Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Kathi

2nd Lt. Christopher E. Loudon 22 years old from Brockport, Pennsylvania 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division

October 17, 2006
2nd Lt. Christopher Loudon graduated from Slippery Rock University with a Baccalaureate Degree in Environmental Health in 2005. Upon graduation, he entered the United States Army on September 9, 2005. He received his commission as an Infantry officer and was assigned to 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas. He deployed to Iraq in July 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 2nd Lt. Loudon’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Ranger Tab. He was KIA in Baghdad, Iraq when an IED detonated near his vehicle. Also killed with him were; Corporal David M. Unger, 21, of Leavenworth, Kansas ; Corporal Russell G. Culbertson III, 22, of Amity, Pennsylvania and Specialist Joseph C. Dumas Jr., 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana. He leaves behind his parents, Randy and Susan Loudon ; his wife, Jacey Loudon ; a daughter, Isabel Loudon ; two brothers, First Lieutenant Nicholas Loudon ,and Jonathan Loudon ; his paternal grandmother, Florence Loudon and his maternal grandfather, Everett William Campbell.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

A few pics from Ft. Drum

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and if you didn't have your love one's there with you, I at least hope you had the chance to talk to them.

We spent the morning on web cam visiting with Chris and celebrating Christmas. And I was able to snag these pictures from his myspace page.

Christmas was different here this year with several key people missing but we managed to make the most of it and when all was said and done it was a good day and we made it through it.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Tami

aam

I'm Already There

Well, this will be our first Christmas without Christopher and this mom is not dealing well with it. I just managed to get the tree up last week and I have to go tomorrow and finish my shopping. The Christmas Spirit is doing its best to escape me this year.

So tonight when Chris sent me a text message and told me to find this song with the voice messages I thought I would share it here because it helped me realize that although we will be missing Chris terribly this year, we are lucky that he is still stateside and there are other's out there that are not.

(remember to turn off my music at the bottom)

ENJOY

God Bless all of our Service Members and their Families even more at this time.


aam

Ft. Knox pictures

Battle Buddies

As promised here is one of my favorite pictures from Ft. Knox. This is Christopher and Matt, both of them are thinking "hurry up and snap the picture before they realize we took off our BCGs"

Devin and Kyle. When we finally convinced them to come down from here Kyle announced Hey I wanna be a tanker. Christi and I both answered Ummm NO!!!!

Kyle and my dad at graduation dinner.
Just the fact that we managed to get dad out of his leather and colors and into normal clothes was a biker family miracle.

Have a wonderful weekend.

aam

In Processing

I talked to Christopher for a few minutes last night and since he is still doing his In Processing, he will not have a full work day until next Monday. So I asked him what he did with his time in between paperwork and equipment issue.

Yesterday he spent a good bit of his time sitting on top of a humvee involved in a snow ball fight and then the rest of the afternoon he helped build snowmen. LOL

I am so glad that he is finally able to relax and have some fun. He was so tense after OSUT and I was worried that he would take awhile to adjust to being away from home. He has made several new friends and is even spending Saturday with some of the other Cav Scouts learning to snow board. Should I be worried?

I know that they have several training trip's coming up in the new year to prepare them for deployment towards the end of 2009 so I guess I will just keep my mouth shut and let him enjoy what down time he will have.

Have a great Thursday

aam

Wednesdays Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Melinda

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys 28 years old from Fallon, Nevada 6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force 49 November 15, 2008
A funny, nice guy who loved to fly. That's how Christian P. Humphreys is remembered by his friends. "He was a great guy, always happy and had a joke," said Sean Whitney, a flight medic. "We used to play with our paintball guns in the cornfields behind his house."Humphreys flew with the Fallon Naval Air Station Search and Rescue Longhorns from June 6, 2004 to May 5, 2006. He left the Navy and joined the Army as part of the "Blue to Green" program to become a helicopter pilot.Humphreys, along with Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald V. Clark, 37 years old from Tennessee, was killed when their OH-58 Kiowa helicopter crashed while on a mission over Mosul, Iraq. As a rescue crew chief, Humphreys was in charge of the operation behind the pilots. He made the decisions when to deploy rescue crews out of the helicopter to assist injured people, and he also took care of the equipment. "He was a funny guy, a nice guy, a lot of character," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Schmidt. "The guy was always entertaining, always had something to say, but like everyone here, he displayed the professionalism in saving lives."Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys leaves behind a wife and parents. All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.


