A U.S. Army veteran and his wife have received the keys to their new mortgage-free home in Tucson, a year after local homebuilder Miramonte Homes surprised them with the new home as part of the Operation Finally Home program.
Operation Finally Home, a program dedicated to building homes for military heroes and their families, and Miramonte Homes partnered to build the home for Army Spc. Sean Shields and his wife, Bree.
On Oct. 29, 2020, the couple arrived at an event thinking they were there to support the Operation Finally Home Program. Instead they were surprised with a new home, located near East Speedway and North Swan Road.
The couple cut the ribbon for their new home Saturday.
“We have thought a lot about this day for the past year,” Bree Shields said. “Now the time has come, and I still don’t have words to adequately describe our gratitude and the way that this home will change the trajectory of our lives.”
Sean Shields was deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 and was part of over 70 combat missions, multiple fire fights and improvised explosive device detonations. He sustained injuries to both knees in these battles, resulting in Shields having to use a cane or scooter to get around. He also dealt with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
He retired from the military in 2014 and received multiple medals and accolades for his service.
Sean Shields said this new home “is more than just a house” and provides them with the opportunity to expand their family.
“We’ve been married for 10 plus years, and I’ve always wondered when to start a family,” Sean Shields said. “With struggles I’ve gone through, we decided to hold off until I was in a better place and we were in a better place financially. This home allows us to be comfortable enough to start raising children.”
The home is inside Warrior Village, where other houses will be built through Operation Finally Home and Miramonte Homes.
“I believe this community will not only be a community because of proximity, but a true community,” Sean Shields said. “A community that helps one another and is willing to open up to each other.”
