Routine

Well, things have gotten better!! I still miss the family but i'm in a routine and that helps the time go bye just a little faster. Being deployed isn't all that bad, being seperated from the family, missing the kids and their activities, eating chow hall, excuse me DFAC, food every day, and going through the exact same process every day for months and months, Who really enjoys that stuff anyway? I'll tell you, I DO!! I'm really happy though, I know that Nikki and the Kids love and miss me but they are there to support one another and go on with their lives and that is exactly the way that I want it!! I don't want them to be sad and waste the next couple of months they have so much to offer. Shanee with her Girl Scouts, Volleyball, and just a great fun loving girl, it would be a shame for anybody to miss out on that!! Tehya, with her amazing soccer skills, troublemaking spirit (I mean this in a good way and she knows it), and her loving heart. Jay, his football skills at the center position and his great joking playful attitude!! Then there is the wife, she is an amazing person!! She is able to push her feelings aside or at least contain them so she can be the rock, the one the kids can come to when they are just having a bad day. She doesn't really have the time to have a bad day, how can she? there is so much going on with the kids and work and being a Girl Scout leader and...and...and...I think you get the picture. If you guys don't get it yet, I Love My Wife and I Love My Family!!!! So, before I get to mushy (is it too late?) I'm going to close and tell you to thank a Military Member as well as their family because they make a lot of sacrifices for their and your country!!
Good Night and Thanks for the Support.

It's been a while!!

It has been a while since I've had the chance to get on here!! Let me update everyone, I'm doing fine other than being homesick and missing the family way more than I expected!! Since I've deployed twice before I thought it would be easier this time but to be honest this has been the hardest one so far. I've given it some thought and can't put my finger on it. Why is this one seeming to be more difficult? I know that it will get better and that we'll all make it just fine and that we'll be stronger because of it but that is just my faith talking!! Because as of this moment, I'd do almost anything to go home. I truly have a great respect and appreciation for the military members that live the greater part of their career away from their families, the ones that are gone for 15-18 months home for 6-12 months and on the road again. I think most of it stems from the fact that I'm on a foriegn base within a foriegn country and I don't have the creature comforts of Services and AFN and feel isolated from the fa,ily and the world. I don't get to speak to the wife and kids on a regular basis and I don't get news and more importantly I haven't watched any type of sporting event on a week. Yes, no ESPN I don't know if I'll make it:) Well, I think that is enough whining for now!! Thanks everybody for your support and prayers and looking out for my family, that is one thing that will make this deployment bearable.

On The Way

Well, The day finally came:( I'm on my way...I'm sitting in the USO in Baltimore waiting for my flight out later this evening, It's been a long day already and I still have 20 something hours of travel time to go. The good bye this morning didn't go too bad, I think the kids would have done alright if I could've held it together but as Nikki says, I'm a big baby.:) I did decide this morning that I will never do this again, I understand my responsibility as a military member and will do as I'm directed. However, I'll have 18 1/2 years in the military when I get back so I'd rather retire than have to leave my family again. I'm not looking for any sympathy or complaining, there are many soldiers/sailors/marines/airmen that are gone longer and more often then myself and I think they are great people for doing it!! I just won't to do it again and I'll be lucky enough to be in a position that I'll have a little more say and I'd bet that most anybody that could, would rather be at home with the wife and kids. As you can see, I've started to ramble so I'll say, "Goodbye" for now.