The Unspoken Hero of the Air Force: Father’s Day Gift Guide

Today’s post is an exciting one for the both of us! As proud Daddy’s girls, we both jump at any chance we get to praise our Fathers for everything they have done for us. We understand that each of us are extremely blessed to have Dads who are humble, servant-hearted men that always put others before themselves. So, without further ado, here are our stories of what our Dads have done to be the other heroes in our lives as Wives of the Air Force!

(J):

Just thinking about everything that my Dad has done for me can bring tears to my eyes. But to cut right to it, two stories come to mind.

My Dad is a business man + has worked hard to get where he is today, but he never sacrificed his family time for anything. When I married my husband/the Air Force, this was a different world than my Dad ever knew. He loves his close relationship with me but he believed in taking a step back as a Dad + respecting the new position he would take as a Father-in-Law. But even that role as a Father-in-Law in the Air Force is different than any other FIL. That’s because, for at least 3/4ths of the year, his baby girl is still alone. He has always been just a call away, but while my husband deployed, he showed what it means to also be “a plane flight away”. We decided that we needed to move as soon as our first lease ended out here + that time just happened to fall during a deployment. I had a full time job + figured “it is what it is” + that I would have to make it work-a motto us WAFs are well acquainted with! My sweet Dad came through for me. He took off work, flew out to WA without a second thought + literally orchestrated everything for the move. I never even saw the movers. Every day of his 4 days he had out here was working on unpacking my new house, cleaning my old house + being joyful the entire time while I got to go to work with zero stress. I’m not trying to put words into my husbands mouth but I know that it gave him a lot of peace of mind knowing that everything was taken care of on the home front + it allowed him to focus on his work while he was away as well.

Moving on from that huge act, one other stand out moment is more of a “small” act that my Dad did that meant so so much to me. My parents try to make it out to WA from AR for at least one holiday a year. Two years ago, they came out for Thanksgiving + we all ran our first Turkey Trot together! It was SO much fun-even in the PNW winter rain! Last Thanksgiving, my husband was TDY (temporary duty station) for training, so I was all alone but still wanted to run the Turkey Trot. My Dad decided that while his town wasn’t hosting an actual race, he would still run “with” me. We FaceTime’d at the start + at every mile so that we could keep pace with each other. I was bursting with the feelings of love + support I had from him at the end of that race, it will always be one of my favorite memories!

**I had to stop writing mine because I could hardly see through the tears at the end!**

Jo Johnson Photography

(K):

How many times have we heard the comment “people say you tend to marry a man like your father”? I am 100% one of the people giving that statement life.

My father comes from simple roots, being raised on a rural Iowa farm with his 13 brothers + sisters. The farming lifestyle requires hard work, resiliency + sacrifice. Those traits stuck with my father when he made the decision out of high school to join the Army + serve our nation + again when he began his career in policing. Although I could on for days about why this man inspires me, there are a handful of moments in my time as a “long-distance daughter”+ Air Force wife that explain it well.

Although these moments might not seem big to everyone, they are big moments for me + they highlight the little things this man does for me daily.

When my husband is on the road, my Dad is quick to remind me that although these missions away are tough on me, they’re equally tough on my husband + serving our country is not something the average person is willing + able to do.
When I moved across the country for the first time, I got to our house before my husband + my dad went through + repaired as many things as possible so when my husband did arrive we could focus on spending time together enjoying our new city.
He’s hauled my wedding dress 14 hours from Iowa to New York with my terminally ill Grandfather/his Father-in-Law (he wasn’t able to fly) because he knew it was important to me (+ my Grandpa) that he was there.
He has ordered birthday dinners when my husband is out of town, because “no one should celebrate a birthday alone.”
When I’m having a tough day, he’ll tell me to grab a cocktail + meet him on FaceTime, where we’ll sit with my Mom for hours chatting as if we were in the same room.
He encourages me to plan trips home when my husband gets to come with vs. only come back when it’s most convenient + my husband is deployed/gone on a mission. Which might seem harsh, but it has taught me a lot about my strength + the wife I want to be.
He always makes me check in morning, noon + night when I’m doing life solo, which may seem over the top, but he knows those check-ins make me feel safe + protected.

My Dad has truly set a standard in our family that you give without expecting in return, you remain loyal to the people you love + you get out of life what you put into it. I am forever grateful for his selfless love + I know it pushes me to be a better person, but mostly a better wife to my Airman.

Jo Johnson Photography

We know that everyone has a different relationships with their Dad + none of us will have the same stories. The point is, when you are a WAF, leaning on your village is crucial. The roles that our Dads continue to take in our lives is what makes them MORE than deserving of us shouting their praise from the roof tops today + everyday.

Below is our gift guide so that we can attempt to make up for a tiny, tiny portion of the love that they have given us 💙 If you are far, be sure to call or Face Time your dad + give him some love. If you are near, squeeze him tight, from all of us WAFs!