Signed the papers for DEP.
Ship date is this summer.
Love ya D.
We are proud of you.
Semper Fi.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
18 February 2010
08 September 2009
Peace Corps
But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying. For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps—who works in a foreign land—will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace." John F. Kennedy
I had a fantastic Labor Day weekend. Part of what made it great was that I was able to spend it with my family. I have a very large, very extended family which happens to be pretty close. We spent one day at the VFW, having a going away lunch for my cousin and his wife.
The thing that made this one unique is that they were joining the Peace Corps rather than the military. Usually if there is a Corps involved in my family, it is the Marine Corps. But we are proud of our Peace Corps volunteers, just as we are proud of our Marines.
Both organizations have noble missions and the cousins will be doing important work where they are going. They have chosen to step outside their comfort zones and give of themselves in a struggling part of the world. I am thankful for the advances in technology that allow us to keep in touch. I wish them all the best and pray that God keeps them safe. Good luck guys, have fun!
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem." ~Ronald Reagan
09 August 2009
What If(s)...
My cousin is finishing his Basic Recruit Training at Parris Island, SC.
He is so close to earning the title of Marine. We are immensely proud of him, but with each step closer to a duty station, he also a step closer to deployment and all the mixed feelings that brings.
A few days ago, sitting around the living room with my Aunt and Uncle, cousins, and grandparents, conversation turned to Stephen. We passed around pictures from a recent family wedding, and he is not in them. There is a blank space where he should be. He is just gone to BCT, but it was jarring.
Haltingly, hesitantly, the topic turned to what Stephen will face in the next few years. It is almost certain he will go to one war or the other. Maybe even a new one altogether. Chad is in the Navy, but with Stephen, danger seems much closer.
The day was a reminder that when an individual joins the armed forces, entire families do as well. All across the country, pictures are being taken at family reunions and dinners and birthday parties that a man or woman in uniform won't be in. When those pictures are printed and reflected in, lurking in the background is the present makeup could become permanent.
I wrote this based on something my uncle said.
What If:
What if tomorrow, on the TV news,
two Marines are reported killed-
blown up or shot in your province.
What if the dark government sedan
pulls into your dad's drive
with the regrets of a greatful nation.
What if you return, as promised,
but in a flag covered shipping container
instead of the red truck.
What if the rifles volley
and the bagpipes play 'Amazing Grace'
while the trumpet announces God is nigh.
What if your plans are disrupted,
put on hold by a broken mind or body.
What if, What if, What if.
He is so close to earning the title of Marine. We are immensely proud of him, but with each step closer to a duty station, he also a step closer to deployment and all the mixed feelings that brings.
A few days ago, sitting around the living room with my Aunt and Uncle, cousins, and grandparents, conversation turned to Stephen. We passed around pictures from a recent family wedding, and he is not in them. There is a blank space where he should be. He is just gone to BCT, but it was jarring.
Haltingly, hesitantly, the topic turned to what Stephen will face in the next few years. It is almost certain he will go to one war or the other. Maybe even a new one altogether. Chad is in the Navy, but with Stephen, danger seems much closer.
The day was a reminder that when an individual joins the armed forces, entire families do as well. All across the country, pictures are being taken at family reunions and dinners and birthday parties that a man or woman in uniform won't be in. When those pictures are printed and reflected in, lurking in the background is the present makeup could become permanent.
I wrote this based on something my uncle said.
What If:
What if tomorrow, on the TV news,
two Marines are reported killed-
blown up or shot in your province.
What if the dark government sedan
pulls into your dad's drive
with the regrets of a greatful nation.
What if you return, as promised,
but in a flag covered shipping container
instead of the red truck.
What if the rifles volley
and the bagpipes play 'Amazing Grace'
while the trumpet announces God is nigh.
What if your plans are disrupted,
put on hold by a broken mind or body.
What if, What if, What if.
19 June 2009
Truth, Lessons, and Deployment
"Men who for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly...
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am a big believer in family. I believe that sometimes you must supplement the family you are born into with a family you create for yourself.
Official notification has come. It is only a matter of time now. My best friend, my brother, is headed back to the battlefield. Deployment: Part 2 is inevitable.
With this notification comes a slew of emotions that come in stages. Relief- because it was going to happen eventually and now at least there is a time frame. Anxiety- because here we go again. Resignation- because it is going to happen, there is no denying that. Acceptance- it is happening. Fear- What if... Preparation- take each moment, each memory, and guard it jealously.
Deployment orders call for a moment of reflection.
I have volunteered in various capacities with military support organizations since the start of operations in Iraq. I have met incredible people. I have seen my best friends off to war. Some have not come home. I would not change any of it. One does not become closely associated with the military without learning a few things.
One of those things is the value of friendship. In the military family, things are compressed. Time, experience is compressed. Sending a loved one off to war is a daunting task. You must say the things you've been meaning to. You are made to see the value in each day, each moment, each hour, even each minute. Life, Death, Mortality-- the range of human emotion is there in the last seconds of a phone call from Germany, when the next communication will be from the Middle East. When the anxiety finally eases, when the plane touches down after 8 months or 12 months, these are not things you forget. Each moment after a safe deployment is a blessing. Each casual conversation. Each movie watched in silence.
As we start this new journey, remember I am proud of you, I am behind you, I value our friendship. You are family and I love you for it.
We are not afforded the luxury of taking things for granted.
The unknown is in the what ifs, and the sentences left unfinished after every reassurance. Before deployment....each moment really must be made to count.
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly...
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am a big believer in family. I believe that sometimes you must supplement the family you are born into with a family you create for yourself.
Official notification has come. It is only a matter of time now. My best friend, my brother, is headed back to the battlefield. Deployment: Part 2 is inevitable.
With this notification comes a slew of emotions that come in stages. Relief- because it was going to happen eventually and now at least there is a time frame. Anxiety- because here we go again. Resignation- because it is going to happen, there is no denying that. Acceptance- it is happening. Fear- What if... Preparation- take each moment, each memory, and guard it jealously.
Deployment orders call for a moment of reflection.
I have volunteered in various capacities with military support organizations since the start of operations in Iraq. I have met incredible people. I have seen my best friends off to war. Some have not come home. I would not change any of it. One does not become closely associated with the military without learning a few things.
One of those things is the value of friendship. In the military family, things are compressed. Time, experience is compressed. Sending a loved one off to war is a daunting task. You must say the things you've been meaning to. You are made to see the value in each day, each moment, each hour, even each minute. Life, Death, Mortality-- the range of human emotion is there in the last seconds of a phone call from Germany, when the next communication will be from the Middle East. When the anxiety finally eases, when the plane touches down after 8 months or 12 months, these are not things you forget. Each moment after a safe deployment is a blessing. Each casual conversation. Each movie watched in silence.
As we start this new journey, remember I am proud of you, I am behind you, I value our friendship. You are family and I love you for it.
We are not afforded the luxury of taking things for granted.
The unknown is in the what ifs, and the sentences left unfinished after every reassurance. Before deployment....each moment really must be made to count.
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