Petty Officer Second Class Rachel McCarthy is pictured with her family—husband Jeff and their children Avery, Jake, Keira, Madelyn, and Read
As a mother of five (age range 3–12) and a naval reservist, Rachel McCarthy does not have a lot of spare time on her hands. We were thrilled to have the chance recently to sit down with her to chat about her Military career and the impact that the MFRC has played in her family’s life.
PEI MFRC: Hi Rachel. Thanks for chatting with us today! Can you tell us a bit about your Military career to date?
Rachel: I’ve been a naval reservist for about 20 years, most of them on PEI but not all. I’ve taken contracts and courses across the country, and when I was first starting out, I had the opportunity to play on the National Women’s Military Soccer Team, where we competed internationally.
PEI MFRC: That’s incredible! While you were travelling, did you have any experience with any other MFRCs?
Rachel: No, the PEI MFRC is the only one I really know. It’s been a big part of our life, especially since we’ve started our own family.
PEI MFRC: We’d love to hear more about that.
Rachel: Sure! Being a reservist can be challenging, balancing a civilian job with civilian responsibilities, with trying to also continue your passion to serve and work in the Forces. Especially with children…trying to coordinate to take the contracts and to go on the courses you want to be a part of…it can be hard. The MFRC has significantly helped me to be able to support my family care plan, so I can do those things and I’m also really thankful that they’ve been there for me in those times.
PEI MFRC: Can you tell me about some of the specific ways the PEI MFRC has helped your family?
Rachel: They’ve introduced resources for children to help set them on a path to success when they’ve had things that they’ve needed, that I would never have otherwise known existed. I’m truly grateful for that. Our children know the MFRC…[the socials are] always something to look forward to and our children love them. They love meeting the other families, as do we! Having that opportunity to talk to other families who are under similar kind of experiences is really great and we love building connections within the province and meeting people from all over. We’re really happy that they provide opportunities that we wouldn’t otherwise do or plan on our own because it’s time consuming—having it planned for you is a real treat! We take advantage of the socials as much as possible.
Rachel told us how the PEI MFRC supported her family during a time when they faced a medical challenge that required their family to seek support, and the MFRC stepped in.
Rachel: They were right there, supporting us with various needs. I’m so happy to have them here!
Thanks for all the kind words, Rachel! We’re so happy your family is here with us.