Macon military mother surprises sons after 9-month deployment

Shanterria Rocker reunited with her children Friday after serving overseas as a petroleum supply specialist.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A local military mother surprised her sons at John Lewis Elementary School Friday after being deployed in Poland for nine months.  

Military mom Sgt. Shanterria Rocker, a petroleum supply specialist, says being away from her sons Jaxon and Josiah was hard, but being in the military has always been a goal.

“It started in high school when I was ROTC,” she said. “I loved the discipline and drilling and being able to be in charge of something at a young age. Then when I got older, it was just more apparent that, that’s the structure I needed. And for the country it was just an obligation. And I felt like my mom was working and took care of me, so why not return it.”

Rocker says talking to her sons on the phone and her faith kept her going. 

“The time difference from Georgia is like a six-hour time difference, so I would stay up late to know how they did at school, and I would wake up early to talk before school, so it really did keep me going.”

She has this piece of advice for military parents. 

“Just keep hope alive!” she said. “When you come back home to your babies, just keep that thought in the back of your mind, because we all [know] the reason we joined, and these babies is what keeps us going.”

She says serving her country is important and wants to be a great example for her sons.