Sgt. Adam Ennis Sergeant Adam Ennis, 34, a three-


Staff Sgt. Matthew Griggs


Staff Sergeant Matthew Griggs, 33,


is a 12-year Army veteran serving in the Florida Army National Guard. He is the non-commissioned officer in charge of training for his unit based out of Cecil Field in Jacksonville and has been on four deployments. Matt and his wife Shannon have two sons, Matthew, 11, and Owen, 9.


Inspired by his father, a former


Green Beret, Matt enlisted in the Army in 2001 shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks. “Growing up, all I wanted to do was be in the military.” He was still in training when his first son was born in April 2002. “One of my drill sergeants up at school called up and said, Hey, Griggs! Congratulations, you just became a father!” He deployed to Iraq two years later, shortly after the birth of his second son.


“When they’re young, [deployment]


is kind of easy because they don’t know as much as they do now,” he says. “Leaving is horrible, and it gets harder. Even though I know what to expect, it tugs on my heartstrings a little more.” Being away for so long—Army deployments can last as long as 18 months—has taught Matt never to take his life or his family for granted. In this sense, he believes the military has enriched his life. “I’ve gotten to experience some amazing things that I believe far outweigh the negatives that I’ve experienced. Even the worst negatives I think are amazing, because they make you appreciate the positives of life.”


Why is your dad a hero? “I think my dad’s a hero because


he…protects our country overseas and he really helps us get through it. He’s also a giver and not a getter, he’ll give more than he gets. And he also loves us a lot, and he shows it.”—Matthew, 11


“He takes us canoeing, and we go


camping!”—Owen, 9, who wants to be just like his dad when he grows up!


AT2 Myron Reed AT2 Myron Reed, 39, is a petty


officer 2nd class aviation electronics


technician at NAS Jacksonville. He and his wife Edita have two sons, Wyke, 13, and Delmar, 9.


Myron says, “Being in the military,


for me, was a life-changing thing. It taught me responsibility.” Te military also made him appreciate his family. In his 13 years of service, Myron has had to spend a lot of time away from home. So, when he is not out to sea, he spends every moment he can with his wife and kids. “When I’m home, I’m home.” For Myron, taking leave doesn’t mean going on vacation; it means driving his sons to school and helping his wife around the house. He misses these day-to-day aspects of family life while he’s away—but the homecoming makes it all worth it. “It’s awesome. It’s like you’re restarting your marriage, it just rekindles everything.” Seeing his boys again is a whole other level of joy. “I’ve got my two best friends. Tey’re always there for me; we do everything together.”


tour military veteran, served in the Marine Corps infantry for six years before retiring in 2005. He lives in Middleburg with his wife Jenny and their two children, Meghan, 15, and Austin, 11.


While Adam was on deployment,


communication with his family was very limited. “I tried to stay focused on my job, but I would read letters from home as often as possible. I would think about my family, I would pray about my family. It was pretty difficult.” He adds, “I think you grow a lot fonder of your children being away from them so much.” Adam’s family was there for him when he struggled to readjust to life back at home. “I couldn’t shake the thought of war off my mind,” he says. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and was recovering from an injury he’d sustained to his arm and head in Iraq. “I was very lucky that I had a good, strong wife that could push me forward to try to recover when I came home from the war.”


Last year, Jenny discovered Veterans


Farm, a local organization that offers therapeutic programs for military retirees


recovering from physical and mental ailments. Today, Adam’s entire family is involved with the program and supports him and other veterans in their continuing readjustment. Adam is committed to a happy life with his family and says the Marine Corps taught him to never give up. “You can push through, and if you have the determination to succeed, you will.”


Why is your dad a hero? “He’s sacrificed a lot. He risked


his life in the war and now he comes home and he has done everything that he can to improve the lives of those around him. In my eyes, that makes him a hero.”—Meghan, 15


“I see him as a hero because he


fought in infantry and for my right to freedom. It makes me proud of him!”—Austin, 11


Myron says, “It’s all about


communication. Home is first, military’s second. Our job is very demanding. If home’s not right, you might lose your focus.” He and his wife can communicate sometimes without even having to speak—“it’s like she’s psychic!” Her understanding and his great relationship with his sons keeps him happy at home and successful at work. “I thank God for that.”


protects us.”—Delmar, 9


Why is your dad a hero? “He is my hero. He’s nice and he


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