TDT #33 - 10 Years

One of the ways I have always done my countdowns when my  husband is away is by counting trash days.  Most of the time it isn't as daunting a number as the estimated number of days he'll be gone.  And it helps me remember to put the trash out, or rather encourage my boys to put the trash out since it's their job.  So this will be my new weekly post, and I'll just really post whatever, no real set theme.  Please feel free to join me on this adventure of counting down the time until your loved one comes home!

 All over my Facebook feed most of my Military friends are posting about it being 10 years since we invaded Iraq. 

Some of the pages have posted the question, "Do you remember what you were doing?"  Today's entry will be my answer to that question.

10 years ago, I was walking through the quiet of my house on Fort Knox, KY where Kevin was serving as a Drill Sergeant.  His unit was in the field so it was just me and my three boys who were 6, 4 and 2 at the time.  I recall watching the news in anticipation wondering what was going to happen.  I couldn't sleep.  I messed around online talking with many of my online friends in the various groups I belonged to.  It was interesting as my mommy groups that were primarily made up of those not affiliated at all with the Military chatted about everything but the invasion while my groups made up of Military Spouses flooded the message boards with chatter about what our future was going to look like.

At one point, Daniel cried out and I went to check on him as he lay in my bed.  I looked down at him as he stared back at me and I picked him up and wandered into the room that Michael and Neil shared.  They were both sound asleep.  I sat in the middle of their floor and cradled Daniel and soothed him back to sleep.  When he drifted off, I looked at all three of my boys and wondered how much their lives would shift once they woke up in the morning.  I cringed at the thought of how their lives could change in the next few hours and would it affect them immediately or over time.  My thoughts then shifted to the children in Iraq.  My  heart broke as I realized that their impact would be very sudden and physical.  I felt an ache in my stomach.  I went and laid Daniel back in bed and wandered back to my computer.

I went into one of the mommy groups I belonged to at the time and posted a prayer request...for our Military, our Nation and the children in Iraq.  I immediately got blasted by other members, told that we must be war hungry and that all our Soldiers wanted was to go and kill innocent women and children.  I remember feeling like I had been slapped.  I left that group that night and never went back.  I went into my Military Wives group and read through messages of fear, uncertainty and vulnerability.  I talked for hours in a chatroom with my sisters as we tried to map out our futures, as we discussed supporting our men in uniform and by simply saying we understood the mix of emotions we felt.

The next morning we woke up to the news that we were at war.  I knew right then as I got my boys ready for the day that our lives would never be the same.

In the past 10 years our lives have changed.  We have endured separation and pain.  We have attended funeral services and visited friends in hospitals.  Our family has sacrificed a lot...willingly.  Kevin could have gotten out, he chose to continue on and serve.  He volunteered to go to war.  He has defended this nation to protect his family.  While many have attacked our Troops and their service in Iraq, I am proud of him and all who have served over there.  I know they have made a difference, I believe in them and honor them.

I don't talk politics, I talk about the pride of knowing some of the most amazing people in this nation, our Military Servicemembers and I am proud to call so many friends.  I am proud to call myself the wife of a Soldier who serves for the future of his boys.

 

Thank you to all of our Iraq War Veterans and especially our Fallen Heroes and their Families, please know there is one family who will always support and who will never forget!