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Never Stop Serving A

ly Rohling, a Clifton, Va., interior de- signer, found inspiration for her La Bella Luce store from her frequent PCS moves

during her 10 years in Europe. Her European antique store sells everything from Venetian chandeliers to French country dining sets and tex- tiles direct from Italy and is staffed entirely by military spouses. This summer, the former Army paratrooper and her Army colonel husband will again PCS, this time to Fort Drum, N.Y. How will your move affect your business? I will do as I have always done. I will close this location and relocate my store. In the meantime, I will keep the Vintage Rental por- tion of my business, where we lease chandeliers, furniture, and accessories to be used for destination weddings and other events, operational at our Middle- burg [Va.] studio. Why is it important to you to hire mili- tary spouses? I realize that as a military spouse it is difficult to have a career despite many of us being well-educated professionals. Our servicemembers’ career requirements usually take pre- cedence, and we must be prepared to move often and in many cases with

very little notice. Not everyone is willing to hire you for just a year or two. As a senior spouse, there is also an expecta- tion that we will take an active role in our servicemember’s unit as well as attend- ing changes of command, promotions, retirements, memorial services, hails and farewells, and other ceremonies. At La Bella Luce, I understand our military lifestyle, and I strive to hire military spouses even if it is just for a few months. I really do not have to go looking for military spouses. They seem to find me. When it is time for them to PCS, I may lose an employee, but I get to keep a lifelong dear friend. How do you juggle your career with your husband’s? Being an interior de- signer can absolutely be a mobile career. However, owning a European antique shop is not so mobile. I take full advan- tage of the time I get to spend in each location, and when it is time for us to move, I take my business with me and do it all again. Although challenging, each experience makes me a bit bet- ter and forces both me and my busi- ness to evolve.

— Anayat Durrani Attention! Check out these military-related entertainment offerings.

BOOK DEMON CAMP: THE STRANGE AND TERRIBLE SAGA OF A SOLDIER’S RETURN FROM WAR (Simon and Schuster, 2014) Author Jen Percy presents in this book the true stories of soldiers unprepared for the shocks of homecoming. She ex-

plores trauma and mental illness in the wake of a vet- eran suicide epidemic.

BOOK TEAM DOG: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DOG THE NAVY SEAL WAY (Putnam, 2015) Mike Ritland presents easy-to- follow instructions to proj-

28 MILITARY OFFICER JUNE 2015

ect situational awareness, establish yourself as a team leader, and master commu- nication with your dog.

AUDIOBOOK THE REAPER: AUTOBIOG- RAPHY OF ONE OF THE DEADLIEST SPE- CIAL OPS SNIPERS

(Macmillan Audio, 2015) Jeff Gurner reads this book by Nicholas Irving about Irving’s development into an expert assassin. The story reveals the brother- hood and sacrifice of team- mates in battle and the cold reality of taking a life to protect another. MO

PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT