Saturday, June 14, 2008

Count down begins...433 days...and 5 days down...

....428 to go... Devon left Tuesday morning. He had to drop his bags off at 06:00. Devon left early so there would be no problems. My dad had traveled to Texas for support and to see Devon off. We got there with a little something to eat and some drinks right around 06:00. And then we waited....
Not long after the soldiers were standing in line to "draw their weapons." They carry M4s. Some M4s had lasers or grenade launchers or sites, but most looked pretty bare. No - they weren't loaded, but they would be carrying them on a commercial airliner. No civilians would be on board.
It must have been around 09:00 that they had everyone walk to the office building down the road a bit so the soldiers could have a sort of 'attendance' taken - pre-manifest.
Then they had everyone walk to the parking lot where the soldiers would be picked up. By now the sun was high and it was hot! The soldiers had to stand in formation for the majority of the remainder of the time. HHC, Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie company. Devon is in HHC (Head Quarter Company - I have no idea why there is a second H and no Q). Don't ask me all the details of what everything he is in...I only know what he's said, but not with much understanding....4th Brigaid and STB (Special Troops Battalion). He is one of the Military Police attached to the 1st Cavalry unit. At any rate, the buses came to pick them up at around 10:30A. Devon had talked me into a few tears earlier in the morning - punk. :) But after he was walking in line to get on the bus I had a short break down...luckily Dad was there. It didn't last long, I didn't want Devon to see my face for the last time in tears. He needed smiles and support - so that's what he got!
...
More than 48 hours I get a call from him. He is calling from Kuwait. The plane from Killeen had flown straight to Germany and from there to Kuwait. He will be there for a couple, few weeks. The soldiers are getting acclimated to the time zone (9 hours ahead - so when we talk I tell him to have a nice day and he says have a good night) and the weather (106 to 110 F dry heat...lately - its only June). They will also do some more training as a whole Battalion. Then they will move on to Iraq for the remainder of the 15 month mission.
I am so proud of Devon and all that he is doing for us and for his country and for the country he is spending time in. I am so impressed by his strength and courage. I am going to miss him, but I know that others have been through this before, that his going means someone else gets their loved one home, and that this is a small moment in time compared to the eternity that we get to spend together.
God Bless America, God Bless the Soldiers that Defend Freedom throughout the World, and God Bless my Hubby. :)





My Boys!