RIX Employee Welcomes Home Coast Guard Husband for the Holidays

The Holidays are about spending time with family and loved ones. This is especially true for one of our RIX employees, Mallory Kelton. Not only is she a new mom to a beautiful

Photo of Petty Officer 2nd Class Samuel Kelton embracing family – taken by Petty Officer 2nd Class Prentice Danner

baby girl named Isla, Mallory is also one of the fortunate few who was able to welcome her husband, Petty Officer 2nd Class Samuel Kelton, home from the Coast Guard for the holidays. I had the privilege of interviewing Mallory about her husband’s service to our country as well as her family’s new holiday traditions with Isla.

How long has your husband been in the Coast Guard?

My husband, Sam, has been in the Coast Guard 8 years. His rank is BM2, which means he is a small boat tactical coxswain on a National Security Cutter. Basically he goes out and serves missions off the large cutter, usually for drug smuggling and search and rescue (SARS) cases.

What was one of Sam’s longest patrols?

We have dealt with his schedule the entire time we have been together, 2 years. I knew what I was getting into when we fell in love. The furthest mission [Sam] was on had to be during his patrol on the Arctic Ocean, Tahiti, and South America – each patrol was 4 months long.

What helps you cope with the time you spend apart from Sam?

We email daily, and I spend a lot of time with my family. They help me take care of Isla, our new baby girl, as I am essentially a single parent when is away. I love all that my husband does for our country, and how proudly he serves. The Coast Guard is his calling, protecting and saving lives, his true passion. Despite the sacrifices and time apart we face, we do it for our country. Semper Paratus.

How have you prepared to welcome Sam home for the holidays?

I usually ask what he wants as far as food for his first dinner back, and we stay at home for a while. This year will be our first Christmas together ever! I am so excited to spend it with Sam and Isla. It’s such a magical time, and because it is Isla’s first Christmas, we are establishing traditions for her to take part in with the family.



To read more about Sam’s homecoming and his service in the Coast Guard.