BILLINGS — A Lame Deer family is missing their 20-year-old daughter as she serves on the front lines in the war with Iran.
Jadyss Hugs serves in the U.S. Navy as a Quartermaster E-3 aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Watch Trixy and Les BirdChief talk about their daughter:
"She is in the Middle East serving our nation," Trixy BirdChief said Saturday.
Hugs felt a calling to serve long before tensions flared overseas.
"She just knew right away that she wanted to go into the Navy," Trixy BirdChief said.
Her parents understood military service came with risks, but they did not expect those risks to become a reality so quickly.
"When the conflict started with Iran, she was already out at sea. So she was doing a certain operation, and her ship, the USS Abraham Lincoln, was redirected to the Middle East," Les BirdChief said.
Despite the fear, the family's pride outweighs their concerns.
"I'm just thankful for her sacrifice that she's making not only for her tribe, the Crow Tribe and MHA Tribes of North Dakota, but also for the state of Montana," Trixy BirdChief said.
For Les BirdChief, who is a veteran himself, the war hits differently.
"When I served, you know, I was fighting a war so my kids wouldn't have to fight a war. And then, you know, to find out that your daughter's actively, you know, on a naval ship that's actively, you know, bombing another country, you know, it was hard," Les BirdChief said.
No matter the time of day, the family grabs any chance to hear their daughter's voice, even if it is just for a few minutes.
"It was just good to hear her voice. And I hear the change in her voice," Trixy BirdChief said. "Most phone calls are, you know, late at night and, you know, like we get all excited, you know, get probably two or three minutes with her and then she has to go," Les BirdChief said.
The experience has been a humbling one for Trixy BirdChief.
"When you have a child in combat, in a war zone, it's humbling," Trixy BirdChief said. "As a parent and as a mom, my heart goes out to every mother, every wife, every sister, every grandmother."
Through it all, her father remains proud of her service.
"She's doing a good thing, you know, for our country. And, you know, not only for our country, but, you know, for herself and for her shipmates and everybody that's aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln," Les BirdChief said.
Trixy and Les BirdChief leave a message behind for their daughter.
"To Jadyss, we just want to say, you know, we appreciate you, you know, we're thankful for everything that you're doing. We just love you and miss you," Les BirdChief said. "Jadyss, we're extremely proud of you. And we love you. And we're grateful, we love you so much," Trixy BirdChief said.
