I currently have two sons deployed, both with the 32 IBCT (Wisconsin National Guard). One has grad school on hold and the other has law school, a wife and two young children awaiting his return.
Support has been generally good, but one organization deserves a shout out - Serving the 32nd. They started as a support group for the deployed 32nd companies from the Eau Claire area, but expanded their mission to provide some state-wide events. Their efforts are appreciated.
Guard units face a different kind of stress. They are often older, more likely to have families, are usually interrupting careers. Their families rarely live near a base, residing instead (sometimes) near the city their company is headquartered in. In our case, in their first deployment, they were deployed through Onalaska (near La Crosse), but Jon's wife and children lived in the Twin Cities, while we live in Stevens Point. It was a long haul to any Family Readiness Group event and we didn't get to know many of the other families very well. It was also a long drive to any base, the nearest being in Sparta (yes, Sparta, Wisconsin loves Greek names).
Today, Serving the Troops is holding a state-wide event, with all families of serving 32nd IBCT invited to Madison to watch the game at an arena. They will also have live video links (even though it will be 9:00 p.m.+ in Iraq). Note, the 32nd has about 3,500 members, so this might fill the arena. Many Wisconsin companies have lined up to provide food, drink, the arena, etc.
We are making it a family gathering, as Packer games so often are.
So kudos to a community organization that grew and expanded their mission and is providing support to our troops. Kudos also to the companies making this event possible.
Update -
We got a shout out during the NFL broadcast, which was neat. Best of all was the free video link. Our family (three generations of us including father-in-law) was able to spend almost half an hour on a very fast Skype connection. Josh, my 3 year old grandson, was very involved with talking to his dad, Lt. Jonathan Barnett, in Camp Taji. They were also set up to do general shout outs (yes, they called them that) for the various camps where units of the 32nd are deployed. The food consisted of great Wisconsin style fare - Culver's custard, Johnsonville brats, etc. Games and activities for the kids, including a climbing wall for the older children.
It was a special day for the troops too, since their command made an effort to give them the time off. They had the video contacts, a mention on the NFL broadcast and a chance to watch the game in a group.
Photos available at
http://www.facebook.com/...
OK, they feature my grandson, but what can I say.
The event was well run with a ton of volunteers. Their only problem was that they may have tried to do too much. Many families would have been happy to use the free video links, watch the game and enjoy the picnic atmosphere. The band (very good) and constant announcements in the arena made it very loud at times - tiring for the kids and adults. Minor quibble, since it was a major effort by a number of community groups to make a nice day for the troops and their families.