By Matt Browning
The Salsbury family was chosen for the Davis Moore Military Profile for February. Maggie is a senior at Maize High School, while twins Braden and Jackson are sophomores.
Their dad, Jeremy, and brother, Carter, who graduated in 2022 from Maize, both have significant connections to the military.
Jeremy enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a Mechanic, a Cannon Crewmember, and Drill Sergeant. He then commissioned into the Nurse Corps and became a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Jeremy was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan with Forward Surgical Teams and after 20 years retired from the US Army.
Carter earned a National Army ROTC Scholarship and last Fall began Army ROTC at Kansas State University. After college he is planning a career in the military, government, politics or law.
“Our kids were born into the military life, so for them it’s “normal,” said Katie Salsbury, who is Jeremy’s wife and Carter’s mom. “Being a military kid means many sacrifices that you didn’t necessarily choose or have a say in, but it also means opportunities to serve others. Our kids sacrificed birthdays, holidays, and lots of days and nights in between with their dad gone.”
While being a military family can be unstable in terms of moving, the Salsbury family has been fortunate that they have called Maize home for a long time.
“For our family, we never moved due to the military,” Katie said. “We were very intentional in deciding where we wanted to raise our children, knowing there would be times Jeremy would be called to duty.”
Katie had strong words of encouragement for future families who have spouses or children in the miliary.
“Buckle up and hold on tight. Grow your roots in faith deep and strong-you’re going to need it,” Katie said. “Be intentional at growing your community around you-you’re going to need that too. Be confident in the one you’re choosing this adventure with because it’s going to ask a lot of both of you. Be sure to look around you and enjoy what’s around you and at the end of the day, find a way to be thankful for the adventure it all is. It’s an honor to be called to serve our country. And that call isn’t just for the soldier. It’s a call for the whole family.”
