SAN ANTONIO — Driving by the Lackland JBSA sign every day can serve as a reminder that military life is not easy, with years of duty and sacrifice that often goes unacknowledged. But not on Wednesday.
Military members and spouses spent Wednesday morning reminding service members that they matter with a few words of encouragement.
"Something similar, hug to a handshake," Jennifer Vann said as she began to laugh when a truck honked as it drove by. "As you can see, they're responding positively with the honks and the waves back."
Vann was the mastermind behind Wednesday morning's lively drive-in at JBSA. A dozen service members and spouses held signs and cheered as a flurry of cars drove by. The signs read messages like, "You're awesome" and "We care."
"It was something I saw at Kirkland Air Force Base, (on) their Facebook page," Vann said. "Their medical group did something similar and I couldn't get it out of my mind. Suicide awareness is just something we've been talking about a lot."
It's something many around town have had on their minds, too. Just last weekend, a military member committed suicide on Culebra and 1604—a man who fought hard for this country, but faced darker battles when he returned home.
Those are the battles this group hopes to take on with those who struggle, with a little support and a whole lot of life.
"We put a lot of smiles on peoples faces today; they definitely put smiles on our faces," Vann said. "So we're going to continue and we're hoping others will as well."
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