For Kerri Martinez, service has already been more than a word. It’s part of her family’s history, woven through generations. Her father and uncle both served in the Army. Later, she married a Navy sailor. Even with that legacy, nothing could have prepared her for the moment her son chose the same path for himself.
Tyler was only five years old when he said he wanted to grow up to be a “Navy guy,” a comment that sparked after watching the annual Army–Navy game. At the time, Kerri took it as a child’s passing remark, sweet but fleeting. Yet as the years went on, that idea never faded. Tyler stayed focused and certain, carrying the same quiet determination as he grew up.
At 19, Tyler turned that childhood dream into a reality and enlisted in the Navy.
When he left for boot camp, Kerri and her family tried to treat the day like any other. They smiled. They stayed upbeat. But everyone knew it wasn’t ordinary. Saying goodbye felt different. Tyler wasn’t just leaving home. He was stepping into a whole new world.
After spending nearly two years together during the pandemic, the separation hit especially hard. When Tyler boarded the bus, the absence was immediate and deeply felt. “It just felt like a missing piece,” she shared. “Like a piece of me had walked out the door.”
Two months later, on Veterans Day, Kerri’s husband received a phone call they will never forget. Tyler was on the line. When he said the words, “I’m a sailor,” it marked a powerful and emotional moment for their family. It was the realization of a legacy coming full circle and a memory they will always cherish.
Today, Tyler is halfway through his first contract and plans to serve for a full 20 years.
For Kerri, being a military mom comes with a constant mix of emotions. The worry, the distance, and the unknowns can be challenging. She doesn’t always know where Tyler is, or fully understands the work he does, yet her pride in him never wavers.
“Just the sense of pride, knowing that he is making a difference,” Kerri says. “The U.S is one the of few countries where service is voluntary. It really is a sense of pride, knowing that.”
That pride anchors her as a military mom, reminding her that Tyler’s commitment is not just a job, but a deliberate decision to serve others.
And, while Tyler serves, Kerri supports him in a way many military parents do. With faith. With trust. With hope. And with prayer.
Her story is a powerful reminder that behind every service member stands a family quietly serving alongside them, sharing pride, worry, and all the moments in between.