We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

The next step

I love these two shots from graduation. The theater was so dark that the pictures did not turn out great but I did get a few that I could save. Graduation was incrediable. I am happy that it was inside because Baby it was COLD outside. LOL

Before graduation they played a slide show of pictures from training. It was hard to pick out which Soldier was which in several but I was able to spot Chris in a few.

We were advised that Cavalry Scouts are a very "spirited" group and therefore screaming and cheering was not only appreciated but was expected during the ceremony. We all did our best to live up to those expectations.

The Guest Speaker was CSM Clarence J. Stanley. CSM Stanley's speech covered Cav Scout History and Tradition. It was very moving. He told the Soldiers how proud he was of each of them and made sure that the audience understood just what they had accomplished.

I loved seeing all the Stetsons and Spurs during graduation and can not wait till Chris is able to wear them.

We were able to spend about 2 hours at the airport with Chris before he had to fly out to Ft. Drum and it is incredible to see how the boy that we watched leave less than 4 months ago has become such a man.

A very happy Cav Scout.

I have talked to him a few times since he arrived at Ft. Drum and he sounds great even though it was -9 degrees this morning. I haven't talked to him today (Christopher if you are reading this; call your mom, she gave birth to you.)

He said the Scouts in his troop have been great since he got there and are helping him get settled. We did find out that he would not be home for Christmas, and I hate that he will not be here but I am glad that we can finally have phone contact again. He will be home on leave in Feb, so I will just have to wait until then.

My darling husband found me one of those plug in thingies (technical term) that allowed me to plug my laptop into the phone charger doodad (another tech term) in the truck so I was able to entertain myself on the trip home changing the layout and look of the blog. Hope you enjoy. I am off to catch up on laundry and unpacking.

Have a great weekend.

aam

Dinner with the Cav Scouts

D~man with Christopher
Kyle and Christopher

We spent 8 hours on the road today and finally arrived at Ft. Knox around 2 pm. We had to be at the Leaders Club on base at 5 pm and the new Cavalry Scouts started coming in around 5:45. As each troop walked in they were greeted with a standing ovation, screaming and whistling from the crowd. It was a sight to see.
It was so good to see Christopher walk through that door. I picked him out immediately even with his BCG's on. He hates those glasses and can not wait for tomorrow when he will never have to wear them again.
It was funny to watch all of the Soldiers sitting around with their families, relaxed and enjoying their food but the second a Drill Sergent came into view they would sit straight up in their chair and freeze.
Christopher is excited to be heading to Ft. Drum tomorrow. He told me as we were leaving tonight: Mom, I will see you tomorrow and then I will get on an airplane and leave again. I didn't think it was funny but he did.
It was great to finally meet Andrea and Gaby and to see Matt and Chris together. I got a great picture of the two of them but I don't want to post it here until I get Matt's permission. I took each of the boys a goody bag full of candy and junk food and I thought their eyes were going to pop out of their heads when they saw all the chocolate. They passed up the dessert part of dinner and dug into the bags. LOL and Andrea has one for each of them tomorrow.
We also spent some time in the Calvary Scout store and I had a ball in there buying Army mom stuff. I can't wait to add the decals to my Xterra, and I bought a Proud Army Mom license plate cover. I doubt anyone will have a hard time figuring out that I have a Soldier.
We are going to run back in the morning before graduation and buy Chris a back pack to use as a carry on for the plane.
I promise to post more pictures in the next few days. We are spending an extra day here visiting with old friends that we haven't seen in several years and I have to make a stop at Archival scrapbook store while we are this close.
Have a great end of the week.

God Bless

aam

It's all over but the cleaning.

They have done it.
2nd Platoon C Troop 5th Squadron 15th Cavalry has completed their training at Fort Knox. They will be out processing, turning in gear and cleaning from now until graduation next week and I honestly think I speak for all the parents and loved ones when I say we will be happy to watch our Soldiers exit Kentucky, it has been a hard 16 weeks for all those involved.
We will be leaving late Tuesday/early Wednesday morning heading to Ft. Knox where we plan on enjoying graduation dinner with Christopher, Matt and his family and the rest of their troop on Wednesday night and then we will proudly watch our Cav Scouts graduate on Thursday morning.
After graduation we will meet Chris at the airport before he flies out to Ft. Drum NY and then we will wait with baited breath to see if he will be able to come home for Christmas leave.
I am not sure how much posting I will be able to do this weekend, so if I do not update before we leave I promise to post everything and pictures as soon as we get back.

