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
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
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.
Monday, October 27, 2008
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
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
Friday, October 24, 2008
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.
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, October 22, 2008
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.
Monday, October 20, 2008
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
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
Sunday, October 19, 2008
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
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, October 15, 2008
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.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
It is unanimous
Kyle misses his big brother
Devin misses him too and wishes he would call
Gaby misses her boy
Even tough ol pop misses him
and you better believe I miss him!!!!They made it to BLUE PHASE:
The mail man was good to us today and brought us a upbeat almost playful letter from Chris. First off he passed his final PT test. HOOAH way to go buddy. The letter was written last Thursday at 8:30 am. They had already completed their PT test and were in serious rival mode with another platoon. Chris said they had caught a guy from the rival platoon and sent him back to his buddies covered in shaving cream. Apparently the DS' approved and found it quite funny. I am so glad he is finally relaxing and enjoying himself even if it is short lived. I am sure they are hard at work again now.
Not much longer before he finishes BCT and then maybe we will finally get a phone call.
Have a great week....
God Bless :)
Tami
Friday, October 10, 2008
Keeping it Real & the News of the Day.
First I need to retract a statement from yesterday. Christopher was never in a shoving match. This was misinformation on my part while trying to decifer letters from him. We now have more information and in order to keep it real here at Arkansas Army Mom I will tell you that it involved dirty clothes, a washing machine and spit.
Yes spit. Apparently this took place within a few weeks of being assigned to their troops. It seems that Chris was washing clothes, someone (we will call him trooper x. because I have no idea what his name is),from the other troop needed to wash clothes, therefore trooper x. removed Chris' clothes from the washing machine and deposited the wet clothes onto the floor. Upon finding said clothes on the floor and trooper x being overly amused at the clean up that was required, my son being the semi redneck that he was when he left opened the washing machine that held "trooper x's clothes and spit. Yep again I said spit. This is not something I am proud of and hopefully neither is Chris. But hey this is Arkansas Army Mom and I have to keep it real.
So you may ask yourself: self? What does it cost to spit in a washing machine? Hopefully self is up to date on these things and can tell you that it cost the exact same thing as removing wet clothes from a washing machine, dumping them on the floor and laughing while the clean up is in the process but, just in case self is not sure of the cost of these acts, then I will tell you that it cost $392.00, 15 days extra duty and NO FAMILY WEEKEND.
And since we are all friends here and I am so big on keeping it real, I will tell you that in my opinion that seems a little harsh. Do I think they deserved to be punished? YES. Do I think the punishment is a little over the top? YES. Have I ever walked in a Drill Sgt's shoes? NO. Will we survive this and go on to do bigger and better things? YES. Will my Soldier son think twice before he ever spits again? HOOAH!!!!! Yes he will.
I know that some will say that trooper x was in the wrong, I know other's will say Christopher was in the wrong. I will say they were both in the wrong, they both have been punished and done deal, over and out, case closed and Carry On Soldiers.
Now on to the news of the day.
I stalked ummm met the postman today at the mailbox and he was holding another letter from my Soldier. We now know where (as of Oct 7, but this is the Army and things can change) he will be going when he leaves the school of hard Knox or ummm Ft. Knox: Drum Roll please ~
Ft. Drum, New York ~ Home of the 10th Mountain Division.
Christopher has been assigned to the 10 Mountain Cav Unit.
I have only just begun to research this Unit and so far all I can say is: HARDCORE!!!!!!!!
I will post more this weekend once this new information has sunk in and I have been able to read more info. Until then I hope everyone has a great weekend. Remember to include our military members and their families in your prayers and if you happen to run into one of the brave souls during your journey's, pat them on the back, shake their hand and say THANK YOU.
God Bless:
Tami
Yes spit. Apparently this took place within a few weeks of being assigned to their troops. It seems that Chris was washing clothes, someone (we will call him trooper x. because I have no idea what his name is),from the other troop needed to wash clothes, therefore trooper x. removed Chris' clothes from the washing machine and deposited the wet clothes onto the floor. Upon finding said clothes on the floor and trooper x being overly amused at the clean up that was required, my son being the semi redneck that he was when he left opened the washing machine that held "trooper x's clothes and spit. Yep again I said spit. This is not something I am proud of and hopefully neither is Chris. But hey this is Arkansas Army Mom and I have to keep it real.
