07): I Wonder

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Wednesday April 18, 2007 · 4:39 PM PDT

2007/04/18 · 16:39

On April 11, Sgt. Raymond S. Sevaaetasi was killed by an IED. He was in my husband's unit.

In seeing his name and realizing that the unit he belonged to is also the unit my husband is in; I wonder if I saw him six months ago in the parking lot at Ft. Hood as I dropped my husband off for the bus to the airport.

I wonder if I saw his family saying their goodbyes. I wonder if they, like me, sat in that parking lot while he drew weapons and loaded his ruck sacks filled with gear onto the shipping container. I wonder if they held on to him tight and never wanted to let go?

I wonder if he received carepackages and mail from a Kossack as a result of our carepackage drive for the unit? I wonder, if he did get mail, did he write that Kossack back?

silvercedes

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Sunday April 15, 2007 · 7:17 PM PDT

2007/04/15 · 19:17

Yesterday, the San Antonio Area Scottie and Westie Rescue held our 6th annual "Texas Terriers & Bluebonnets" fundraiser picnic. We had around 80 people and 65 dogs on hand for food, fun, prizes, games, pictures and a bagpiper!

Follow me down below to read more and see gratuitous doggie pictures, and more of the fun!

silvercedes

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Wednesday April 11, 2007 · 5:10 PM PDT

2007/04/11 · 17:10

I had a diary all written and ready to go for tonite's "I Got The News Today" edition. In light of today's expected announcement of the new 15 month tours, I thought I would postpone that diary in order to do some freestyle journaling and expose the raw, bleeding, and battered psyche of an Army wife whose husband is caught up in the extension...

silvercedes

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Wednesday April 04, 2007 · 6:58 PM PDT

2007/04/04 · 18:58

Since my husband has deployed, I haven’t heard one thing from any Family Readiness Group (FRG). None of my husband’s command here at BAMC have checked in on me. No one from the 1st Cavalry FRG out of Ft. Hood has called to see how I’m doing. I could be dead or in a hospital somewhere, and my husband wouldn’t know about it (at least not from the military "support" system, anyways).

So for all those National Guard and Reserve families who have complained about not having any support system because they aren’t active duty military; don’t worry, the active duty family members are getting the shaft too.

Deployments are when you find out that there is a big difference between "supporting the troops" as a noun, and "supporting the troops" as a verb. As a military spouse, I’d appreciate a lot more verb and a lot less noun...

silvercedes

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Wednesday March 28, 2007 · 6:37 PM PDT

2007/03/28 · 18:37

One of the most "fun" things you get to experience prior to your spouse deploying, is having "The What If" talk with your spouse. My husband and I had to divide this talk into sections in order to make it through all of it, sober. One night early last fall, we had to stop "The Funeral" talk after two bottles of wine because both of us were suddenly howling drunk laughing over what he wanted for his eulogy.

The sections of this pre-deployment talk can best be described as:

Part A) The Power of Attorney Talk
Part B) The Living Will Talk, AKA the Please-Unplug-Me Discussion
Part C) The Funeral/Burial Talk
Part D) The Will Talk

silvercedes

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Wednesday March 21, 2007 · 5:32 PM PDT

2007/03/21 · 17:32

You know what? I am sick and tired of the smarmy "Support the Troops" glurge that litters my inbox every single day. Don’t think that because my husband is in Baghdad that I’ll think you’re some sort of super-duper-extra-crispy-with-cheese-on-top patriot when you forward this crap to me. You’re not. In fact, I think you’re a moron.

