AUGUSTA, Ga. – In a heartfelt conversation, two local mothers reveal the unique journey of serving both their nation and their families, embodying an extraordinary blend of strength and resilience.

Army veterans Lea Bourdon and Kisha Singleton reflect on the intricate balancing act between motherhood and military commitments. Their stories highlight invaluable lessons in sacrifice, discipline, and an evolved understanding of true strength.

Bourdon shared, “After having my son Jacob, I transitioned from being enlisted to becoming an officer, and soon after, I was deployed to Afghanistan.”

Singleton recounted her own experience, noting that she was a drill sergeant while expecting her second child.

“During my pregnancy, I was nearing the end of my drill sergeant tour. I kept it private by wearing a more oversized shirt, often borrowing my husband’s,” Singleton explained.

Both women served more than twenty years in the Army.

During deployment, Bourdon would walk half a mile to record books for her children to listen to while she was away.

For Singleton, she joined the Army as a single mom who had to make a difficult decision early on.

“My uncle took him while I joined and then I kind of got custody back a little later on,” she said.

While both women built successful military careers, they eventually decided to retire to focus on raising their children.

“I didn’t want to move for a year away from the family and then come back and then move again for three years,” Bourdon said.

“I would have missed all those milestones.”

Singleton made the decision to step away after noticing how frequent moves were affecting her son’s education.

“When I came to Fort Gordon in 2017, my son was in fourth grade and it was his sixth school, and it was like, okay, this time is time,” she said.

Bourdon retired six months ago and says she’s spending time working on herself and gardening around her home. Singleton retired in 2018 and continues to serve her community as a federal government employee and real estate professional.