Why you ask? Because I have the best husband and he's an amazing father too. For an issue of the publication he's writing for during his deployment, he wrote a commentary about being called up for the IRR. Bust out the tissues before you read this. I think you'll need them --- I sure did!
I remember vividly that terrible day on September 11th, 2001, standing on top of the hotel where I worked in New Jersey, watching plumes of smoke billow out of the two towers before they collapsed. Then and there I decided I wanted to do something more with my life than stand by passively and watch others defend this great land from those who wish to reign terror and death upon it.
I enlisted in the Army and served four years before being transferred to the Inactive Ready Reserves. Soon thereafter, two of the most important events in my life happened nearly one month apart. This past November, I received activation orders to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and then, one month later, on December 28, 2006 my son was born.
The range and emotions that swirled around my head ranged from tremendous joy knowing I was a dad to terrible anguish knowing that in order to fulfill my obligation to this country, I would have to leave my wife with the responsibility of raising our child for at least the next year.
I knew that many Soldiers ordered to serve again from the IRR weren’t honoring their commitments and I knew I could never be one of them. One of the most important things I want my son to know about me is that when my country asked me to serve, I stepped up and refused to be counted a coward.
As Father’s Day approaches and with my son now close to six months old, I find it difficult to be away. I’ve missed his first smile and his first taste of solid food, times that I can never get back.
However I like to think that I, like so many other fathers here serving in Joint Task Force – Guantanamo, am like the many other fathers who have served before us, fighting in various conflicts throughout history to ensure our nation’s safety. These were men who were willing to miss those precious moments with their loved ones in order to take part in critical missions in the defense of our nation.
In some ways it feels like this is the most fatherly thing we can do, to stand in the gap and defend our families and protect our friends.
There will be more moments that I will miss during this deployment here, the first time he sits up, his first steps and, very likely, his first words. But hopefully he will understand and forgive my absence during this time because of the mission I’ve been called to perform.
Luckily, thanks to technological advancements, I can stay connected to my family in ways that were inconceivable even 15 years ago. E-mail, video messaging, and cell phones make the burden of this deployment a little easier. I am so thankful that thanks to the Morale, Welfare, and Recreational facilities here, I can even see my son every few days or so.
Sometimes when talking to friends of mine who have children, it is hard for me to mask my jealousy of them. But my jealousy is tempered with the knowledge that the important work that I am doing here, that we all are doing here, is the reason that they and their children are safer in their homes and communities from terrorism.
Big news about Aidan...stay tuned for tomorrow's post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