God Bless,

aam

Wednesday Hero

Spc. Matthew T. Morris 23 years old from Cedar Park, Texas 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment April 06, 2008

"He was a very creative kid, and when he wasn't in a challenging environment, he tried to make life interesting," Glenn Morris, father of Spc. Morris, said. "He excelled in a military school structure and in a team environment."Before enlisting in the Army in 2005, Morris attended the Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia where he met a history teacher who inspired him to want to become an educator. "After his service, he wanted to go back to school and get a four-year degree to become a teacher," said his mother, Lisa. "He wanted to make a difference and give back to the community."Spc. Morris was killed when his vehicle encountered an IED in Balad, Iraq. Also killed in the attack was Cpt. Ulises Burgos-Cruz.
All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Thanksgiving phone call

Yep you read the title right. We actually got a phone call from Christopher last night. I had actually given up on the phone ringing and Kyle and I had sat down to watch our favorite comedian Jeff Dunham.
So you can imagine my surprise when a little after 8:00 pm the phone rang and I saw the area code. Chris is doing fine and is ready to leave Ft. Knox forever. He said they are leaving for the field today or tomorrow and will not be back until sometime next week and then it will be turning in gear, cleaning the bays and out processing. He is ready to get to Ft. Drum and get this career started.
I have a list of things to bring to graduation and he is still hoping that he can get leave once he gets to New York.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoys their weekend.

God Bless,

aam

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

I have so many things to be thankful for each and every year but off of the top of my head the things I am most Thankful for this year besides my family and health are:

1.> The Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Marines that serve this great Country of ours each and everyday.

2.> The unfailing support from my husband while I have had my almost 16 week mental breakdown titled: My baby joined the Army.

3.> Kyle and Devin for knowing that mom is nuts and loving me anyway. LOL

4.> The battle buddies that Chris has been able to share this adventure with. (especially Matt)

5.> Carla, who never let me wade to far into the pity pool and always held on to a lifesaver just in case.

6.> Andrea who has been in the seat beside me while we shared this rollercoaster ride.

7.> The American people that show support 24/7 for our service members. (shout out to the mystery women)

8.> The Go Army Parents website

9.> The wonderful friends and Military parents that I have met thru this blog.

10.> The fact that it is less than two weeks until OSUT is over.

I am sure I could think of about a gazillion other things but there is a turkey on my counter ready to be cooked.

Remember our Service men and women today as you say your Holiday blessings.

God Bless;

Tami

Wednesday Hero

Lance Cpl. Samuel Joyce, from Boston, accepts a bagfull of toys during the Toys For Tots 5k Run at Fleet Activities Yokosuka. Runners donated new toys to the local Marine's Toys for Tots program.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Oh WOW

I did not realize it had been so long since I posted, I have really been falling down on my job.
One thing I have learned is: No News is Good News.
I haven't heard much from Chris lately and what I have heard is mostly things that he needs us to bring to graduation. Can you believe it is less than 2 weeks till we head to Kentucky? I am getting so excited even though the letter today said that we would only have about 20 minutes with him after graduation before he has to bus to the airport. We will get to go to the airport and hang with him until he leaves.
Chris is ready to leave Ft. Knox. I think he is ready to get started on the next adventure and from what I can tell by researching Ft. Drum, that adventure is going to have one main attraction: COLD.

If you get a second will you please head over to mudpuppy's blog. He is currently in Afganastan and is working on project for the local children. He could use all the help possible. Head over there and see if you can help please.

