U.S. Army Cpt. Amanda Hartley, a physical therapist

U.S. Army Cpt. Amanda Hartley, a physical therapist with Kosovo Force Regional Command East Task Force Medical, holds a picture of her 11-month-old son William “Liam” Hartley April 7, 2020 on Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo.
Hartley has served in the military for over eight years and is currently stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. Liam, her first child, will turn one mid-May.
“Going on this deployment was very difficult for me, especially since Liam is so young,” she said, “I’m sad I’ll miss his first birthday.”
Hartley says the relationships she’s made and her passion for her profession make the separation from her son manageable.
“I feel like I can make a difference by making daily life more bearable for those in pain, by education and movement mechanics, and teaching others to improve their performance,” she said.
She looks forward to doing water activities with her son when she redeploys.
“Liam loves water so I would love to see the joy on his face when he gets to experience it,” said Hartley.
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Melisa Washington)