So you may ask yourself: self? What does it cost to spit in a washing machine? Hopefully self is up to date on these things and can tell you that it cost the exact same thing as removing wet clothes from a washing machine, dumping them on the floor and laughing while the clean up is in the process but, just in case self is not sure of the cost of these acts, then I will tell you that it cost $392.00, 15 days extra duty and NO FAMILY WEEKEND.
And since we are all friends here and I am so big on keeping it real, I will tell you that in my opinion that seems a little harsh. Do I think they deserved to be punished? YES. Do I think the punishment is a little over the top? YES. Have I ever walked in a Drill Sgt's shoes? NO. Will we survive this and go on to do bigger and better things? YES. Will my Soldier son think twice before he ever spits again? HOOAH!!!!! Yes he will.
I know that some will say that trooper x was in the wrong, I know other's will say Christopher was in the wrong. I will say they were both in the wrong, they both have been punished and done deal, over and out, case closed and Carry On Soldiers.
Now on to the news of the day.
I stalked ummm met the postman today at the mailbox and he was holding another letter from my Soldier. We now know where (as of Oct 7, but this is the Army and things can change) he will be going when he leaves the school of hard Knox or ummm Ft. Knox: Drum Roll please ~
Ft. Drum, New York ~ Home of the 10th Mountain Division.
Christopher has been assigned to the 10 Mountain Cav Unit.
I have only just begun to research this Unit and so far all I can say is: HARDCORE!!!!!!!!I will post more this weekend once this new information has sunk in and I have been able to read more info. Until then I hope everyone has a great weekend. Remember to include our military members and their families in your prayers and if you happen to run into one of the brave souls during your journey's, pat them on the back, shake their hand and say THANK YOU.
God Bless:
Tami
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Not so Army Mom Strong today.
Several weeks ago Christopher sent us a letter saying that he had been involved in a shoving match. He did not start the shoving but he did not back down. He told us that he lost a 1/2 months pay and had extra duty but that the Capt told him that since he didn't start it he would still have Family weekend.
Well today we received a letter (remember they never get to make phone calls) and Chris told us that he was told on Monday that rules were rules and that he would not be allowed to participate in Family weekend. He is absolutely devastated and so are we. We had already made hotel reservations and taken vacation days from work. And now instead of being 14 days away from seeing him we are 62 days away.
I understand that rules are rules and that Chris made a mistake and has to pay for it. I do not understand why they said yes first and now change to no. This is a busy important week for them and I am sure this didn't help his morale any. I can only hope that he sucked it up and put is behind him before taking his PT test today. He has had a few days for it to sink in. I know he is a Soldier but he is also 19 years old and away from everyone and everything that he loves, he hasn't heard any of our voices since the day he arrived and lets be honest here, I am PISSED. I want to scream (ok I did that already), throw things (well my cell phone is a bit scuffed) and pitch a down right good ol redneck fit (ummm ok I might have done that also) and what I really want to do is call the base and hit replay but I will not. I will be Army Mom strong and will send him a letter tomorrow saying hold your head up, we will get through this, we are still PROUD of you and still LOVE you. And I will ask each of you to pray that he gets through the next 62 days with a great attitude and all the Army Values that I know he has.
As far as the Army loves Family, Family Morale is everything, with out the family the Army is nothing blah, blah, blah!!!! Well that may take me a few days.
God Bless,
Tami
Well today we received a letter (remember they never get to make phone calls) and Chris told us that he was told on Monday that rules were rules and that he would not be allowed to participate in Family weekend. He is absolutely devastated and so are we. We had already made hotel reservations and taken vacation days from work. And now instead of being 14 days away from seeing him we are 62 days away.
I understand that rules are rules and that Chris made a mistake and has to pay for it. I do not understand why they said yes first and now change to no. This is a busy important week for them and I am sure this didn't help his morale any. I can only hope that he sucked it up and put is behind him before taking his PT test today. He has had a few days for it to sink in. I know he is a Soldier but he is also 19 years old and away from everyone and everything that he loves, he hasn't heard any of our voices since the day he arrived and lets be honest here, I am PISSED. I want to scream (ok I did that already), throw things (well my cell phone is a bit scuffed) and pitch a down right good ol redneck fit (ummm ok I might have done that also) and what I really want to do is call the base and hit replay but I will not. I will be Army Mom strong and will send him a letter tomorrow saying hold your head up, we will get through this, we are still PROUD of you and still LOVE you. And I will ask each of you to pray that he gets through the next 62 days with a great attitude and all the Army Values that I know he has.
