I am a Marine Corps veteran. When I served, I was a member of an elite bomb squad and deployed several times to Iraq. As you may imagine, the camaraderie among those of us in the unit — one that faced risk and danger each day — is deep and unique.
That's why when Peter, one of my fellow Marines, died in the line of duty, I felt a strong pull to help his family. While I was still deployed, I checked in on his widow, Asia, and their young son, Jacob, who was just 3 when his father died. I offered help as they transitioned into this new life, but one thing I didn't need to do was offer financial assistance. That's because Peter had taken care of his family financially with life insurance.
While the military offers basic life insurance coverage, Peter knew it was not enough, and so before he was deployed the last time, he got an individual policy that effectively doubled his coverage. It was in place for just a month when he was killed.
That was my first exposure to life insurance. And while I understood it could never replace their husband and father, it made all the difference for Asia and Jacob. They didn't have financial worries on top of their grief.
Over time, the friendship that Asia and I developed turned into love and we married, creating a new family unit. I saw firsthand how life insurance not only helped them with their day-to-day financial needs, but was also the seed for helping Asia build a new life. We used a portion of the proceeds of the life insurance policy to start a 24/7 gym and turn our passion for fitness into a business.
Interestingly, life insurance played an important part in my career, too. After seeing the profound effect life insurance had on Asia and Jacob, I became a New York Life agent. I now help other families — and military members in particular — get their insurance needs taken care of.
But my life insurance story doesn't end here. Asia and I both bought term and permanent life insurance, making sure we had comprehensive coverage in place. And recently, as we saw our 24/7 gym continue to grow, we tapped the cash value of our permanent life insurance policies to put a down payment on a new larger commercial space. It's the perfect fit for the growth we envision for the gym business.
Cory Schroeder served as an explosive ordnance disposal technician in the Marine Corps. He and his wife, Asia, started Temple Fitness, a gym in Crestview, Florida, in 2009. He became a life, health and annuity professional in 2012. The Schroeders will participate in a 