God Bless,
aam

Wednesday Hero

Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody

55 years old from Fort Belvoir, Virginia

Call it breaking the brass ceiling. Ann E. Dunwoody, after 33 years in the Army, ascended Friday to a peak never before reached by a woman in the U.S. military: four-star general. At an emotional promotion ceremony, Dunwoody looked back on her years in uniform, said it was a credit to the Army—and a great surprise to her—that she would make history in a male-dominated military."Thirty-three years after I took the oath as a second lieutenant, I have to tell you this is not exactly how I envisioned my life unfolding," she told a standing-room-only auditorium. "Even as a young kid, all I ever wanted to do was teach physical education and raise a family."It was clear to me that my Army experience was just going to be a two-year detour en route to my fitness profession," she added. "So when asked, `Ann, did you ever think you were going to be a general officer, to say nothing about a four-star?' I say, `Not in my wildest dreams.'"There is no one more surprised than I—except, of course, my husband. You know what they say, `Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man.'"

You can read the rest of Gen. Dunwoody's story here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

They are out there:

Chris telling the story of the two mystery women.

Mystery woman #1:

We do not know who this lady is or where she was headed but we do know that she sat next to Chris on the airplane when he was flying home for Nana's funeral. She struck up a conversation with Chris and kept him company throughout the flight and when the plane landed in Memphis, Chris had to collect his Class A's from the overhead. This lady turned to Chris and said Thank you for what you do, shook his hand and placed $20.00 in it and said make sure you get something to eat, with that she turned around and walked away.

Mystery woman #2:

During Chris' layover in Memphis and away from DS' that tell them what to do and when to do it for the first time in 10 weeks, Chris decided to do just what the first lady had instructed and find some kind of food that didn't look anything like what he had been eating in the mess hall at Ft. Knox. He walked up to a pizza stand and ordered a slice of his favorite pepperoni pizza. When the person behind the counter brought it to him and told him how much he owed, Chris reached in his pocket to get the $20.00 and out of nowhere another lady swept in, laid money on the counter, told Chris thank you and walked away.

Yes, they are out there and they do support our Troops. And even though I have no idea who these ladies are, they are in my prayers every night.

God Bless both of the mystery ladies that took care of my boy.

aam

Wednesday Hero

Spc. Kenneth W. Haines 25 years old from Fulton, New York2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division December 3, 2006
Spc. Kenneth Haines joined the United States Army in September 2000 as a fire support specialist and had been assigned to his unit for just over three years. He deployed to Iraq in October of 2006. During his time in service, he received several military awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and National Defense Service Medal. Spc. Haines was killed by an IED that was detonated near his vehicle while on patrol in Abu Hishma, Iraq.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Remember our Veterans

Thank you to all of our Veterans passed and present.

God Bless,

Tami

Soldier's Mother's Creed

SOLDIER'S MOTHER'S CREED

I am the mother of an American Soldier. I give my complete and unwavering support to my Soldier. As my son serves the people of the United States, so I humbly offer up prayers for his safety and the safety and health of those he serves beside. I respect his choice to adhere to a strict moral code and a system of values that has preserved our country over two centuries. I accept that my soldier's first duty is to his country and I understand that this sacrifice he willingly makes is what keeps our nation great. I will never expect anything but the best from my Soldier, for I know he is capable. I know that a Soldier's heart is true and strong, and that my Soldier will endure.I will never abandon my Soldier, my son. I will love him unconditionally. He will know I am there with him, even when he is alone. I am disciplined, emotionally and mentally tough, learning to wait for phone calls and letters or emails home. I, like my Soldier, am an expert. I stand ready to do whatever I can do to let my son, my Soldier, know that we are here for him, behind him, we love him, and I will pray for the swift destruction of the enemies of our country.I am the person who stood guardian of this man who has become my Soldier, now our guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am the proud mother of an American Soldier

~Anonymous~

God Bless,

aam

Tami

Gone again

Welcome Home Son
Some things never change

Gone again

Chris is back at Knox completing his last 5 weeks of training and we are home trying to move on.

I thought I would share a little of our time together with all of you. First off let me say again Thank You to everyone that has left comments and the many emails that I have received.

This week has been bittersweet but we were able to spend time with Chris and listen to his stories and even to laugh at times.

Chris told us one story about them going on breach exercises. He said that each of them took turns having to kick in the door of a building and how when it was Matt's turn he came out of nowhere and completed a full round house kick. Chris said it was one of the funniest things he had ever seen.

One thing I observed while he was home is table manners no longer exist. He ate from the time he got here till the time he left and he did it with a spoon. They do not use forks during chow because the DS' told them that forks take to much time because food falls between the tines.