As far as the Army loves Family, Family Morale is everything, with out the family the Army is nothing blah, blah, blah!!!! Well that may take me a few days.
God Bless,
Tami
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Wednesday Hero
Cpl. Lance M. Thompson 21 years old from Upland, Indiana 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force November 15, 2004
The father of Cpl. Lance Thompson said his son would be proud knowing he fought and died to help Iraqis vote in an election. Cpl. Lance Thompson died during fighting in Ramadi, Iraq by a truck bomb. His father, Greg Thompson, said his son sent him a letter in September of '04 which said, "Freedom is not free. It requires sacrifice."Greg Thompson said the millions turning out to vote in Iraq was "fantastic" and said it was a "momentous day in the Middle East.""Are you asking me was it worth Lance losing his life?" he asked a reporter. "Being the gung-ho Marine that he was, he would say yes. So I'll say yes. That is a tough, bitter pill to swallow. It hurts. God, I didn't want to give up my son."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.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
An update on Micah
Recently I posted that one of the Soldiers in Christopher's troop was ill and would require surgery followed by a recovery period at home before he would be allowed to return to Ft. Knox and complete his training. I asked for prayer request and told you I would update as soon as I heard from his mom. With her permission I am including a few passages from our last pm'ing sessions. I have taken the liberty to edit any information that I feel would be to personal or irrevelant concerning Micah's recovery. :
Sooo......we waited at the surgical station and at 8:45am, in walks Micah with his DS. He immediately grinned when he saw us, and made a mistake, he took one step towards us, but then caught himself at the same time his DS pointed him to the front desk to check in. Micah's dad didn't recognize him and was still staring at the door waiting for Micah to walk through it. I don't even know how to describe what I felt. He is at the absolute skinniest he could be without actually looking bad, he looks better and fitter than he has ever looked in his life. He couldn't stop grinning. He got the hernia on saturday and collapsed in severe pain, but was better by the time we saw him. The upper muscles he spent so much time building, he was bodybuilding before training, were gone. Same with his leg muscles. He was lean and every muscle in his body proportional, I don't know how to explain it, they build only the necessary strengths, nothing above and beyond like Micah had done. Zero fat, pure muscle, lol. And he has grown at least two inches in height, he is now taller than his dad. I normally handle everything where his dad and I go, I make the reservations, navigate while he drives, make necessary phone calls, handle the kid's lives, etc, because he worked to much and we got used to it that way, but this time I concentrated on Micah and made his dad take over, except for phone calls for info. So he went to talk to the DS while I sat with Micah, one look and he knew I was NOT going to leave Micah to talk to anyone, lol.
We got to spend the whole day with Micah at the hospital, going from test to test, dept. to dept. We went to the cafeteria and ate lunch with him. He is totally different, but in a nutshell, he is still Micah, but a mature, controlled, and self confident Micah. I have never in my life been prouder. I cannot wait until you get to spend time with Chris, I really think you are going to be so very proud and happy. Honestly Tami, it is worth all the worry, and this is from a mom that was completely against ANY of her kids joining any branch of the service. I fought like a wildcat to get him to attend college instead of the army, but once he made that decision, I of course was and am 100% behind him and support him. Micah's decision was right, the army is right for him and his argument to me was always that I taught him to trust in himself and his brain. The changes in him: physically in the best health he has ever been in his life, including childhood. Self confidence and control that he never had before. He is not a different person at all, he is a refined, improved Micah, lol. He moves differently and reacts differently, quicker more precise. He says he has changed, that he now has a greater appreciation for what he has and had. He said this because he was able to use a fork to eat his salad, lol. (yes, they took their forks away again) He said what he misses the most, besides his family, is his freedom, the freedom to choose for himself and go where and when he chooses. He said he now realizes all that he took for granted and that his family and freedoms are gifts, not rights. I was amazed at this. I observed him very closely while he was talking with his dad, huge change in them both there. Micah shows a new level of respect for his dad, partly due to dad's previous experiences as a CAV I think. They now talk man to man, not as father to son.
