01 Jul 2023 Couple of the Month: Julia and Michael Bullock
HER STORY:
Education: I attended Sheridan High School and Central Arkansas Bible College.
Job: World Heritage, which is an exchange student program.
Family: Our children are Danielle Bullock-Sherwood and her husband, Christian; Alex Jeffers; Natalie, Olivia, Reagan and Seth Bullock. Our grandchildren are Bostic and Nolan Sherwood.
Community activities: We belong to the Searcy Church of the Nazarene and the Soldier and Family Readiness Group.
Hobbies: Restoring my 1970 VW Karmann Ghia; shooting sports; softball, cheer, basketball and host mom; traveling; checking off my bucket list; learning to fly (pilot’s license); VFW Auxiliary board member; and my guilty pleasure music is Christian rap. It’s my hype music.
How would you describe yourself: I am outgoing and outspoken. You can usually hear me before you see me. I NEVER stop. I want to go go go go go. I love networking with people and never meet a stranger.
What is next for you: As my husband transitions out of the Army, I pray to slow down as well. I want to spend more time in an airplane and traveling, continue to homeschool my kiddos, go to every softball game, basketball game, and cheer on my bonus kiddos.
What do you love about living in the 501: That’s simple: It’s home. I was raised in “Small Town USA.” When I moved to Searcy, I went from a small town with a big heart to a big town with a huge heart. Searcy is home to me. The community rallies behind families in need here. We were one of those families in the summer of 2021 when I decided to play dead for 40 days in the ICU. The entire community was feeding my family, we were on every church prayer list, and they helped with our kids. It was amazing. I am forever grateful to our community for that.
What is your motto: “Be a Blessing and Be Blessed.” “Love thy neighbor.” 1 John 4:7.
HIS STORY:
Education: I attended Searcy High School, Arkansas Law Enforcement Academy, Central Arkansas Bible College and First Sleep School to become a certified polysomnographic technologist.
Job: Sleep Centers of Arkansas-Searcy, Army National Guard (21 years), retired from the Searcy Police Department (15 years).
Community activities: We belong to the Searcy Church of the Nazarene. I am a VFW board member and a part of the Soldier and Family Readiness Group.
Hobbies: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, shooting and learning more about history.
How would you describe yourself: I am an Army veteran, police officer, father, husband, advocate for education on individual rights, and lover of God and people. I enjoy a good debate, if for nothing more than to learn about the opinions of others and how they defend those opinions.
What is next for you: I will soon be testing for my certification in sleep studies and hope to continue my career helping and healing others.
What do you love about living in the 501: It has always been my home, no matter where my travels send me. After spending years deployed with the Arkansas National Guard to the far reaches of the globe, my most fond memories are the drive up 67/167 looking for Exit 42. (That’s the first Searcy exit, btw). With my family and friends always within a stone’s throw, there is nowhere else I’d rather be in this world.
What is your motto: “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; Maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and needy, deliver them from the hands of the wicked.” Psalm 82:3-4.
Their STORY:
My husband and I met for the first time in jail. Of course, we did. We were both officers and had to fight a drunk inmate into a cell. Almost got ya there, didn’t I? Several years passed, and we often saw each other in our chosen profession. He married, had a son, and a year later, his wife passed away, leaving behind an 8-year-old autistic daughter and a 6-month-old son. After some time, we decided to date, and then as you can imagine, we got married. Shortly after we were married, he was deployed with the 39th Arkansas Army National Guard to the Horn of Africa for a year. When he returned, we adopted his late wife’s daughter, and I adopted his and his late wife’s son. We became mentors to a beautiful 14-year-old lady in foster care a year later. We went on to adopt this young lady a year later. She is now 21, married, with a handsome 2-year-old son and one on the way. We have hosted multiple exchange students as well. Together we have begun working towards our doctoral degree in counseling and theology at Central Arkansas Bible College in Jacksonville (Pulaski County). Michael is my best friend, my heart, and my soul. When signing letters or little notes to him, I always close with “Your Favorite Rib.” We push each other to be the best versions of ourselves. Recently he has supported me in my calling to missions in Uganda.
Julia Bullock was named 2023 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year for the National Guard.
She was nominated by Beth Anne Minyard. Here are excerpts from her application:
Describe your involvement in the military community:
I am the Soldier and Family Readiness Group coordinator for Headquarters Company, 2-153 IN, and one of the coordinators for the battalion. I help with youth and child sign-ups and Christmas for families. Advocating for families is my biggest drive. As we once needed those advocates, I decided to dig in and make community connections so I could “connect the dots” between service members and the community to better serve the soldiers I work with. Every Sunday on drill weekend, I work for as many hours as needed making sure to make connections with all, if not a large majority, of the soldiers to ensure there are no needs to be met. We have coordinated many Family Days to bring togetherness as well. Also in August, we connected with a church and offered free school supplies, clothes, backpacks, and a shoe drive for all members of the local armory.
Describe how you support your community:
I connect soldiers to the community, families to resources, and coordinate any help they need. National Guardsmen are civilian soldiers. The majority make more money on orders than they do at their civilian job. This can cause many issues, including home and food insecurities, leading to other social problems like divorce, suicide and homelessness. I connect those families and service members to someone/thing in the community that can serve their needs, bridging the gap between service members and the community. Our family focus is on volunteering. We are community-centered. Each year, I visit the schools and hand out certificates of appreciation to the military children. Our family does one service project each month as a family. From talking to soldiers to delivering food to homes, my husband and kids are just as involved as myself. It is NOT just me.
What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year® title?
I pray that with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year title, I, along with my family, can continue to inspire and help make positive changes for the National Guard members and their families. The National Guard is one branch that is underrepresented. I want to help with benefits for civilian soldiers and lower the Tricare rate. I promised that when this group returns from deployment at the end of 2023, I would have made significant progress in the change, and I very much plan on keeping my promise. Being persistent and involved in many aspects, from my community to my capital building, all the way to our nation’s capital. I want to become an active, persistent and loud voice for our Guardsmen and their families.
