When she returned home from Iraq, Mickiela got pregnant. She didn't have anyone to care for her daughter during future deployments, so Mickiela was released from the military. Without a job, money or childcare, she found herself homeless. "I was in the military for seven and a half years, and I feel like I have nothing to show for it," she says. "I know that I don't deserve this."

Mickiela and her daughter eventually found temporary, transitional housing provided by U.S. VETS, a nonprofit organization.

When times are tough, Mickiela says her faith helps her get by. "I deal with it a day at a time, and I know that right now this is something that I'm going through, but it's not permanent," she says.