Today my hubby had to board the plane to Iraq. I'll tell you, it was such a surreal experience. I sit here tonight waiting to hear his motorcycle pull in to the driveway, although I logically know that won't happen.
They had us at the post at 8 am (0800 Army time) so that the guys could do formation, to make sure all soldiers were accounted for. Then we had to stand in line for what seemed like hours so they could get guns to carry on the flight. That's an interesting process.
Finally we went to the gym to sit on unbearably hard bleachers for three hours of "family time" before they left. The guys had to do another formation (basically an organized group line) to check their carry-on bags for size and such, then have them checked off the list for flight time. Finally, the call came across the gym, "Ten minutes".
I will never forget the faces of families around me in tears, spouses kissing, parents hugging babies and children. Then the sight of those huge white buses parked at the curb to drive the troops to the airport. (I will forever hate seeing a white bus.)
I just came straight home, to get over the initial shock of knowing he wouldn't be here for the next 15 months. Overall, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I didn't cry as much as I figured I would, but I will say that deployment was so much easier the first two times, when I didn't have to see him leave. But this time, we didn't say goodbye. We simply said, "I love you", and "I'll see you soon". That's so much easier than goodbye. In fact, up to this point, we've promised never to say goodbye to each other, at important times like this. That way it's not such a final thing, and makes it easier to look forward to being together again.
I'm so glad that I already know this time will be done before I realize it, and it will feel like he just left "yesterday".
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