By the time this puppy goes to press, Army Specialist E-4 Ryan
T. King should have his feet firmly planted on American soil.
Sunday morning I headed out for Fort Carson to bring my son home
for Christmas. Oh yes, I have been sleeping very well this past
week because while checking my e-mail Dec. 8, I received one hell
of a surprise
– an e-mail from my son in Iraq! Can you believe it?
By the time this puppy goes to press, Army Specialist E-4 Ryan T. King should have his feet firmly planted on American soil.
Sunday morning I headed out for Fort Carson to bring my son home for Christmas. Oh yes, I have been sleeping very well this past week because while checking my e-mail Dec. 8, I received one hell of a surprise – an e-mail from my son in Iraq! Can you believe it?
Here it is, nine months later and now that Ryan is leaving, I get e-mail from him – lots of e-mail. Five in one day!
Saturday morning I took a count and I have had 25 e-mails in six days! This means he must be out of the field. Jim said if Ryan has access to a computer, then he must be in the separation barracks where troops go when they are about to redeploy back home.
“They want to keep them out of harm’s way as much as they can,” he said.
Well, that was good news – or so I thought, until the first suicide attack on a U.S. barracks compound. And as of Friday, Dec. 12, three suicide attacks in one week. Go figure. Maybe Ryan would have been better off in the field until it was time for takeoff.
When reports of any attacks on our troops first hit the news media, it is not immediately known what I.D. unit was hit. It is that first broadcast that hangs like a diminishing full moon, poised, but out of focus behind a wall of rain-filled clouds that move at the mercy of the wind warning, “Take shelter.” This is when I wished my son had e-mail!
I understand, however, why it was not possible to allow soldiers in the field access because every soldier’s mother with Internet access would flood the Internet highway every time one of these reports came in.
Somehow, I don’t think the enemy would understand, “Hold your fire – I got to send an e-mail to my ma.”
Jim instructed me to send Ryan an e-mail telling him while he was on the way to the airport to “stay away from the windows and sit in the middle.”
With my approaching departure date closing in, I had to complete my obligations to a deadline, update the animal emergency numbers and get the house in order. All last week I cooked and froze enough food to keep my darling Jim well-fed while I’m gone.
See, if I don’t prepare anything in advance for Jim, he is certain to make a fast getaway, heading for the closest fast-food joint in town.
Because I want my loved one to stick around, I have placed Jim on a restricted diet – what I call the almost Atkins Diet. Jim has not touched fast food in nearly two months. I have cut out his potatoes, but the biggie was when I took away Jim’s bread. He was heartbroken because that man will eat bread with every meal and by the loaf if allowed.
Certainly as a family unit we are ecstatic and elated as an evolution will take place for all of us as we enter into the next phase of our lives as a family. There is a lot of family news to catch up on. The kind of family news you keep to yourself because troops on the frontline don’t need to be distracted with worry. Distraction could cost a soldier’s life and the life of the guy watching his back.
Along with many other soldiers whose tour of duty is up, families will be welcoming home more than a soldier with a number and dog tags around his neck. They welcome home sons and daughters, wives and husbands, brothers and sisters, a member of their family circle. Welcome home my son. Love you forever – Mom.
