Claire’s Profile
Branch: Army Mom (present) Army Wife (past)
When: 2006 to present
Units: Sons in Infantry and Field Artillery (FA is also husband’s old branch)
Where: Son currently stationed at Ft. Lewis Washington
Current Status: Oldest son, active, youngest son, pre-enlist to start next year, husband rehabilitating injury sustained in training — hoping to go Reserves.
Current Residence: East Tennessee
What are you doing now? I am a full time mother and wife, and a part time grant writer, consultant and free lance writer.
Favorite thing about serving? The best part of being a military wife or mother is anytime when you can be together.
Why did you join VAJoe ? When I was invited to look the site over I was very impressed with the variety of resources and support that is available.
Favorite thing about VAJoe? It’s a very dynamic site with a lot of discussion!
Short About Me Bio:
Claire lives in Tennessee with her husband, Bryan, and their two youngest children Nate and Emma. Bryan and Claire have four children in all. Their two oldest sons are Mike, 23 and Noah, 19. Mike is an Infantryman in the United States Army, and Noah is in college with a declared psychology major. Mike is currently redeployed after serving a 15-month deployment in a Stryker Brigade in the Diyala Province in Northern Iraq as part of the Troop Surge. Claire’s youngest son, Nate in in JROTC Airforce, but has pre-enlisted in the Army and is branched Field Artillery. He will join the ranks officially next summer (2009).
Claire holds an MSW from the University of South Carolina, Columbia. She has a back ground in children’s mental health, grant writing, non-profit administration and social research. She is also the creator and primary author of the “milblog” called “Knee Deep in the Hooah!”
The “Knee Deep” family became “knee deep in the hooah!” when both Bryan (a.k.a “Mr. Hooah!) and Mike were serving at the same time. Bryan was branched Field Artillery and in the last stretch of his officer training at Ft. Benning when he suffered a severe fracture. Bryan is currently home rehabilitating his leg and plans to rejoin the Army as a Reservist in the near future. Claire enjoys caring for the children, the home and writing articles and blog entries as a means of reaching out to and encouraging other women and families — both military and civilian.
