A girl I know found out three days before our husbands left that she was pregnant. She just gave birth to a little baby boy last week. An entire person has gestated in the time that our Soldiers have been away from home.
My husband has been at war for over nine months.
Last night I watched Courage Under Fire again. I haven't seen it since that day in ROTC, and I was reminded of what drew me to the movie in the first place: it was the day I knew I wanted to be an Army wife. I wanted to take care of a Soldier, through good times and bad, and support him as he served our great country. I wanted to try my best to be a combat multiplier during difficult times and to do my small part to sacrifice for what I believe in. I figured I could do a better job than Denzel's wife in the movie.
Of course, I already had my Soldier picked out.
Truthfully, these nine months have been surprisingly fast and relatively painlessly. There are times that are nervewracking and times that are lonely, but for the most part the deployment has been easier than I expected. Of course, the fact that I support the mission has been a big help: I suppose being a war cheerleader is a good quality when your husband is at war.
There's a nasty rumor going around that my husband is coming home on R&R sometime next week. I won't believe it until I catch a whiff of motor pool and Iraq funk in our home, but I've started getting emotionally ready for his visit. I'm anxious to catch up on the last nine months of his life, for conversations have been few and far between. I'm ready to put my combat multiplier skills back to use in a face-to-face setting.
I hope my husband gives me a good NCOER.
Posted by Sarah at October 22, 2004 05:29 AMI too have been in your shoes when 1st Armored Division deployed to Iraq 2003/2004, my husband was gone for 14 months. I'd be lying if I said that it was easy, but I have to say that it wasn't as hard as I expected. I just had to get my "game" head on and keep on moving from one day until the next. I think your attitude is great, and hope that you're sharing it with others around you that are having a harder time. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that your husband gets to come home on R&R, and if he does enjoy every minute of it.
Posted by: Jamie at October 22, 2004 07:35 AMMine left 10 days after yours. 240 days, 12 hours and 56 minutes.
I do fine most of the time, but I get stupid when I hear of casualties in the province that his platoon is in..then I stop sleeping and freak out when a car I don't know comes up the driveway. Once it was the Sheriff's dept..turned out the neighbors cow was out.
He was home last month, he didn't tell me until he was already in route. Why do they think surprising us is a good thing? LOL
It was great to have him home, and hard to send him back. I did fine for about 4 days after he left, then it was tough for several days.
Fair warning, let him open his own dang duffle..OUTSIDE, mine has no access to laundry..they are washing in buckets..so those dcu's smelled really REALLY bad. I think he took 4 showers his first day home.
Sadly, mine is no longer regular Army, he's Guard, so we're only halfway at this point. IF they are not extended, they'll be home early June.
Keep on keeping on Sarah, you're doing great. If that "nasty" rumor is true, enjoy yourself, spoil the heck out of him, and give him my thanks.
You have been amazing during this deployment. Absolutely amazing.
I will cross everything I can, send good thoughts and prayers that sometime next week you'll have your Military Man home to spoil and talk with. That would be a very very good thing.
Posted by: Tammi at October 22, 2004 01:02 PMWow - I can't believe it that 9 mos are gone since he left. Easy for me to say! Seriously though you appear (from this monitor-heheh) to have fared pretty well so far. Hope he will be home. ENJOY
Posted by: Toni at October 22, 2004 01:58 PM