Having grown up as a Navy brat with a dad who deployed for most of my childhood, I get teary-eyed whenever I see it happen to other kids. It brings back all the sadness of watching my dad climb the steps of whatever ship and disappear over the horizon for months at time, missing every life event from the loss of my first tooth to my last father-daughter dance. Every time I hear a story about a kid who misses his or her parent when they are deployed, it cuts me deep.