From Soldier to Soldier’s Wife
Have you ever woken up one day and said, “today is the day,” and you knew that from that day forward life would be different? NVI Associate Andre’a Coppenbarger had that day at the age of 25 when she decided to join the U.S. Army.
When Andre’a made the decision to enlist in the military, she had already held a job and had fun, but was ready for the next chapter in her life.
Andre’a explains how leaving for basic training was a wake-up call. Andre’a quickly learned that life in the Army would be an adjustment, to say the least. She once asked a drill sergeant, “What do you mean I can’t have coffee?” She thought that was funny, but the drill sergeant did not.
After basic training, Andre’a went onto Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Gordon, Georgia, to be a multichannel transmission systems operator. Her first duty station was at Fort Hood, Texas, and she recalls that being a fun time in her life. When she wasn’t in the field with her unit, she was out at the shooting range preparing herself for her future career in the Army.
In 2000, she was picked up for the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) at Fort Benning, Georgia. She then reported to the Recruiting Command and traveled all over the United States with the AMU.
Her life changed forever on a beautiful Georgia summer day. While out riding her Harley, Andre’a was introduced to a friend of a fellow soldier. She met her husband-to-be James, who she describes as having “the most amazing and beautiful soul.”
After a couple of months of dating, Andre’a decided to give up one dream for another. She left the Army and married James!
When asked to describe her life as military spouse, Andre’a says,
“I’m not going to sugarcoat anything, but being a wife and a mother is a lot harder than being a soldier. The wives are the silent ranks of the military. We stay behind, wait for phone calls, take care of kids and dogs, and go through all the holidays without our loved ones and we survive!”
Thanks to the Army, Andre’a and James traveled the world together. They also went through five deployments, moved seven times in 14 years, and in the end, she doesn’t regret a single moment. “I would do it all over again in a heartbeat,” she says.
In 2013, their orders brought them back home to Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Arizona, and they were ecstatic. James retired last year and in September, Andre’a started working for National Vision at the Optical Center on Fort Huachuca.
Andre’a has the unique privilege of being a veteran and a veteran spouse – two roles that have allowed her to view the world in a different light. We feel so fortunate to have someone who can proudly call themselves a veteran and a veteran spouse as one of our own.
Andre’a tells us how much she enjoys coming to work every day. She is currently studying for the American Board of Opticianry (ABO) test and is looking forward to many happy years with the company. We are also looking forward to having Andre’a as part of our family for many years.
Thank you for your service Andre’a! We appreciate all of your sacrifices and the unique perspective you bring to the Fort Huachuca team.
Jessica Altamirano
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