WISCONSIN — A Wisconsin soldier is balancing a career as a Sergeant in the army while also being a single mom.

Sgt. Emily Cash is a flight operations specialist with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and is currently deployed overseas in the Middle East on a year long deployment.

“As you can see all my cards, these are from all my friends and family back home,” Sgt. Cash says as she shows off all of her cards hung up in her room.

While Cash is overseas, her family is back home in the Madison area. She has two kids, Izzy and Matthew. Which she says can sometimes be difficult to navigate as a single mom.

“Finding that military life balance and be really tricky because you want to be at home for your family all the time but you joined the service and this is what you have to do and want to do,” she says.

This deployment is Sgt. Cash’s fourth deployment in her career. Each time she is deployed her kids are growing older and older, finally understanding why their mom is gone for so long.

“It’s a little hard at times especially when we can’t see our mom. But we pull though even though it can be kind of hard sometimes,” her daughter Izzy says.

However, Cash says she’s blesses with an amazing support system at home. So with a constant support system and endless resources, this family manages to make it work. The kids stay with Cash’s parents, who say they will always be there no matter what.

“We will always always be there to support them regardless of whatever. It’s a given,” Cash’s mom, Kathy Statz says.

Cash says without her family and her parents, she isn’t sure what she would do.

“We will never not take care of each other. We will always be there for each other. That is a life line for me while I am over here,” Cash says.

Both Izzy and Matthew see their mom and a role model and an inspiration. Just by speaking to them about their mom you can see how proud they are of her.

“She’s my hero because she’s in the Army fighting the bad guys and stuff,” Matthew says.

His sister Izzy continues by saying, “She’s an inspiration to me and my friends too, to see how powerful a woman can be without a guy.”

While it may still be a few more months until Sgt. Cash can return home from her deployment, she says the moment she gets to see her kids for the first time is what she looks forward to most.

“That second when you first see you kids when you get home… indescribable. When you get to hold them back in your arms again you feel whole,” Cash says.

That is a moment she hopes is only a few short months away.