Najeeba Gassel

“Home has always been where my family is. Home means family.”

That’s not just a sentiment for Najeeba Gassel, it's an undeniable truth.

During her time as a Coast Guard Spouse, Najeeba has moved three times, navigating the particular chaos of PCS life while staying true to the rhythms that make each new house feel like a home. What’s made that possible, she’ll tell you, isn’t a specific formula or checklist. It’s family.

“The one constant has always been the support of my family and my husband by my side,” she says. “Home doesn’t look that different for me between each move as long as we’re together.”

She and her husband met in the first week of college at George Mason, and have been growing up together ever since. Together, they’ve experienced first jobs, long distance, career milestones, two little boys, and a life that has required packing up and replanting multiple times. She admits that military life has been challenging. But despite those challenges, her familial foundation holds steady.

The care she demonstrates carries naturally into her work. Najeeba has spent nearly seven years at Blood Cancer United, advocating for blood cancer patients and their families. It’s work she came to through passion. However, she also noticed that there was an overlap between the skills she had been building as a military spouse and those she uses with patients and their families. 

On the surface, these two worlds don’t have much in common. But as Najeeba notes, “My two areas of passion between military families and cancer advocacy have truly found a way to intertwine. It feels natural to be so committed to both.” 

Just like families navigating long hospital stays, Najeeba also knows what it’s like to create spaces that feel like home in the midst of challenging seasons. When it comes to making a new place your own, her advice is simple: hang things on the wall. She does family photos first, then art, then the sentimental pieces that pay homage to past places. Finally, she hangs the Irish blessing sign they were gifted for their wedding from a dear friend. It’s crowned the space above the front door of every place they’ve had, signaling that this house is now a home. Nine years, no exceptions. 

It’s a small thing, but small things are what often hold us together when life is in flux. When the boxes are still stacked in the corner, when you don’t know where the nearest grocery store is, and when you’re bracing for what comes next, it’s the little moments that keep us grounded. 

“We might not have the picture-perfect house,” Najeeba adds, “and there may be unpacked boxes sitting around for a while, but a home is what you make it.” 

Sometimes, especially in the most challenging chapters, that’s something you have to fight for. What Najeeba wishes more people understood about military life is that the stress is real, even when it doesn’t show. Things happen fast and flexibility isn’t optional. The stable, predictable version of home that most people take for granted is something military families have to rebuild from scratch, under pressure, and on a timeline that they don’t control. 

However, there are a few things that can make military moves more manageable. Her advice to any spouse heading into a move is to get organized early, but hold the plans loosely. Things WILL go sideways at some point, but that doesn’t mean you can’t handle it. 

“It will be stressful, but you can do hard things!” she says, something she’s proven time and time again. And then Najeeba offers a piece of military move gold. 

“Always pack the bath towels in the personal item!” 

Learn more about Najeeba’s work here.