At lunch, he was with just us, but passed on cookies and took yogurt, stuck right to his allotted calories. I offered him my cell phone so he could call his mamaw(my mom), but he said no because he wasn't given permission. Let me tell you, that had to be the hardest thing he ever passed up because he totally adores his mamaw and papaw and misses them just as much as he misses us. At the hospital, he had a typed out sheet from his DS on exactly where to go for tests and in what order. He followed it to a T. He tuned us out while reading it, and proceeded exactly as instructed, right down to which elevator to use. We had been wandering that hospital for hours and knew shortcuts, but no way, lol. We just followed him and once he got to his destination and checked in, he then talked to us while he waited. Anyway, the First Sargeant told me that Micah was NOT to do anything but relax, no PT, nothing. They would take care of getting him back to shape when he returned, and slowly. He said that Micah tended to overdo and that they expected that he might try to start working out too soon and that I was to keep him from doing this. I laughed and said I wouldn't be able to stop him so they would have to order him not to if they didn't want him to do it. Anyway, this is rambling, but i wanted to put as much as I could remember so that you could gleen any info that you could. I know how bad it sucks not to have any information, I do know that he said since they entered the white phase, things are much much better. He said he was miserable for the first three weeks though and was just starting to get homesick. He also said the letters are what kept him going and that he does receive mail daily, from mon-fri. I asked about Chris and Matt, and he isn't sure because they are called only by last names, lol. He thinks he knows who Chris is because "one guy said that he thought his mom knew your mom". I hate that we won't get to meet you on family day, poor Micah has to have a new troop and form a whole new set of relationships. This is long, but I hope you can get something positive from it. Be prepared to be overwhelmed with pride in Chris. It is going to hit you like a hurricane. And as far as I can see so far, they aren't different people at all, they are very much still our same sons, just refined. That is for lack of a better word. Micah said he is very happy there, and loves it. So much luck with Chris and I hope you get to hear from him more now.
This was in my inbox this morning:
Micah is fine, we had a hectic two days but he is home now. Alot of tests and paperwork, instructions, etc. The surgeons at the hospital there are fantastic, much more thorough than in our home town. They found another potential problem during surgery because the surgeon did a complete check while Micah was opened up. We were told to have Micah see another doctor during his time off and if surgery for his new problem was required, which it probably will be, to get it done during his time off so that he can heal all at once.
Proud Mom of Micah
So in a nutshell Micah is doing better and I will keep everyone updated. Please continue to pray for this young Soldier.
God Bless :)
Tami
Sooo......we waited at the surgical station and at 8:45am, in walks Micah with his DS. He immediately grinned when he saw us, and made a mistake, he took one step towards us, but then caught himself at the same time his DS pointed him to the front desk to check in. Micah's dad didn't recognize him and was still staring at the door waiting for Micah to walk through it. I don't even know how to describe what I felt. He is at the absolute skinniest he could be without actually looking bad, he looks better and fitter than he has ever looked in his life. He couldn't stop grinning. He got the hernia on saturday and collapsed in severe pain, but was better by the time we saw him. The upper muscles he spent so much time building, he was bodybuilding before training, were gone. Same with his leg muscles. He was lean and every muscle in his body proportional, I don't know how to explain it, they build only the necessary strengths, nothing above and beyond like Micah had done. Zero fat, pure muscle, lol. And he has grown at least two inches in height, he is now taller than his dad. I normally handle everything where his dad and I go, I make the reservations, navigate while he drives, make necessary phone calls, handle the kid's lives, etc, because he worked to much and we got used to it that way, but this time I concentrated on Micah and made his dad take over, except for phone calls for info. So he went to talk to the DS while I sat with Micah, one look and he knew I was NOT going to leave Micah to talk to anyone, lol.
We got to spend the whole day with Micah at the hospital, going from test to test, dept. to dept. We went to the cafeteria and ate lunch with him. He is totally different, but in a nutshell, he is still Micah, but a mature, controlled, and self confident Micah. I have never in my life been prouder. I cannot wait until you get to spend time with Chris, I really think you are going to be so very proud and happy. Honestly Tami, it is worth all the worry, and this is from a mom that was completely against ANY of her kids joining any branch of the service. I fought like a wildcat to get him to attend college instead of the army, but once he made that decision, I of course was and am 100% behind him and support him. Micah's decision was right, the army is right for him and his argument to me was always that I taught him to trust in himself and his brain. The changes in him: physically in the best health he has ever been in his life, including childhood. Self confidence and control that he never had before. He is not a different person at all, he is a refined, improved Micah, lol. He moves differently and reacts differently, quicker more precise. He says he has changed, that he now has a greater appreciation for what he has and had. He said this because he was able to use a fork to eat his salad, lol. (yes, they took their forks away again) He said what he misses the most, besides his family, is his freedom, the freedom to choose for himself and go where and when he chooses. He said he now realizes all that he took for granted and that his family and freedoms are gifts, not rights. I was amazed at this. I observed him very closely while he was talking with his dad, huge change in them both there. Micah shows a new level of respect for his dad, partly due to dad's previous experiences as a CAV I think. They now talk man to man, not as father to son.
