Spouse "Army-trained and ready for anything"

By Renita Foster (USAG Fort Monmouth)May 12, 2009

The Lloyd Family
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT MONMOUTH, N.J.--- "I'm proud to be a military wife and immensely proud of what my husband does as a Soldier," said Yvette Lloyd, wife of Capt. Danny Lloyd, Charlie Company Tactical Commander at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS) here.

Although they dated in high school, the Lloyds' relationship didn't become serious until four years later. By then, Danny had enlisted in the U.S. Army and Yvette had graduated from beautician school. According to Yvette, she had always thought Danny was "the one," and now she was absolutely sure of it.

"Neither one of us had any doubts about marriage so we decided not to waste any more time and eloped," said Yvette, with a steadfast resolve. The passionate commitment made by the Lloyds has been rewarded with 19 years of marriage and four children.

Danny left the service when his enlistment was up to attend college. When he mentioned his desire to return to the Army as an officer, Yvette immediately offered her support. Although not familiar with service life, she was intrigued by it and encouraged Danny to fulfill his Army goal.

Yvette quickly adjusted to the demanding hours of service life that included long duty hours and constant moving. But her real test came with Danny's 15 month deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom last year.

"Danny was now a battery commander which meant a tremendous amount of responsibility for his men, and other issues like training them for Iraq, acquiring equipment, etc." said Yvette. "I wanted to give him all the support he needed so a family support group (FSG) was quickly organized and that provided an excellent foundation for me and other wives as well."

As Battery Leader FSG, the Lloyds' quarters quickly became the center for weekend family gatherings. Outings such as trips to the zoo, cookouts, movies, and bowling were coordinated along with just plain talking and suggestions for any and all problems a spouse was encountering.

"It was also a difficult time for me because my Dad passed away right after Danny left," said Yvette. "But the family group was supportive with that issue as well. I think the key ingredient was that regardless of what rank our husbands were, the fact is we all stuck by each other no matter what. That group proved to be fantastic and I couldn't have done it without them."

Yvette also described the FSG as one that continuously grew in friendship and camaraderie. And it instilled a resounding pride in their spouses' contributions to their country.

Their father's deployment was somewhat difficult for their children, but Yvette solved the problem by being honest and straightforward about the situation. She encouraged them to talk and share with her any concerns they might be feeling.

"I think talking about anything whenever they wanted and giving them the straight facts helped considerably," added Yvette.

As for advice on what makes a military marriage successful, Yvette says it's important to laugh and not take issues too seriously. She encourages communication and spending as much time together as possible.

And should her husband deploy again, Yvette is ready. "I do have confidence I can handle it again. Like my husband, I'm Army trained and ready for anything."