Chris got up each morning before anyone else and did his PT. He stands at parade rest when he is talking and he jumps up the minute anything is asked of him. He also called me Drill Sgt more than once. LOL

I honestly thought we were going to need a pry bar and the jaws of life to separate the little brothers from Chris' side when it was time for him to get back on the plane and head to Ft. Knox on Wednesday. The airport gave each of us a Courtesy Pass and allowed us to accompany Chris to the gate and wait with him until it was time for him to leave.

I will try to post more pictures this weekend.

Have a great weekend,

God Bless,

Tami

Wednesday Hero

Cpt. Gussie M. Jones 41 years old from Raleigh, Arkansas 31st Combat Support Hospital March 07, 2004
Cpt. Gussie Jones was born in Arkansas and was one of eight children. She began her Army career by enlisting in 1988 as a personnel clerk and climbed to the rank of a sergeant. In 1986, Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arkansas Central University. She was selected to attend the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program and earned her second bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University in 1998. It was in nursing. Her career as a registered nurse and a commissioned officer began in September 1998 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. In 2002, after completing a course in critical-care nursing, she was assigned to Beaumont Army Medical Center, where she became a mentor."She was a very dedicated person and was always smiling, said a co-worker and friend, Capt. Susan Gilbert. If anyone asked her to do something, she would do it. And she was very kind and gentle and patient with the patients."Cpt. Jones died of a heart attack while on duty in Baghdad, Iraq. During her 15 years of military services, Jones received a Joint Service Commendation medal, four Army Commendation medals and three Army Achievement medals."She was so much a part of their team, and so her death must really affect their morale," Gilbert said. "I'm very worried about the other soldiers because they've lost their battle buddy."

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Home for a few days

Out in the front yard this morning
At the airport

Thank you U.S. Army.

Chris was given permission to come home for the funeral. He came in late last night and will have to fly out Wednesday morning. But for right now he is home.

The next few days will be busy and full of mixed emotions. I will be taking a blogging break until the end of the week. I will post more pictures this weekend.

Thank you to everyone that has left comments and sent personal emails. Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated and I love each and everyone of you.

Until then

God Bless,

Tami

A voice on the phone

Yesterday morning our family was hit hard when we were notified that my 85 yr old Nana had been in a car accident and things were not looking good. Within 15 minutes of our arrival at the hospital the Doctor came and told us that she was gone.

I know that I have been hard on Drill Sgt's. here on this blog but today I want to say Thank You. The Red Cross was notified around 4:00 pm yesterday and we were told that they would pass the message to Christopher within 24 hours. Chris was and will always be his Nana's boy. My boys are the only great grandchildren and Nana thought the sun rose and sat on them. She was so proud of her Soldier and made sure that everyone she met knew that her boy was in the Army.

At 9:30 last night my phone rang. I knew immediately it was Chris, but without caller ID, I never would have recognized the voice that came through the phone. His voice has deepened, he no longer sounds like a 19 year old kid, now he sounds like a man. His concern for me was his first thoughts and the maturity that he possessed was unbelievable.

Chris told me that the DS that broke the news to him talked to him like a human being not just a recruit. He said that he was told to call home immediately and to take his time on the phone and that he could also call his dad. The DS gave him a phone number to pass on to us and while I was talking to Chris, my husband called the number and spoke with the 1st Sgt. He was very helpful and said that as soon as the arrangements are made we are to call them back and they will make all of Chris' travel arrangements to get him home for the funeral. He assured Mo that Chris would not miss anything important and that coming home would not affect any timeline that he is on.

I do not know how long they will give Chris but we had already determined that we would encourage Chris to make this a fast turnaround. I know that they have a big field march on Thursday and if at all possible I will encourage Chris to be back in time for it.

It was so important to Nana that Chris was following his dream that she would not stand for him to fall behind. Chris teased Nana all the time because he had been taller than her since he was about 11. It wasn't hard she was barely 5 ft tall and he is at least 6' 3" but she would tell him quick that it didn't matter she was still his Nana and she would "turn him over her knee" if she needed to. I can see her now putting that tiny foot down and pointing her finger as she said Carry on Soldier, complete your mission and make me proud.

