Military Life takes a Village
We currently live in Northern Virginia, and our “ready room” these days has become our kitchen island or a friend’s back deck on Friday nights, when we get together with a few families we affectionately call the “Pizza Squad.”
Our friend Jacqueline (“Jackie” to us!) is a military spouse and Pizza Squad member. When we started The Ready Room Project, she casually mentioned doing something with Bear King Brewing Co., a brewery and taphouse she co-owns with her three brothers in Texas.
Blake, JD, Grant, and Jacqueline - the Guidry siblings who own Bear King Brewing Co.
The partnership
Fast-forward a couple months, and Jacqueline told us her brother JD (the brewmaster) had started brewing a beer they wanted to use to partner with The Ready Room Project. We couldn’t believe it.
She came up with the name “Cowboy Time,” a nod to the phrase naval aviators use to describe the downtime between events, meetings, and briefs when they get a chance to relax in the ready room.
The Bear King crew designed a killer label, including a blurb about the phrase “Cowboy Time” and its connection to The Ready Room Project plus a QR code to our donation page.
Our first look at the “Cowboy Time” cans. We were blown away!
The plan
Jeff, Jackie, and I designed some merch for the event and got to work executing her vision of a “brewer’s dinner” - a multi-course event held in the brewery, with tables extending in between the large tanks, cafe lights, the works.
Grant (graphic designer, videographer, creative-extraordinaire, and one of the brothers / co-owners), got to work designing, planning, and marketing the event.
By January, Jeff and I were on the road to Austin for the event: a Cowboy Time launch party, brewer’s dinner, and an all-around unforgettable opportunity to share the stories of military kids and raise some money for The Ready Room Project.
In the end, it exceeded every expectation we had. The night was beautiful, thoughtful, meaningful, and fun.
We raised nearly $15,000, with more to come from the can sales, but the people we met left the greatest impression.
The bigger picture
Our little corner of the military (Navy, fighter aviation, west coast…) can be really insular. Every military community is like that: little tribes that feel like the center of the universe.
In reality, the military looms far larger than we can see from our limited vantage points. That night, we got to meet folks from many walks of military life (and beyond) whose stories inspired and motivated us.
The people
Jacqueline’s brothers, JD and Grant, both shared their personal connection to the military via their sister. When they referred to themselves as a “military family,” we could all feel the love.
JD was by Jackie’s side at the birth of her daughter, since Jackie’s husband Garth - a naval aviator and dear friend of ours - was deployed when she was born. JD said he wore a hat that said “Violet’s Uncle” since everyone thought they were married!
He got choked up as he told the story, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Military deployments impact families far beyond service members’ kids and spouses.
We met two retired school teachers - sisters! - who spent their careers working in the DOD (Dept of Defense) school system. They taught military kids overseas and conveyed their love for the families they served and empathy for the unique hardships they faced. They had a front row seat for decades, after all.
Our oldest son, Ben, attended a DOD school in Germany, and these sweet women reminded me that the incredible folks who educate our military kids also have a deep connection to this community. They’re proud of their service and stories as well.
We also got to meet a Marine Corps mom who shared her son’s story. At the time, he was preparing for his first deployment overseas. Jeff asked her how she was doing and she was so taken aback. “No one’s asked me that,” she said.
She thought about it and got emotional as she talked about both the pride and the fear associated with having a child enlist in the Marine Corps. Parents feel deeply connected to this community.
Celebrating a successful event with these four amazing siblings!
The point
Although just .5 percent of American adults currently serve as active duty members of the military, 6.5 percent of American adults are military veterans.
When you consider how broadly service impacts a community, that amounts to a lot of Americans who feel connected to the military.
They’re proud of their stories and eager to help each other!
We felt the depth and breadth of military service in that room. Folks are so proud of their connections to the military. They want to tell their stories, and we’re so grateful to Jackie and her brothers and the entire Bear King community in Marble Falls for the opportunity to hear them.
Service members need these folks to help nurture healthy families at home: siblings and friends, community leaders and educators, folks who didn’t or couldn’t serve themselves but have a deep love and respect for those who do.
Their supporting roles aren’t peripheral; they’re necessary.
We believe the health of our military is directly connected to the health of military families.
We’re excited to partner with folks who also want to see them thrive.
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