European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Combining kids and career Shelia Nelson staying in the military gives her children Story and photo by Mary Neth staff writer lunch is always on the run for Shelia Nel its never More than a quickly eaten Sand wich from Home or a Burger from the automat Down the Hall from her she has a standing midday appointment with a real one whose big Grin proves again and again How much she delights his name is he is four and her i take him to kiddie College every Day at she he rides Home at on the school its a daily dash Down the German autobahn to pick him up at the then a race Back to the base to deliver him to the childrens with lunch its Back to the Shelia is one of the military mothers women in who Combine careers rearing she says it works out for the past two she and her husband have been in before they were in where she was stationed at Langley when we met both of us were in the of was in the air he was in the to be something had to give she loved her he was interested in a civilian career in Auto me so the decision was she stayed he separated from the who works As assistant Coic in special actions at Rhei main air says that her staying in the military gives her children advantages they might not have we Are better Terrence has a age and a who is six months the Nelsons feel their family is i wanted to have a Little girl so says i was so Happy when Shanel was i think she is so Lucky of being a girl with two big Brothers to look after was the oldest of i had a scholarship to attend but it want my parents  afford the i didst want to stay in a Small at i thought of the National guard a Cousin told me about i took the air Force i passed and the films they showed convinced her youngest sister is in her other sister is in the Shelia knows she didst make a mistake in putting on a weve made Good friends in the we keep in Contact with people All Over the when the children Are moving from place to place will be difficult for she they Are very Well Terrence makes friends Hes very i know How to break interjects hearing his How did you learn he is an older boy taught he holds up his this five years in we have come to pick up Terrence from the baby he is not being taken to the kiddie Shelia has been notified that there Story and photo by Dave Diehl Bureau mothers Day for the past four years has been merely icing on the cake for Penny Miller of Captain in the air Force and Mother of Miller talks about motherhood with a kind of Pierin Shesky giving the impression that every Day is mothers she seems the sort of mom that moms Are supposed to the kids come but not at the expense of her says she and her planned and year old she talks about mostly the Joys of with an untiring primarily she talks about her because kids Are what mothers Are made the mood Miller says with a smile when asked Why she decided to have she qualifies it kids Are but two Are that about All the fun i can the approach to her but not her dedication to her was altered when she added motherhood to her my whole life is run with lists and i dont know if i would have rushed into it so soon had i known what All it entailed ahead of it probably would have been another year or two Down the its a major logistical thing when you have you plan your life around the the Miller children go to a daycare Center while their parents Bryan Miller is a meat Cutter at the Why do i have to choose one thing Miller asked has been an outbreak of a virus and All the children in the Nursery class have to go for a checkup ill the baby when you have Little you Are prepared Tor schedules that gel out of she i work my Bosses Are understanding when something like this comes she her male fellow workers real her As an there she some snippy remarks the last time she was remarks were made about women getting four weeks extra vacation they should try taking care of a new i have a Friend who works for american express under the German work they Are Given six weeks off before the baby is and eight weeks of they also have the option to take additional time until the baby is six months i didst mind working up to the last it kept me from the Only drawback she sees in military life is being away from the families Back the grandpa rents miss seeing the this summer there will be a Long my parents will keep the babies and my husband and i will have a Chance to do a Little in Between there Are lots of Telephone Calls and lots of letters with my Mother misses having us but she says she knows i am Happy and that the important that for rather wraps it All she loves being being in the air she loves being a she thinks the two Combine every Day is moms Day Penny Miller motherhood its a major logistical May 1985 of having a career and being a Ive always been the kind of person who says Why cant i have the whole Ball of Wax at some time it May be necessary for me to but it has not been a problem so she Ive had to make some but i Haven come to the Point where i cant do As Long As i can do 1 one of Millers former commanders gave her a performance report that stated that her Job performance was Good but her career potential was Miller said told her that shed chosen to be a not a career he believed that i had chosen motherhood As a profession versus the air Force As a Miller said it was More than ironic that her Rater was a father of she dismisses it hed been in the service too she admits that there Are a few drawbacks to gone Are the Short notice nights out and some of the Freedom to do As she no More burning the Midnight Oil at the life for her is More structured now and others demand her the head administrator at Raf Chicksands considers herself a full time despite a daily you cant be anything but a full time she there Are some women who can stay Home and be full time i wish i was one of although she says that everyday is moms Miller enjoys the official mothers 1 love its the one time i really get fussed the stars and stripes Page 13