I also want to thank Christi who is Christopher's step mom for insisting that she get the picture that is posted above of Chris and Nana at Chris' going away party. Thank you Christi, we will treasure this always.

God Bless,

Tami

Christopher News

I have had several letters from Christopher this week. He seems to be enjoying no longer being in BCT and in his words "finally learning his real job". Most of his letters have the same subject, he wants a laptop with a web cam, can I take money out of his account and buy him a laptop with a web cam, will I please make sure to bring him his laptop with web cam. Honestly son, I got it the first three letters.
Gee I wonder if I should pick him up a laptop with a web cam? LOL
I thought that he had made the decision to go ahead and take his leave starting the day he graduated, but today I get a letter saying he has decided to straight ship on graduation day to Ft. Drum and then try to get leave once he processes in there. Someone at Ft. Knox gave him a 95% guarantee that he would be able to get leave once he got there. I hope they also gave him a guarantee that there would not be a gazillion feet of snow at Ft. Drum in Dec that may or may not affect his leave or at least guaranteed him that it would not cost him his first born child to buy a round trip plane ticket at the last minute during Christmas. No offense to the many wonderful blonde women out there ( I have been one on several occasions), but sometimes I think the boy should have been born a blonde girl. LOL
I know right now he has tunnel vision that says he must be home on Christmas Day and that if he took leave from graduation he would have to be at Ft. Drum a few days before that, but come on son at least you knew that way you would be home for a week. Now there is the possibility that we will get a very short time with him on graduation day and then will have to say goodbye right away.
Oh well, time to end the pity party here. We are off to watch our wildcats defend their undefeated streak and then watch Kyle head off to the homecoming dance with his sweetie Whitney. And then I guess I will start pricing laptops with web cams.

Have a great Halloween and weekend and DO NOT FORGET TO VOTE NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!

God Bless

Wednesday Hero

Wednesday Hero was started to put a spotlight on the men and women of the United States military and the bravery their show day in and day out. But on a few occasions a service members of an allied nation has been profiled. Such is the case this week. Despite being shot twice during an ambush in Afghanistan, an SAS (Special Air Service) soldier from Australia lashed himself to the front of his patrol vehicle so he wouldn't be left behind if he passed out from loss of blood and kept on fighting. The Digger is expected to be recommended for a high level bravery award. Suffering from serious upper body wounds, the soldier struggled on to the front of his SAS long range patrol vehicle (LRPV) and, under heavy fire, used a rope to attach himself firmly between the vehicle's bull bar and radiator.Once he was secured, and there was no chance that he would fall off if he fainted, he picked up his rifle and resumed firing at the enemy during a two-hour fighting withdrawal. SAS troops and their special forces comrades from the Commando Regiment are well aware of the slow and painful death that awaits them if they are captured by the Taliban. The Digger, who cannot be identified, faded in and out of consciousness, emptying several magazines as volleys of enemy rounds and rocket propelled grenades, rained down around him.He was finally evacuated from the battle field at high speed still lashed to the front of the LRPV .A source told The Courier-Mail the Digger was now "up and about" and would recover fully from his serious gunshot wounds. His heroic deeds will be recognised when he is recommended for a high level bravery award. Several others engaged in the do-or-die battle on September 2 are also in line for top honours. These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

No Surprise here

We did not receive a phone call from Christopher this weekend. I am not really surprised, I am getting use to it, however I did get a phone call from another Soldier.
Do you remember several weeks ago, I told you about Micah who was in Chris' troop but had gotten hurt and was sent home to recover? Well Micah called me yesterday. He said that he had made a promise to Chris that he would call me and wanted to make sure that he kept that promise.
It was so sweet of him to take the time to call me and tell me that he had a message from Chris. He said that Chris loved and missed us and that he was doing fine. He said Chris or PVT ****** as he kept referring to him had top PT scores when he left and that his rack (bed) was made the tightest in the troop, that you could bounce a quarter off the bed and that was not even a requirement any more. He kept assuring me that Chris was doing just fine and had made several friends including Micah himself. It may not have been a call from Chris but it meant so much just the same. Micah said that he is healing and will be back in training in mid Nov. I am hoping that we will be able to get his new address when he gets settled back in so that we can write to him and Chris can keep in touch with him.
I don't know if Micah reads this blog or not, but if so... Micah thank you so much. You will never know just how much your phone call mean't to me. You will carry a special place in my heart always.

