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February 19, 2007

SELFLESS SERVICE

On Valentine's Day, my husband reminded me that it was exactly three years ago that he left for Iraq. I can't believe how time flies. I told him that I was happy he wasn't leaving again this Valentine's Day, and he got a bittersweet look on his face and said, "I'm not..."

When people like Rangel and Murtha and Kerry say that the only reason people are in Iraq is because they can't get a better job, I wish they could meet people like my husband. There are soldiers like my husband who grieve at not being in Iraq. There are soldiers waiting for the day they can get out of Walter Reed so they can get back to their unit. They are not stupid, and it's not bloodlust either; they just take their Army values seriously.

He started his training this week, but so far they've just done the boring stuff like PT tests and jumping out of planes. My husband has qualified to learn Arabic or Farsi, so hopefully he'll get assigned one of those and he can get to work at being all he can be.

Did I mention I'm the luckiest wife in the world?

Posted by: Sarah at 04:51 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 203 words, total size 1 kb.

1 I will never let a Valentines Day go by, without thinking about that "Day of Deployment"(14feb2004), or all of the families it involved.........

Posted by: debey at February 19, 2007 07:30 AM (Gh7I1)

2 I like how you lumped PT and jumps together as mere boring stuff, yet get excited over balls of yarn on sale.

Posted by: Jason at February 20, 2007 05:45 AM (lcKyC)

3 So thankful that people like your husband exist.

Posted by: Nancy at February 20, 2007 09:07 AM (8i2KG)

4 Sarah, I know exactly what you mean. When my husband talks about how he's in a "nondeployable" position right now, it's usually with a tinge of regret. He'd rather deploy and be doing HIS job than doing the job he's in right now any day. Once upon a time, that would have hurt my feelings. I have a better understanding of it now...after all, he loves what he does as your husband undoubtedly does as well.

Posted by: Robin at February 20, 2007 04:23 PM (V5aG3)

5 Gee Sarah, most women would have given their husbands the "sergeant look" if they said that. My wife gets a pained look whenever I mention getting deployed again....but she understands. Randy

Posted by: R1 at February 20, 2007 05:32 PM (xexA1)

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There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is to die, Morrel, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of living.
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February 19, 2007

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