After the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began more than two decades ago, newspapers and local television stations loved covering stories about servicemembers who returned home to surprise their kids at school. They still do.

Those heartwarming moments of reunion and joy can soften the hearts of even the most war-hardened folks.

B.G. Sick, now chief safety officer at the 139-year-old Veterans Home of California-Yountville, found himself the one being surprised one day during his 25-year-career as a munition systems technical specialist in the Air Force.

While stationed at Beale Air Force Base in Yuba City in 1992, he was summoned to listen to a briefing from four-star General Anthony McPeak, who visited the base that day. When Sick saw Cindy and Tyler (his wife and young son) enter the room, he knew there was more to it than intel from the brass.

“The next thing I know, I was called up onto the stage and received my promotion,” he said. “It caught me off guard.”

With them by his side, Sick became a technical sergeant (E-6) in a career that would later include a 4½-month deployment to a B-52 base in England during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He retired as a master sergeant (E-7).

What the Air Force command did for him that day helped mold his love for serving the veterans in the Yountville Home, which also fosters a family atmosphere.

“There is a fellowship when you serve in the military, no matter the branch,” Sick said. “We understand the hardships and the commitments we make to serve our country. It’s fascinating to know what our veterans did and what era they served in. It’s neat to get to know them and form a bond. There is always that common thread of topics to talk about. It really helps me click with them and understand their perspectives.”

In his five years at Yountville, Sick has learned he provides security on multiple fronts.

“I’ll have at least three veterans each week who come, sit down, and ask if they can talk to me about something,” Sick said. “We talk about things we share in common, about the military brotherhood. They might have a myriad of concerns and issues, but they really want to find someone who (they are) comfortable (with), who have been down that path they’ve walked. They want that one-on-one time.” He gives them that, and more. It’s what he does for family.

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This is one of a series of CalVet Connect posts introducing you to CalVet employees who are veterans of the United States Armed Forces—thus, “Veterans Serving Veterans.”

The Veterans Homes of California system of care offers affordable long-term care to older and disabled veterans as well as their eligible spouses and domestic partners. With eight facilities across the state, the services offered range from assisted living programs with minimal support to 24-hour skilled nursing care for veterans with significant clinical needs including memory care.

CalVet staff are uniquely capable of serving the needs of our veterans and provide an environment that honors their service to the country. The Veterans Homes are nationally recognized for the premier care and services they provide to California’s veterans. ​For more information on the Homes visit www.calvet.ca.gov/calvet-programs/veteran-homes.

Would you like the opportunity to serve veterans in your work? Join the CalVet team! We are dedicated to ensuring that veterans from every era, along with their families, receive the state and federal benefits and services they have earned and deserve due to their selfless and honorable military service. At CalVet, we prioritize serving veterans and their families with dignity, compassion, and a commitment to helping them achieve the highest quality of life. See our current job openings at www.calvet.ca.gov/jobs.