I am so tired of it that I’ve decided to fight back, and I’m taking no prisoners. This crusade is coming soon to an email account near you, so you’d better be ready. If you’re guilty of thinking that shopping at Target helps support terrorism, that wearing red on Fridays means anything to the troops, that Starbucks hates the troops because they won’t send them free coffee, or that certain restaurants refuse service to members of the military; then you need to keep reading because this little "Army Wife" diatribe is written especially for you.

silvercedes

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Friday March 16, 2007 · 7:03 PM PDT

2007/03/16 · 19:03

We finally managed to get the new address for the 1st Cavalry's 15th Base Support Battalion Medical unit onto Anysoldier.com! Before the unit had to move, Kossacks had shipped over 70 pieces of mail to my husband for him to distribute to the troops his aid station cares for.

More to follow...

silvercedes

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Wednesday March 14, 2007 · 6:55 PM PDT

2007/03/14 · 18:55

I am a member of a ragtag gang of military wives; we represent every branch of service, both officer and enlisted. We live all over the globe and communicate electronically. The internet has revolutionized the way we, as spouses and families cope with deployments.

In late 2002, we knew that we had better get our poop in a group to support each other. We knew.

We banded together and established a message board for military spouses. We have someone at almost every military base across the world. Support is so important during crisis, and we wanted someone who was within an email or a phone call away "just in case."

Since DH is assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), one of the major hospitals for trauma treatment, amputee care, and the Army’s burn center; I have been the "Just in Case" wife five times. I meet families referred to me by our little internet railroad. I try and meet the family the day they get to San Antonio. I bring bags of toiletries, maps, a "Welcome to San Antonio" magazine, etc. I’ve held hands, hugged, laughed, cried, and brought meals to the hospital.

I do this because I would want someone to do to me as I do to others...

silvercedes

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Wednesday February 28, 2007 · 5:18 PM PST

2007/02/28 · 17:18

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks when my husband spoke them over two years ago. "What?" I stammered. "Iwan was killed." He repeated the words again. The air in our home is heavy with shock and then suffocating grief. I feel my knees start to shake so I sit down on the couch. This has to, somehow, be a bad joke. He sits down beside me and we are both quiet. He starts to cry and I reach out to him to hold him. "Iwan was killed....."

silvercedes

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Friday February 16, 2007 · 5:29 PM PST

2007/02/16 · 17:29

I am an Army wife. My husband is currently in Baghdad, and will be for the foreseeable future. This is not my first deployment, it’s not the first time I’ve been "left behind," I am good at this, comfortable at being alone, and self sufficient. I’m sure this deployment won’t be the last time he has to leave me; he has six more years to go before he can retire.

A few months ago, I was at home working on a craft project. It was supposed to be a quiet weekend for me, except for the fact that I hadn’t heard from my husband in over three days. Usually, I hear from him once or twice a day via email. He calls home once a week or so.

The DoD had just announced the deaths of thirteen more troops. I’m a little worried. Okay, - a lot worried.

I had been nervously checking my email and our bank account for signs of activity. My husband and I have an agreed upon method of communicating should his internet access go down. He goes to the FOB’s PX and buys something with his debit card. I can see the purchase online and I know he’s okay. But for three days, there is nothing. Nada. Zip. I worry more.

Then, the doorbell rang...

silvercedes

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Tuesday December 26, 2006 · 8:13 PM PST

2006/12/26 · 20:13

As promised and previously discussed here and here, the Daily Kos community has pulled together and mailed my husband's Army medical unit approximately 50 care packages! Flip this page to find out more...

silvercedes

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

IGTNT (4/18/07): I Wonder

Top Comments: Scotties & Westies & Bluebonnets, Oh My!

IGTNT (4/11/07): Extended

IGTNT (4/04/07):With A Little Help From My Friends

IGTNT (3/28/07): "What If?"

IGTNT (3/21/07) Take This Email and Shove It!

ACTION UPDATE: KOS 1st Cav Carepackage Drive

IGTNT 3/14/07: Sorrow Sisters

IGTNT (2/28/07): "Iwan was Killed..."

IGTNT (2/16/2007): When The Doorbell Rings

UPDATE: Kos Care Package Drive for 1st Cavalry

ACTION: Send my DH's Army Unit a Carepackage!