:)
God Bless
Army Strong Mom,
Tami

BCT has come to an end & a open letter

Today is the day. Christopher has finally finished BCT (Basic Combat Training) and will begin the last part of OSUT (One Station Unit Training). Today is the first day of Family Weekend and here I sit at home unable to be with my Soldier. How do I feel? PISSED. I have gotten over the heartbreak of this decision and have moved on to the Dammit part of the whole thing. So I sat down and wrote a letter that I will never mail but thought I would share it here.

To Whom It May Concern,
I understand that your job is hard, I have never walked in your shoes and I appreciate the fact that you are teaching my son, my Soldier, my hero how to become a Warrior, but with the utmost respect I have to tell you that today you are not my favorite person.
Rules are rules and discipline is discipline, Battle Buddies are for life and you have to have each other's backs at all times, these are things I understand. Maybe you have never walked in my shoes. I am a mother, a mother who misses the son that decided at 4 yrs old that he would grow up to be a United States Army Soldier. A son that until a little over 2 months ago was usually the first person I saw in the morning and the last person I saw at night. I MISS my son. Today begins Family Weekend for his troop and because of a stupid mistake that granted he made, we are all paying for. Has he not already paid for his mistake? He lost pay, he has had extra duty, he has not been allowed to make a phone call and now he doesn't even get to see his family. The Army takes 100's of young men from different backgrounds, different cities and states, with different beliefs and different opinions and they throw them all together and expect them to all conform at once to the Army way of life. Really? Is that what you think will happen? Again, I will state that it was his mistake, but it was a stupid mistake. No one was hurt, no one came to blows, no one put their hands on each other. Don't you think your punishment was just a little over the top?
These Soldiers will soon be sent to fight for their County, in a land that does not like them, does not believe like them and does not value their very existence. Some of these Soldiers will never return to the families that love and cherish them. However, because two young Soldiers in training made a stupid decision to see who clothes needed to be cleaner, they lost the opportunity to spend a few precious hours with their family.
I realize this is business and for most in charge this is not personal, and I am sure that what you see each day is one face that belongs to many different bodies. They all look alike and the only personality they have is Soldier. I am sure that at some point in time you were thought of the same way, you have paid your dues and now it is up to you to collect those dues from others. But I have to ask, deep down do you see the young men and women that have never been away from home before, the ones that believe with all their hearts and souls that this Country is worth giving their very lives for, the ones that really just need to hear a friendly voice every now and then, letters are great but a I love you and I am so proud of you coming from a voice they know and love is everything to them, do you see them? Do you think about the moms and dads at home that spend every waking moment wondering what they are going through. How their day is going, did they pass this test or that goal, are they cold, hot, hungry, getting any sleep, sick, hurt, upbeat or discouraged? Do you think about the ones that have younger brothers or sisters at home that cry when they get a letter because they miss them so much that their little hearts break because they just want a hug from them? As parents, we receive a letter from the CO when our Soldiers settle in to their troops that states that family encouragement is so important and that we need to write and tell our Soldiers that we support them 100 %, that phone calls are limited, all of this is true especially if limited is defined zero. And I understand that they are being trained for a very rough and dangerous job, but would a little personal contact be to much to ask for? I do write every day, I always tell him I love you, I miss you and I am so PROUD of you. I try to never send him anything but encouragement but letters take time and when you receive a letter saying I am worried about my pt test or I messed up my knee and have to go back to the Dr. in a week, how are we suppose to say, you can do this, you are stronger than you think or do what the Dr. tells you and get strong again when we know that by the time they receive this letter of encouragement this concern has already passed and they have moved on to another? Would you please tell me how we are suppose to deal with these things? We gave you our children, can't you please give us a moment with your Soldiers?
In closing, I would like to thank you for taking a moment to read my rants, explore my feelings and for training my son to be Army Strong. But I must tell you, you are not on my Christmas Card list and there will be nothing extra in your stocking this year.

Sincerely,
One very pissed off
Army Strong Mom.

