceland

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