“The Army has been great for my family and me, I really don’t know what I would do without it. It gives me a sense of purpose and knowledge that I am doing something for my country, my family and carrying on the tradition of service.“

Anthony J Florence I currently serves in the United States Army Reserve and holds the rank of Sgt 1st Class.
He currently works in a Military History Detachment (MHD) and also do Public Affairs work for other units. Sgt 1st Class Anthony J Florence  previously served in the United States Marine Corps as a 0341 (Mortar-man) and for 15 years as an Infantryman for the United States Army.
“I thoroughly enjoy serving in the military, even though it often takes me away from my family but my wife Roisin also makes sacrifices and supports me every time I am on duty.” Says Anthony. He continues: “I have deployed to the Middle East twice and spent time in Iraq, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and many other places. I have been in the market for a new deck for many years but unfortunately finances and the lack of family in the area have kept the project on the backburner. It seems there is always some new expense that pops up every month.”
Anthony and his wife have two young daughters, Sophia age six and Jane age two who get a kick out of seeing him get into his uniform and go to “Army”.
Anthony says “The Army has been great for my family and me, I really don’t know what I would do without it. It gives me a sense of purpose and knowledge that I am doing something for my country, my family and carrying on the tradition of service. A new deck would be a great place for my family to enjoy the backyard while playing outside on nice days or flipping burgers on the grill.”
Florence tells us “Their children love to be outside and this would be a great incentive to do even more outside. Sophia loves to play board games and Jane likes to ride her tricycle around the house, getting outside and playing on a new deck would really be a great way to enjoy more time playing with them.”
After a unanimous decision, the Atlanta Chapter of the North American Deck and Railing Association decided to approve this application and built a deck for this deserving soldier.
The build took place on Thursday, November 20th, 2014. Members of the NADRA donated material and labor to build this deck in just one day.