One of the hardest lessons for young Army officers to internalize is that even though an officer’s first duty is to ensure the “health, morale, and welfare” of their soldiers and their families — the officer *must* take care of their own needs first, because one cannot take care of others when they are too hungry/tired/sick/stressed to make good decisions.

While I know you well enough to know that your family will always come first (as it should) I just thought it worth saying that *we* understand and respect that.

So don’t worry about us, our hearts are with you and your family during your move.

– Scott

[James' Reply: Thanks Scott.]