Summary:

What does military service look like through the eyes of both a mother in uniform and the daughter who grew up alongside it? In this heartfelt episode of Dog Tag Diaries, Amy Almond-Schmid and her daughter Macynn Schmid share an honest, multi-generational conversation about life shaped by military service. Amy joined the Air Force at just 17 and built a 26-year career serving across active duty, the reserves, and the Air National Guard. But service did not happen in isolation. Deployments, career opportunities, and the demands of military life deeply affected her family, especially her daughters. Macynn reflects on growing up with pride, confusion, and resilience while navigating moves, deployments, and the realities of military childhood. Together they speak openly about motherhood, healing, mental health, and how those experiences led Amy to lead the Returning Veterans Project, which provides free mental health and wellness care for veterans, service members, and their families.

In this episode, we cover:

1. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest and early experiences with service
2. Joining the military at seventeen and learning military culture in real time
3. How education, travel, and exposure to the world shaped Amy’s identity
4. Experiencing 9/11 in uniform and deploying at a young age
5. Motherhood, postpartum mental health, and the weight carried quietly
6. Balancing military service, marriage, and raising children
7. How military life impacts the nervous system, relationships, and daily living
8. Mental health for veterans and military families
9. What it’s like to be a military child and eventually step into independence
10. Why doesn’t service just affect the service member, it affects the whole family

Notable Quotes & Moments:

1. “I joined at 17, looking for a way forward. I had no idea how much it would shape my life.” – Amy Almond-Schmid [00:05:03]
2. “I realized not everyone in uniform has the same values you do.” – Amy Almond-Schmid [00:15:56]
3. “It’s your parents’ first time living too.” – Macynn Schmid reflecting on forgiveness and perspective [00:36:56]
4. “I couldn’t tell my kids to seek help if I wasn’t willing to get help myself.” – Amy Almond-Schmid on choosing therapy and healing [00:22:11]
5. “At what cost? That’s the question every military parent eventually has to face.” – Amy Almond-Schmid [00:36:05]

Timestamps:

1. 00:01:50 – Meet Amy Almond-Schmid and her daughter Macynn Schmid
2. 00:04:05 – Amy’s childhood and decision to join the military at 17
3. 00:08:40 – Early Air Force career and first deployment overseas
4. 00:15:56 – Realities of serving as a woman in the military
5. 00:22:11 – Motherhood, trauma, and choosing therapy
6. 00:29:19 – Macynn’s perspective growing up in a military family
7. 00:32:00 – The emotional toll of deployments and time apart
8. 00:38:40 – The mission behind Returning Veterans Project
9. 00:46:50 – Macynn’s path toward working with animals and nonprofits
10. 00:49:00 – Why therapy, healing, and honesty matter for military families

CONNECT & LEARN MORE:

Returning Veterans Project Website: https://returningveterans.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/returningveteransproject/

Amy Almond-Schmid Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schmiddypooh

Amy Almond-Schmid is the Executive Director of the Returning Veterans Project and a senior enlisted leader in the Oregon Air National Guard. She joined the U.S. Air Force in 1999 at age 17 and has served across active duty, the Air Force Reserve, and the Air National Guard for more than 26 years. Her career has focused on supporting service members and their families, with a strong commitment to mental health, resilience, and community care.

Macynn Schmid grew up as a military child navigating deployments, relocations, and the realities of having a parent in uniform. Today she works as a veterinary assistant and hopes to build a future in nonprofit animal rescue and therapy programs that support healing and emotional well-being.

We recently signed an MOU with Returning Veterans Project to be listed as a resource that serves veterans. This partnership means that we have access to free trainings that they host. To access the trainings go to returningveterans.org, events, continuing education trainings, sign up under RVP volunteer and type in reveilleandretreat@gmail.com. Then continue to follow the prompts. The Returning Veterans Project is a nonprofit that provides free and confidential mental and physical health services to veterans, service members, and their families in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The organization connects individuals with a network of volunteer health professionals to address issues such as PTSD, anxiety, and physical disabilities.

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Learn more about the Reveille and Retreat Project:

reveilleandretreatproject.org

Instagram: @reveilleandretreatproject

Facebook: Reveille and Retreat Project

You aren’t alone.

If you’re thinking about hurting yourself or having thoughts of suicide, contact the Veteran crisis line: Dial 988 then press 1, chat online, or text 838255.