When Lieutenant Kyle Bandermann popped the question to his longtime boyfriend, he had no idea that one photo from the special day would quickly be seen by over 2 million people.
Lance Buchanan and Lt. Kyle Bandermann met in the fall of 2012. Last week, the lieutenant decided to pop the question.
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The couple met as Kyle was finishing up his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Courtesy of Kyle Bandermann
The American Military Partner Association posted this photo of the proposal to Facebook shortly after — in one day, the image had 1.3 million views.
The photo has now reached well over 2 million people.
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First, anyone who knows my work knows that I love my fellow service members, the camaraderie of the military community, and specifically the culture, pride, and professionalism of the U.S. Navy. It has become a part of my identity and I am grateful to call the Navy home. I am myself, both in uniform and civilian clothes. However, I realize that being a Naval Officer calls me to something much bigger than myself, and provides me a sense of pride and awareness of my actions while wearing my Nation's colors.
Secondly, when we as service members ask our partner to become our spouse, we're also asking them to commit to being a part of the military family. Lance has sacrificed a great deal for me and the Navy. He moved from his comfort zone and family in rural Western North Carolina to the metropolitan D.C. area. He will sacrifice even more for his country in November as we move halfway around the world to the Island of Guam for three years. It is only right that I officially ask him to join the Navy family as we begin to form our own. Our military spouses are as much an integral part of the military structure as we service members are.
BuzzFeed reached out to the newly engaged couple for their (super-romantic and adorable) side of story.
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Courtesy of Kyle Brandermann