When Sacrifice Calls

Sacrifice is made by so many in such different capacities. In this episode of "When Sacrifice Calls" host Lesley Lykins shifts the focus from Military Reservists and National Guardsmen to America's Healthcare Workers and the sacrifices made to bring medications to market.

.     Lesley reflects on the COVID-19 vaccination and the many sacrifices she has observed while working at a hospital this year. She speaks with special guest, Christa Bigham, RPhPharmDMSCS, a senior pharmacy director about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccination.

Finally, she weaves in her family's 2020 miracle and how it came from the sacrifices of many others.

Special Show Notes:

My 5 Key Lessons from 2020 by Bruce Temkin

Growing up as an inner-city girl in Denver, Colorado, she knew she loved STEM and wanted to be an engineer. The military academies weren't an option presented in her district, yet she found her way in front of an interview panel seeking a congressional nomination to the U.S. Air Force Academy. She received nominations to all of the academies and ended up at the U.S. Navy Academy.

U.S. Navy Reserve Cmdr. Kimberly Martinez holds a very demanding role in the Navy Reserve as part of the Coastal Riverine community alongside her civilian engineering role with Raytheon. She just returned from a deployment in February and is currently on separate reserve orders as an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy, where her career first started. 

She is both an example and a witness to the talent, perseverance, creativity, and aptitude of the servicemembers serving our country in the military reserve.

How does it feel to sit down to the first Thanksgiving you and your husband and children have shared together in three years? The Cunningham family is grateful. Navy Reserve Lt. Jennifer Cunningham left for a deployment to Djibouti just two days after her husband retired from active-duty service. 

Her deployment was extended as COVID-19 pandemic protocols were put in place. When Jennifer finally made it home to her family after 14 months, she came home not only to changes in her daughters and husband but to the entire world around her that no longer felt familiar.

During this episode host Lesley Lykins and Lt. Jennifer Cunningham discuss gratitude and resilience.

When you are 10-years-old and your mom is leaving for a war zone, your world is shaken. Statistics show that since 2001, approximately 2 million children have had to live through the deployment of a military parent.* One-third of these children will experience anxious behavior, increased worry, and tears. 

In this episode of "When Sacrifice Calls" hear straight from children that sacrificed the better part of a year with their mom when she left for a 9-month deployment to Afghanistan. 

These children express the challenge of understanding time when adults are trying to explain how long a parent will be gone. They share how seeing their mom in uniform now brings back the worry and sacrifice. And they describe what helped them through a period of time that has developed their resilience and bonded them together like nothing before.

Join Lesley Lykins as she interviews her own children in this week's episode of "When Sacrifice Calls."

*AASA (The School Superintendents Association) - Fact Sheet on the Military Child

Do you think you know where your life is heading? Perhaps you feel comfortable in a consistent and stable place. You've worked your way to a certain point in your career, married the woman of your dreams, and feel confident and successful. 

Then you deploy. 

As a military Reservist, the effects of deployment can as Navy Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Roger Reinert's so aptly puts it "blow up (your) identity." 

On this Veterans Day, host Lesley Lykins speaks with Roger about the sacrifice of one's identity as a result of military service. This incredibly painful sacrifice is one so many military service members struggle with, often in silence. 

She knows sacrifice. Sacrifice for my guest today has varied throughout her life. She experienced the sacrifices of a challenging deployment to Afghanistan. Then the sacrifices made as a young mother and military spouse.

Today, U.S. Air Force veteran, Captain Amanda Huffman spends her time gathering and sharing the stories of countless military women. She is a storyteller giving back to others from a heart of gratitude.

During this episode, Amanda shares the values she holds dear and how those values have shaped her life, family, and career.

For more from Amanda Huffman please see:

Blog:   Airman to Mom

Book:  Women of the Military

Podcast:  Women of the Military

I am your host, Navy Reserve Cmdr. Lesley Lykins. I launched "When Sacrifice Calls" a year ago to share the stories of America's Military Reservists and National Guardsmen. Amidst the craziness of 2020, I am so honored to launch Season 2 of the podcast. In this episode of the show, I personally kick off the season with what sacrifice means to me. 

Between virtual school, full-time work at a hospital, MBA classes, and a very ill child, the stress has continued to build. But, I know I'm not alone in this. 

How do we continue on while we feel like we are sinking on a daily basis? In the end, we rely on each other, and the sacrifices we are willing to make.

Where do you find the brave? And maybe even more importantly how do the brave carry on through fear, adversity, and sacrifice?

Navy Reserve Cmdr. Janelle Terrell arrived to her first military assignment, a deployed Navy warship, just weeks after giving birth to her first child. Her example of strength and bravery has quietly served to support others throughout her career - when they've needed to call on their own personal bravery.

During this episode of "When Sacrifice Calls," host and former shipmate, Lesley Lykins asks Janelle how she has managed to serve with such bravery and gratitude. Her answer may just bring you to your knees. 

Coming home from a military deployment is something that should be filled with joy and excitement. Initially, it is wonderful. But for many Reservists, the challenges begin when they return home and try to find their places back in a life they left months ago.

Army Reserve Specialist Matt Frakes opens up about his recent deployment to the Middle East and the challenges he has faced since he returned home. 

Raised by a single mom, he exudes a sense of responsibility, planning, and purpose that would put even the top business minds to shame. Last year he stepped away from his successful and growing career to fulfill a commitment with the Army Reserve. 

In this episode of "When Sacrifice Calls," host Lesley Lykins asks Matt how he is doing after returning home. His answers very clearly showcase his patience, grit, and willingness to sacrifice.

If you've been curious about the young people serving in the United States Armed Forces today, I've got an interview for you!

Twenty-five-year-old, Ohio National Guard Specialist Jerry Lykins missed the camaraderie of a team after graduating high school and leaving behind youth sports. 

He found that close support and structure in service to his country and continues to seek out adventure, experience, and individual growth. Only 25% of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 are eligible to join the military. 

In this interview host, Lesley Lykins and her nephew discuss how military culture offers a type of human connection many young adults are seeking in today's tech-centric society.