On Thursday, January 6th at 5:15am I received a phone call from Kale, it began like this:
Me: (half awake and groggy) Hello?
Kale: Hey, so....we're going.
Me: say that again...
Kale: We're going, were packing now...
Me: You're lying...
The conversation continued for another 20 minutes, and just by reading that, I'm sure that most of you have no idea what that means or why it deserves its own blog posting but there had been rumors for weeks that my husband's unit, 3rd Battalion 8th Marines, was going to be activated to go to Afghanistan, since he couldn't say openly that he was going to Afghanistan since news hadn't broke publicly yet, this was his way of telling me...
(Re-enlistment Ceremony- Nov. 2009)
The phrase my friend LeShea used was "my heart just sunk to my toes"...We re-enlisted with 3/8 for the sole purpose that the deployment was to be a non-combat tour. MEUs are almost always considered a "booze cruise", heck just a few weeks ago Kale was here and now he is lacing up his boots to head into the fight. I know that there is always a possibility that the MEU would be activated to go into war but its not very common, mainly their job is to wait for some country to need humanitarian relief! If we knew it would end up like this, I cant say that we would be with this unit, we would most likely be with another unit at the current moment. He should be floating around, getting off in random countries, drinking and spending way too much money! Well not this time...this deployment just went from a "safe,see you in 9 months, have fun" deployment to a "please be safe, make it home to me" deployment. When we said goodbye back in August, there was no doubt in my mind that he would be returning home but now, that isn't a set in stone guaruntee.
(Deployment Day- August 2010)
I feel like its deployment day all over again, I dont want him to go. Yes, he is already gone but hes not in danger now. I wish I could be there to hug him, kiss him, and tell him to come home to me. It just isnt the same over the phone...Thankfully, this trip into Afghanistan wont be as long as their last deployment there back in 2008-2009, I obviously am not disclosing everything that I know due to OPSEC but I have my fingers crossed that they will be back when originally scheduled and not extended, again.
Some of you may think this new development sounds a little familiar, well if you watched the news at all on that Thursday, you would have heard of it...some news articles that were published that day included...
Article of ABC, it was discussed on the nightly news
Jacksonville Daily News released a short statement
As well as every other news station, I wont lie, I was glued to the coverage on CNN for most of that day!
(Homecoming from Afghanistan- June 2009)
So, bring it on deployment...You have already thrown me for a loop, and now you are adding another...I am ready for whichever twist and turn is next on this crazy roller coaster ride because I see the end zone- homecoming which will be double as sweet!
I'll be praying for your husband's safety!
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