At lunch, he was with just us, but passed on cookies and took yogurt, stuck right to his allotted calories. I offered him my cell phone so he could call his mamaw(my mom), but he said no because he wasn't given permission. Let me tell you, that had to be the hardest thing he ever passed up because he totally adores his mamaw and papaw and misses them just as much as he misses us. At the hospital, he had a typed out sheet from his DS on exactly where to go for tests and in what order. He followed it to a T. He tuned us out while reading it, and proceeded exactly as instructed, right down to which elevator to use. We had been wandering that hospital for hours and knew shortcuts, but no way, lol. We just followed him and once he got to his destination and checked in, he then talked to us while he waited. Anyway, the First Sargeant told me that Micah was NOT to do anything but relax, no PT, nothing. They would take care of getting him back to shape when he returned, and slowly. He said that Micah tended to overdo and that they expected that he might try to start working out too soon and that I was to keep him from doing this. I laughed and said I wouldn't be able to stop him so they would have to order him not to if they didn't want him to do it. Anyway, this is rambling, but i wanted to put as much as I could remember so that you could gleen any info that you could. I know how bad it sucks not to have any information, I do know that he said since they entered the white phase, things are much much better. He said he was miserable for the first three weeks though and was just starting to get homesick. He also said the letters are what kept him going and that he does receive mail daily, from mon-fri. I asked about Chris and Matt, and he isn't sure because they are called only by last names, lol. He thinks he knows who Chris is because "one guy said that he thought his mom knew your mom". I hate that we won't get to meet you on family day, poor Micah has to have a new troop and form a whole new set of relationships. This is long, but I hope you can get something positive from it. Be prepared to be overwhelmed with pride in Chris. It is going to hit you like a hurricane. And as far as I can see so far, they aren't different people at all, they are very much still our same sons, just refined. That is for lack of a better word. Micah said he is very happy there, and loves it. So much luck with Chris and I hope you get to hear from him more now.
This was in my inbox this morning:
Micah is fine, we had a hectic two days but he is home now. Alot of tests and paperwork, instructions, etc. The surgeons at the hospital there are fantastic, much more thorough than in our home town. They found another potential problem during surgery because the surgeon did a complete check while Micah was opened up. We were told to have Micah see another doctor during his time off and if surgery for his new problem was required, which it probably will be, to get it done during his time off so that he can heal all at once.
Proud Mom of Micah
So in a nutshell Micah is doing better and I will keep everyone updated. Please continue to pray for this young Soldier.
God Bless :)
Tami
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Wednesday Hero
This Week's Post Was Suggested And Written By Kathi
SSgt. Renee A. Deville44 years old from Webster New York 401st Civil Affairs BattalionSeptember 1, 2008
SSgt. Renee A. Deville44 years old from Webster New York 401st Civil Affairs BattalionSeptember 1, 2008
SSGT Renee A. Deville was an Army Reservist who deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion from Webster, N.Y. She arrived at Walter Reed August 10, 2006, after being injured in a mortar attack. While at Walter Reed, Deville was assigned to Chosen Battery, Warrior Transition Brigade, and was among three graduates of the Army's first Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course Stand Alone Common Core offered to Warriors in Transition. Deville, who successfully completed every aspect of the course from a wheelchair, was lauded by SGT Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston as exemplifying the Army's 'Warrior Ethos', at the graduation ceremony for the course on March 28, 2008.
Deville was also the impetus for a new playground being built behind the Mologne House at Walter Reed in 2007. An October 2007 Washington Post article about the opening of the playground says that SSGT Deville's mention of her children's limited recreational options to Col. Bruce Haselden, the garrison commander, helped set in motion the playground project.
Staff Sgt. Renee Antoinette Deville died September 1, 2008 in her room at the Mologne House at Walter Reed. She was 44. She is survived by her husband and 4 children, her mother, a brother, and two sisters. SSGT Deville was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery on September 19, 2008.
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 LivedThis 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.
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