Wednesday Hero

Sgt. Carlton A. Clark 22 years old from South Royalton, Vermont 2nd Brigade Troop Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) August 06, 2006
Sgt. Carlton Clark graduated from South Royalton High School in 2002. While in high school, he was co-captain of his soccer team and a member of the track and field and basketball teams. He graduated from basic combat training and advanced individual training in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri in 2002 and was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky as a combat engineer. He was air assault qualified and deployed during the initial wave of Operation Iraqi Freedom for one year. He was subsequently assigned to West Point to train cadets. He re-enlisted and was deployed for a second tour of duty in Iraq. He earned a Purple Heart, an Army Commendation Medal with Valor, a Bronze Star Medal and was posthumously awarded a second Purple Heart. Sgt. Clark was killed in action when an IED detonated near his Humvee while conducting combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed in the attack were Staff Sgt. Stephen A. Seale and Cpl. Jose Zamora.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Thank you Andrea

I love the Internet for so many reason but lately I love the Internet because of Andrea. Andrea is the mother of Matt and Matt is one of Christopher's battle buddies. Somehow, we found each other on GAP and she has been a lifesaver. Don't get me wrong, I have wonderful friends and family that I see and or speak to everyday that are a great support group but, Andrea is going through the exact same thing that I am right now and I don't know what I would do without her.
We pm each other daily and make all these plans for when we meet at Ft. Knox. I truly believe that she was just as upset as I was when we found out that Chris would not have Family Weekend and she and I have been plotting ever since on how she could at least get a picture of Christopher for me.
Recently, the thought came into my mind: what if Chris and Matt are not friends? So I asked him in a letter if he knew Matt and he wrote back to me and said: Mom, I have no idea who Matt is, do you have a last name? Duh... Of course they only use last names. So in the next letter I sent him Matt's last name and now we find out that not only are they battle buddies, they are friends and they will be continuing on to Ft. Drum together. HOOAH!!!!!!!!!
And then today I find out that Matt and Chris are plotting together on how to get Chris in the position for Andrea to take a picture. This should be fun. They have already made plans that we should all go out to dinner after graduation so that Andrea and I can hang out together, isn't that sweet of them?
I did receive 3 letters from Chris today, they were all upbeat and he is ready for this week to be over. So am I son, so am I. It is funny that some days it feels like it has been forever since he left and other times it seems like these 9 weeks have flown by. I can only hope that the next 7 fly. I am counting the days until Graduation. I am ready to see my Soldier and to meet my new friend and her Soldier.
One day soon when Chris gets a chance to read this blog and hopefully share it with Matt, I want them both to know that we love them and are so very, very proud of them. And Matt, you can be so proud of your mom because she is truly ARMY MOM STRONG!

God Bless
Tami

Will the phone ever ring?

I really do hate to whine because I know that he is safe but, I am so tired of jumping everytime the phone rings only to find out that it is either a wrong number or it is someone calling to see if he has called. I promise if he calls I will be shouting from the rooftops, noone will be able to miss my excitement.
Christopher will finish the BCT portion of his OSUT next Friday. It has been a long time since I heard his voice and hopefully they will at least let him call next weekend. I have resigned myself to the fact that we will not be going to Kentucky next weekend and that we just have to continue to count the days until December when he graduates.
I have done a lot of reading on Ft. Drum and know they already have snow so I am sure come January it will be very cold. I sent Chris a letter and told him we would be buying him long johns for christmas. I think he will need them.
I hope everyone else had a wonderful weekend.

God Bless:

Tami

Wednesday Hero

Sgt. Anton J. Hiett. 25 years old from Mount Airy, North Carolina. 391st Engineer Battalion, Army Reserve. March 12, 2006

Misty Hiett, the widow of Sgt. Anton Hiett, said in an interview that he, Sgt. Hiett, asked to transfer to the 391st Engineering Battalion when it looked like his reserve unit would not be deployed. Sgt. Hiett was a truck driver who joined the military right out of high school because he "wanted to go help out" during the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. After his transfer to the 391st, he was deployed to Afghanistan on April 22, 2005. On March 12, 2006, Sgt. Hiett, and three fellow soldiers from the 391st, Staff Sgt. Joe Ray; Spc. Joshua Hill and Sgt. Kevin Akins, were killed when an IED detonated near their Humvee during combat operations west of Asadabad, Afghanistan. He left behind his wife and their then 2(now 4)-year-old daughter Kyra. These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.