It’s time to feature some true American heroes.  Dads who have served for their country in the military, as a cop, or a fireman deserve to be applauded.

Today we feature SSG Chris Eagan, a great husband, father, and infantryman in the Army.

Chris and his wife Jen have been together since 1997.  They have had four wonderful kids, but sadly lost their first child to a congenital heart defect before the others were born.

Chris and Jen met while serving in the Navy, stationed in Iceland.  After moving to Washington, and having two kids, Chris was deployed during the entire pregnancy of baby #3.  Chris was one of the first responders on 9/11, which nearly caused him to miss his son’s birth.   Somehow it worked out, and the baby boy was born less than 48 hours after Chris returned home.

During Chris’ second deployment, Jen was pregnant with #4, and again, Chris made it home just in time for Mackenna’s birth. With three babies at home, Chris and Jen decided it was time to get out of the navy, and try their luck in the real world.

Within three years, the economy had collapses, and Chris was back in the military, this time in the Army.  He is now and infantryman, and he just recently returned from a year in Afghanistan.

When talking about Chris as a dad, Jen says, “We are pretty close as a family, my kids don’t know how blessed they are to have a dad who genuinely cares about them.  Our favorite things to do as a family are see movies, play competitive UNO, and when we get the chance, visit amusement parks.”

One of the traits that makes Chris a great dad is that he is a natural teacher.  He loves teaching the kids new things, whether it’s cooking, drawing, playing ‘Call of Duty,’ or survival skills.  Chris always has something to show the kids to encourage them to be the best that they can.

When discussing being a military family, Jen said, “The hardest part is the deployments, but somehow we always manage to thrive. This last one (Afghanistan) was the worst for all of us, but hopefully Chris will start recruiting and won’t have to deploy again for a while. 7 more years until retirement!”

Chris, you are a true hero, thank you for all that you do for your family and your country.  We are honored to feature you today!

 

Do you know an American hero we should feature on Life of Dad?  If so, e-mail me at tom@lifeofdad.com!

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