really brings it all back home in a powerful way

R

retro

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I just got to talk to one of my oldest friends on Facebook... he was one of my groomsmen in my wedding, and I've known him for getting close to 20 years now. He's in the Army and has been in Talibanistan for the last 7 weeks... with no idea when he's going to be able to leave again... they were told 12 months, or 15, or more. He already served a 15 month deployment in Iraq before spending a year at Ft. Hood and a year in Germany. He was also telling me that some of the guys that he's there with are on their 4th and 5th deployments to Afghanistan alone.

I had a lot of friends that went in the military after high school, but most of them were 4 years in the Air Force and then done... a few stayed in for 6. He's the only one that's been in long-term, on his second enlistment now and this one doesn't expire until 2014.

Really brings it back home for me. He's saying that he figures he'll get a little time back home before being shipped out again before the end of this enlistment... depending on where we're at with Iraq/Afghanistan at that point. Just a real cold dose of reality of what it's like for those of you in the military, especially those that have been in Iraq or Afghanistan. You're certainly all better men than I could ever hope to be.
 
I couldn't do it. I have a friend who was in the army but was discharged due to injuries, I don't know the exact circumstances. It's a whole other world.

I certainly couldn't bear being away from my loved ones for so long.
 
My son in law -my youngest daughter's husband- has been in the AF for about 13 years, and I shudder at the thought of having him deployed again.. or given orders to move to some other country, which is a distinct possibility in less than two years.. :(
He has been stationed on base for a while, but before being sent where he is now, we never knew where he was from one day to the next...
The stress for anyone having a loved one in any branch of the military is unbelievable..
 
I never dated anyone seriously in the service because I don't want a husband that I might not see for months. Some really like it, in fact, some military marriages end when the man gets out of the service if he stays home a lot ;)

I am wondering if they will pay the troops when the government is furloughed? That would be real shitty!
 
hart said:
I never dated anyone seriously in the service because I don't want a husband that I might not see for months. Some really like it, in fact, some military marriages end when the man gets out of the service if he stays home a lot ;)

I am wondering if they will pay the troops when the government is furloughed? That would be real shitty!
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I know the Republicans were trying to pass another one week extension that would've included paying the military through the end of the year. The last I heard the Democrats were pushing hard against that... both because they don't like the proposal, and so they can claim that the Republicans don't care about the military.

Nobody gives a shit about what actually happens to the military, they're just another pawn in the hands of the politicians so they can get what they want.
 
My mom is convinced they will; they've never not paid before.

My husband's command is talking like they think the paychecks will stop coming.

I've been the child dependent and a spousal dependent. It's different each way, and I've been lucky for as long as I can remember, just about. My dad wasn't around a lot when I was much younger, mostly training. And then at the beginning of my senior year, he had volunteered to go to Iraq. It was really really rough. I'd have school days where I would just break down and walk out of the classroom to find my brother. Fortunately, Matt hasn't gone and likely never will. I've had a few friends deploy, but mostly to non-combat zones.
 
HottyToddyChick said:
My mom is convinced they will; they've never not paid before.

My husband's command is talking like they think the paychecks will stop coming.

I've been the child dependent and a spousal dependent. It's different each way, and I've been lucky for as long as I can remember, just about. My dad wasn't around a lot when I was much younger, mostly training. And then at the beginning of my senior year, he had volunteered to go to Iraq. It was really really rough. I'd have school days where I would just break down and walk out of the classroom to find my brother. Fortunately, Matt hasn't gone and likely never will. I've had a few friends deploy, but mostly to non-combat zones.
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was your dad in the first gulf war?
 
The worst part about the whole military not getting paid thing- a LOT of military families live paycheck to paycheck, especially in the lower ranks, and if they stop getting paid, they will still be working and will NOT be able to get a second job to make up for the lack of pay. Not without jumping through a bunch of hoops.
 
pjbleek said:
was your dad in the first gulf war?
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No. He was active but never deployed. I think he was gone for training. Or if it was because of the Gulf War, he never saw any action. Both my Uncles were in combat zones, and my grandfather may have been also- I'm not sure when he got out. He did a full 30, so it's very likely he was active then, at any rate.

I think that's why he volunteered for Iraq- he knew the end of his 20 years was coming up and he had joined to serve his country. He'd never been deployed like that before.
 
HottyToddyChick said:
Fortunately, Matt hasn't gone and likely never will. I've had a few friends deploy, but mostly to non-combat zones.
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I hope for your sake that he doesn't have to. Every single one of my friends that were in the military (I had friends and relatives in all four branches) have gone to Iraq, Afghanistan, or both... or in theatre in a support craft. I had one family friend die saving the lives of two civilians and members of his squad. Fortunately, the rest of my friends were lucky in that only one of them was infantry.
 
HottyToddyChick said:
No. He was active but never deployed. I think he was gone for training. Or if it was because of the Gulf War, he never saw any action. Both my Uncles were in combat zones, and my grandfather may have been also- I'm not sure when he got out. He did a full 30, so it's very likely he was active then, at any rate.

I think that's why he volunteered for Iraq- he knew the end of his 20 years was coming up and he had joined to serve his country. He'd never been deployed like that before.
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My dad never got deployed to Desert Shield/Storm either. He was sent to Florida in reserve for the entire time, and was scheduled to be deployed right as it all came to an end.
 
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