Pulling my head out of the sand

Living in an Army community is unlike any other experience you could imagine. For the first 5 years of our marriage we were immersed in all things Army. But, the last 5 years we spent 30 miles outside of an Air Force base. Eric drove 20 miles of dirt road to work each day, and unless you lived on Camp Rudder, the Army was just something in the back of your mind. Eric was non-deployable at that location because it was TRADOC (Military Training), so I didn't focus or worry about his safety as much...except for jumping out of airplanes & helicopters.

Over the past 2 years, I've once again had to face the reality of being an Army wife.

It was all too real when I was contacted by an old friend to let me know one of our fellow Gimlet wives lost her husband just 3 weeks after their third child was born.

And then again when a new Army wife called, with a quiver in her voice, asking if there was any OTHER reason why two uniformed soldiers were approaching her neighbors house.

And when I had a patient's mother ask about my bracelet, which honors John D. Amos II, and then shows me hers in honor of her brother who was killed last year.

And now, as I read about the 31 soldiers that were killed in Afghanistan, my heart breaks once again. It breaks every time I read about a soldier paying the ultimate sacrifice, and I cry for the family they leave behind.

Although I'll never personally know most of these brave men & women, I love them for their courage and selfless sacrifice.

The Military, as a whole, is a family. And we truly do mourn the loss of every Soldier, Airman, Marine & Sailor. You are never forgotten!