had been overturned.
I cheered and immediately woke her up to celebrate. I was seeing forward progress in the acceptance of all kinds of relationships, especially ones like ours. As I reported to my fellowship, I had a rejuvenated outlook on life. Despite DADT being repealed, I was still slightly uncertain as to telling my teaching faculty about my girlfriend. Luckily my assistant program director, when casually chatting with me at the beginning of my training, brought it up first, when she asked who Cassandra was. I told her she was my girlfriend, and my assistant program director showed me picture of her and her wife and three children. This was the first time I saw a mentor in the LGBTQ+ military community. In getting to know her and her family, we got to see an inspirational role model or what may be in our future. Cassie and I also began to learn more about resources for military couples, such as American Military Partners Association (AMPA). Just as we began to feel things were taking off, I received the news my post fellowship orders would be thousands of miles from California in Okinawa, Japan. After the shock wore off, Cassie proposed to me surrounded by sunflowers with a pictogram. I was able to propose to her, at the location of our first date, the Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert, CA. We had a small park signing of our marriage license and exchange of vows within a month before I left for Okinawa, Japan. I had found the person that would stand by me no matter the distance.
CDR Janelle Marra, DO '08 with UNE COM's AMOPS members at the recent Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (AMOPS) National Meeting in San Antonio, TX