Son is being deployed

I know this is hard. My boyfriend has gotting word he is being sent over in 01/09 as well. He is at Ft. Bliss at the moment. Over the summer, I believe, he was at Ft. Leonard Wood for a brief time. While he is in Texas, and I am in Maryland with our son, it's difficult now. He's only seen him 3 times. He's already been over once, and he has some issues. I don't know how he will handle going twice. Best wishes to you and your family.

Hey Dawn, My sympathies to your son and his family. Ft. Leonard Wood seems to be the deployment zone lately. My best friend's daughter is in the reserves there, 955th Eng. company I think, and they found out in January that they were being deployed to Baghdad late this spring. She's in Wisconsin now, headed to Iraq in June (we think). Bekkah is leaving behind a son who will be two in May. She won't be able to be there for his birthday or probably the next one either. They had pre-deployment exercises at Ft. Leonard Wood from mid-Feb to mid-March. She got to come home for Easter (which tore her son up) and then left on April Fool's Day... Her mom would probably love to chat with another mom going through the same thing. If you send me a private email, I'll get you Emily's email. My prayers for Ray and his family.

I wish your son all the best, a very safe tour and return home. I know how hard it is when the people we love are deployed for duty, my sister is a Master Sargent in the US AirForce and was sent to Iraq three times already and each time is just as stress full. She is a single mom stationed in England and has a three children the youngest being 10 years old, the older two look after her when she's away serving. I pray for her and all the other brave men and women serving our country, I am very proud of them all. I sent many care packages to her and she tells me how much they all love receiving them especially around the holidays. Is your son's name Ray, I will keep him in my prayers too. Please feel free to contact me if you need a friend to talk to about this.

Dawn, Ray will be added to my prayers, I was lucky the four people I know sent over seas to Iraq/Afghanastan all came home safely. It was frustrating however as my cousin was sent there for a year and end up there more than 2, fortunately the other two came home on time and were not sent back. The fourth had some short delay's and is home now, but will be sent to new base in USA soon. My cousin's wife was a wreck while he was over there lived for phone calls, wouldn't really go out except for work just in case her husband called. I can understand it, they had been married for a long time, and are very close. he was reserves but there are not enough qualified for his job so he was sent over. Not enough qualified for his job so he kept having to stay. While there are so many who don't agree with bush sending so many over there still, at least the troops are supported and cared about by people here and appreciated. No mom wants their child over there and even though your son is old enough to make you a grandmother he is still your child, so hopefully he will not be kept there long and will be able to be home soon, shame he will not see so many of his child's firsts. Good luck to you and your family.

It will be hard on both of them, it's good that she is coming stateside. My son in law just returned this past September, from his 3rd tour over there in the sand. I was very glad that I'm only 6 hours away, so my daughter spent a lot of time with me and my s/o. And I have to say, he was wonderful about her coming and staying weeks at a time. I wish the best and safest return for your son. We are proud of all our men and women serving our country.

Dawn, I know what you're going through. My son followed his Dad and my bootprints into the Marine Corps and recently completed his third tour in Iraq. He could have had any specialty he wanted, but he wanted infantry. Said if he was going to be a Marine, he wanted to go all the way. My prayers continue for all of our young men and women in harm's way. Those prayers will now include Ray specifically.

Although I support our troops to the fullest. I have to disagree with THIS war and its motive. Having said that, I believe your son is a very brave man! I support his willingness to fight for our country. i wish him the bets of luck. he must make you a proud mom!

Well in your situation I wish you the best. And I pray for your son's safe return home to you and his wife and newborn. I know the felling just a bit. I was in the military myself. I just finished with my term. I wasn't sent over to Iraq, but I was in South Korea. I know South Korea isn't as bad as Iraq but the feeling of missing loved ones is to me all the same. And also, my husband just returned from Iraq in Dec 07. It was real difficult for us. I was in South Korea before he left. I cried myself sleep the day he called and told me he was getting on the plane heading over there. But luckily we made it through the rough times of him being away. I'm afraid that he just maybe leaving again probably around the same time your son is, that is if he doesn't get a change in his company soon. Being in the military can be quite rough, but with the support of family and friends, it just makes everything a whole lot better than what it really is. So no matter what just continue to faith and believe that everything will be just fine and it will. God Bless...

hi RaysMom I sympathize with you.It is hard to see your son going off to Iraq. and to be leaving his wife and new son is eveb harder. I live in Southern Cal and have friends whose mates and sons and daughters are now in Iraq. I am left wondering when this war is going to end and how many more of our youth must we lose. I realize our president had his reasons for going to war there but who knew it was going to last this long. I will send my prayers winging their way to you and yours that your son will be okay and will comeback home safely God bless.

Oh, he will do good there as he is a good man. Bless you.