Take a Number Please...

It appears I am in good company in this waiting room.  I have RedLegMeg to my left, and Sarah to my right.  Heck, I think all of us are waiting.  Some of us are waiting for our loved ones to return, or to go, or orders, or PSC.  I also doubt if any of us would say we are a patient bunch.  But I think we should give ourselves credit where credit is due. 

My family  ran into a sort of glitch this past week.  For 25 hours it was certainly not a glitch to me, but now it is a "glitch".   It has become one of those things that happen to OUR families.

I had called my Dad to have a simple, lighthearted discussion, and it took a strange turn.

Dad: "Have you seen the news?"

Me: "No"

Dad: "I just heard DH's Brigade might have to go back to Iraq."

Me: "Well yeah, this is a long fight, we figured it would probably be 2 years, I haven't heard anything. When DH wants me to know, he will tell me. Because finding out about an upcoming deployment, changes things. It makes things weird."

Dad: "Yeah"

Me: "Well have a good day, we love you."

I really did not think much more of it, until DH got home from work and said "Have you seen the news?"

So there you have it. 

I was not emotionally prepared for a deployment at this time, I thought we had another year.  (Oh, and it could be 2-3 years, all of a sudden all is hush, and no one is talking.)  People are tap dancing all over the place.  So, it is a "rumor" now, Even though we heard it in a press release from one of the big dogs.  So there is no news for me to hold on to.  All is in flux. 

I am proud of my DH, and is one of the best prepared soldiers I know.  He loves his job, he knows his job, and he has a fantastic work ethic.  Those are some of the reasons I married this guy. 

I think for 24-25 hours the one thing that disturbed me most was finding out like we did.  Finding out that my DH "could" be deployed in such a public fashion, had me feeling  hurt, disrespected,  angry, and disappointed.  I was spitting mad, cursing fire mad for about a day. 

I woke the next morning, OK.   Plodding through my house with my coffee. Everything like I left it the day before, with everyone in it.  Knowing, I do not have any power in this.  I can only take care of these people in my reach.  I can only set the example I want them to follow.  I want to help build memories that are positive, and will make them laugh.  Our time will come again, and whenever it is, it will always be too soon.   

Comments

[airforcewife]

We'll be here for you, you know that, right?

But the public notification they gave everyone - that's horrible. Whenever I begin to think the military has learned from past mistakes, "they" go and show me that there is still a population of very slow learners in the ranks.

[Lemon Stand]

As always, AFW plucks the thoughts right out of my head. (Eeewwww!) But seriously, DITTO!

[LAW]

yeah, the Family Friendly Army, my left.....foot. That was the epitome of tacky and unfeeling! But are we REALLY surprised? I'm not, I'm afraid.

LAW

[Andi]

Agree that the communication between the military and families needs a lot of work. Hope someone who can do something about that, is reading this.

As afw says, we'll be here. That's what we do.

[Megan]

What has happened to you is really rough and hard to swallow. I had a similiar yet not so public notification happen. My husband workde late one day and I got a phone call from a neighbor asking What I had heard. Since her husband and mine worked in the smae section I said nothing my Hubby wasn't home. When she wouldn't tell me I got worried thier was an accident. Come to find out my Hubby got orders to Korea (unaccompanied of course). She seemed a little displeased I wan't crying my eyes out. Turns out her Husband was working the orderly room and saw before anyone else and felt it was Ok to tell his wife about our orders before my Husband could even tell me. Neither of us was too happy with the situation or how it was told to me. But I found the good in it somewhere. I also live by the fact that I prepare for the worst and never hope for the best. I'm your typical Murphy's Law person. I'm sure if he does deploy soon that you will be fine and surronded by Love ones. Lets just hope you are kept in the loop a little more privately. Just goes to prove we really are the last to know.

[Julie Hendry]

I do certainly agree with you about the media! It sould NOT be told until all concerned is informed but, we know now days those rules don't apply to the "war" or connections. I can sympathize with you about the deployment change. There was times when my husband was called up in the middle of the night and when I woke up I was scared half out of my witts! I had NO idea that this was the rukes of the active duty deployments (complete secracy). Heck, he didn't even know where he was going til he got there. Then you had to wait for a call. There was not communication then but mail or port call. Anyways, we are retired now and my prayers are with you all. I still have two youg sons. ONe of which came back from Kuwait and on in the Navy. Hang in there, there will be good times but one thing I learned you will become a strong individual and unrecagnizable to your family back home! God bless.