OGDEN, Utah — As the war in the Middle East continues, military families here in Utah have a lot to think about.
"It's a war, it's an armed conflict, it’s harm’s way,” said Jennie Taylor, an advocate for military families. “Deployment may be at a moment's notice, it's worry, and I think the biggest word that comes to mind is uncertainty."
In 2018, Taylor’s husband, Brent Taylor, died in the line of duty while serving his fourth combat deployment in Afghanistan. She started the ‘Major Brent Taylor Foundation’ based in North Ogden in his honor, works with Blue Star families, and understands what this life is like.
"I want them to know they're not alone,” she said. “They feel alone, they feel like they are carrying the weight of freedom and democracy on their own shoulders, and that’s heavy. I would want them to feel supported by the rest of us.”
She said the uncertainty can impact families, and especially kids. It can be challenging to deal with the stress of war in a household, and not knowing if your loved one could be called to serve.
She also said that just because these brave men and women made a choice to serve does not mean it is easy for them and their families. So that’s where the community can come in to help and take some of the load.
"When my husband deployed years ago, I had little children, and a friend brought over a little treat box,” Taylor recalled. “It was just full of candy and little notes that said ‘hey, we love you, we're here for you.’ It did not bring him home from war, it did not foster world peace, it did not fix everything, but we felt supported.”
Taylor said the first step is finding the military families around you – in your neighborhood, school, classroom, or church, and then lending a helping hand. Whether it’s sending a text message to check in, offering to take kids to soccer practice, sharing a meal, or walking the family’s dog, Taylor said every little act can have the biggest impact.
With Hill Air Force Base close by, Ogden City is no stranger to military families. We asked people on 25th Street what they feel about the war.
"Take a step back, value life more than assets,” said Dennis Hearndon, who lives in Magna. "I think it’s absolutely without question wrong to force your beliefs on another country to gain their wealth."
“I just feel like it’s crazy what’s going on, it's really sad,” said Sarah Fenster, who lives in Ogden. “I’m sure that they're really worried and scared about what’s going to happen and who knows if they're going to need to go out and help fight or what’s going to happen in the future.”
Taylor hopes people do their part to support men and women in uniform and the ones who have their backs.
