We wanted our very first post to be our story and what the heck we are doing here starting our media journey and what better time than now during the month of the military family and Veteran's Day Weekend. We have grand plans to add a podcast and YouTube channel that we do together in addition to the blog and our instagram. Alas, here we are sharing our story of trauma, healing, and moving on.
A few years ago (which sounds crazy when I say it out loud) we moved to a base in Oklahoma. It was not our first time living in base housing; however, it was the worst. We showed up and our house was uninhabitable. The housing office knew we were coming yet our assigned home was an absolute disaster. It was riddled with mold, had holes in the walls, sections of carpet were burned, and there was a myriad of interior and exterior damage.
They spent an entire week fixing the home while we spent the week in a hotel. By the time it was presentable we saw new carpet, paint, and flooring throughout and we thought at the time that it was finally ready. The next week they continued to send contractors to finish some painting, siding, screens, and more. We thought after three weeks they would be done, that was until our front door wouldn't shut/latch. The mold in the shower that was repeatedly cleaned wouldn't go away (turns out they just grouted over it, a big no-no), and our master shower began leaking in to the kitchen ceiling. Soon came mice, pests, more broken doors, appliance problems, and flooding. They continued to show up at our house and said things were fixed or would be fixed. Feeling singled out and helpless, we knew we had to get out once our lease was up.
Every time they came to fix something we hoped it would be the last fix but it never was. Over the course of the year the house was never entirely or properly fixed and we were always waiting for the next thing to go wrong, and it did. During move out we found mold in the HVAC and we knew that we had been exposed for an entire year. Our hearts sank. The anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other illnesses that plagued us that year finally made sense. Once we stepped away we realized we spent a year in survival mode, constantly trying to overcome a broken house that kept breaking and broken hearts that never felt whole. To add insult to injury they wanted nearly $4,000 in move out charges claiming WE destroyed the house.
Soon we found out that we were not alone. That other families were going through what we were going through. Mold and maintenance issues took over many homes on our base, as reported by spouses, over 120 homes locally. Families going through torment and being blamed or falsely charged for move out fees. Families losing all of their earthly belongings and having no recompense. It was awful. And it happened to us.
We are one in tens of thousands going through this across the country and among even more around the world. We love our country and the opportunity to serve it, we want what is best for each military member and encourage you to follow our journey as we walk the path of healing and moving on from the horror to a brighter day.
This is moving on in real life. Welcome.
-- B&R
How was your base housing? Comment below, we'd love to hear from you!
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