Stephanie Tremblay

Stephanie Tremblay talks excitedly about the 2009 Super Bowl: the Arizona Cardinals versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. She wore her No. 7 jersey and stayed up late, eating pizza and watching her team win with friends.
The post office where she worked had a bet going: If the Steelers won, they didn’t have to come in until 10 a.m. If they lost, they had to report at 7 a.m.
When the Super Bowl finally ended at 4 a.m. in Kuwait, she was thankful — the Steelers had won so they got to sleep in.
What seem to be normal holiday traditions are hard for 21st century soldiers deployed overseas.
“Thanksgiving sucked. I’m not going to lie. They actually had a whole turkey, and I was impressed by that. Everything else was kind of bland. Christmas was just as hard.”
To help, Tremblay’s mom sent her a 5-foot Christmas tree and decorations, which she put up in the post office in Kuwait.
It wasn’t a typical Christmas for a college student. 
“In my sociology class, we’re trying to relate things to everyday experiences, and for the last five years I haven’t had what people would consider a normal experience. I’ve been deployed.”
She added that going back to college has been a learning experience.
“It’s a little weird for people when they find out I’m 23, and I’m only a sophomore in college. I wanted to go back to school and, guess what, I’m here. It’s fun.”