TestimonialsMOTHER OF TWO THOUGHT SHE HAD LEFT THE MILITARY FOR GOOD
IRR Delay and Exemption
Client Testimonial #12 - A Mother of Two Thought she had left the Military for Good
My world came to a screeching halt on November 11th, 2008, when I was driving home from work. I called home like I always do and when my husband answered he sounded odd; I knew something was wrong. Never in a million years would I have thought that just a few hours earlier he found a brown envelope from the U.S. Army on our porch containing my mobilization orders in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In 2006 I left the Army after five years of active duty service so that I could make a stable environment for my family. My son was born in 2004 and we were excited for our family to expand even more. We moved from Germany (where we were stationed) back to Michigan (where we´re from originally) and I soon got a job working at a Fortune 15 company. We couldn´t have been happier when my daughter was born in 2007.
When I left the Army, I left it completely behind. There are no reminders of my military days in my home and I don´t like talking about my experiences (foremost being my deployment to Kuwait and Iraq in support of OIF1). When I received the mobilization orders, it was incomprehensible to me how I could leave my family for at least a year (most likely much more than that) to go back to a place that I´ve tried so hard to forget. Not only was I untrained and unattuned to current military operations, but I also knew that I wasn´t mentally fit to lead soldiers in that environment.
My husband began searching on-line and soon Bill´s website came up. We thought that we would at least check it out because we knew that if we had any chance of an exemption that we would need a thorough and well-documented case. Bill impressed us from the very beginning (including when he called us back that night a little worse for the wear after getting oral surgery!). I got the first taste of hope while talking with him and after calling several references we were convinced.
Working with Bill was a pleasure. He is compassionate, sympathetic, and you get to know that he fundamentally believes in the work that he does. Bill told me the milestones and exactly what to expect before we even got there so there were no surprises. He was always accessible to both myself and my husband if we ever had any questions or wanted clarification. As a former military officer who was in precarious situations himself, he understands the anguish that former soldiers can feel after receiving mobilization orders.
My story is a happy one — I got the call last week that my exemption was approved! If I had one bit of advice for anyone who can relate to my story, without a doubt it would be: "Call Bill Meili." He provided the counsel, knowledge, and support that I desperately needed.
ALN, former CPT, U.S. Army
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