.:Why I Appreciate My Spouse:.
NCO Winner: Sgt Christopher Baz, MCCES Instructor, and wife Norma
A young private first class came home after boot camp; the young Marine had just turned 18 while in recruit training. He was home on recruiter’s assistance, which was really just an excuse to spend an extra two weeks with his high school sweetheart before going to Marine Combat Training. One cool Oregon afternoon, one of those days where the sun seems to glow more orange then usual, giving everything a warm glossy feeling, like living in a romantic movie scene, Pfc. Baz drove home to pick up his girlfriend who wore a simple yet pretty white dress with white flowers in her hair. They agreed they would get married at the courthouse; have a wedding someday in the future. With just two best friends as witnesses they exchanged their modest, diamondless rings. Their reception was at her favorite Italian restaurant with a cake from the local grocery store. Six years later, and still without a formal wedding, they are still happily married.
Although Norma’s ability to put up with me and our modest life is reason enough for her to be recognized, it is her devotion to our marriage that makes her truly praiseworthy. Her work ethic, dedication to her studies and community involvement make her truly amazing.
As a student worker for Copper Mountain Community College, Norma is important in the lives of many Marines, who often look to her as an unofficial counselor to suggest what classes they should take when they can’t decide between a math or English class. Assisting in the CMCC office, she does whatever loose end jobs need to be done to ensure the office runs smoothly, not only for the students who visit, but also the staff who dedicate their time solely to helping Marines and Sailors. She works from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. As soon as she finishes working at Copper Mountain, she drives across base to volunteer at the Red Cross Office. She is the assistant station chair. She helps the Red Cross run smoothly for Marines on base, deployed and in the Wounded Warrior barracks. She ensures that their families are taken care of. When Norma finishes volunteering at the Red Cross office, she goes home, irons out her scrubs, packs a set of clothes for the next day and drives to Rancho Mirage where she works as a nurses’ aide, doing private in-home care for the elderly. Her hours in Rancho Mirage are from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. When she finishes her shift, she changes in the bathroom, stops by Starbucks for a mocha and scone for breakfast and drives back to CMCC to repeat the routine. Norma is also somehow a fulltime student with a 4.0 grade point average.
If you ask her the reason she works so hard, she will tell you that it’s so my reenlistment in the Marine Corps is an option, not a necessity. She works so that our family can be comfortable, she goes to school so she can pursue her dream of one day being a registered nurse and she volunteers at the Red Cross office because she loves helping Marines. Five hundred words do not give justice to how amazing my wife is.
