How Much Longer 'til This Deployment is Over?

LT Fromage has been gone more than 4 months now. Sadly, he’s already lost a very good friend, among the soldiers he’s known that have been injured or given their lives.

When there is a death or injury, in order to make sure the families are the first to be notified, the soldiers are put on “blackout”, which means all forms of communication are cut off.

Blackouts suck. I hate not hearing from LT Fromage for days, and it’s heartbreaking to know why he hasn’t been able to get in touch. The first few times it happened, I was a wreck. I kept waiting for that car to pull up in my driveway, coming to tell me I’d lost my husband. Of course, that hasn’t happened (and I pray it never does), and as time goes on, I’ve learned to worry less.

Before you start hating on me, remember that letting go is really the only thing I can do. Being in a constant state of fear doesn’t help anybody, and it’s rather depressing. It’s a harsh reality that he may not come home, and we’ve had to make sure things are in order, should that fate be ours, but I have faith in his abilities and even more faith in God. It’s always in the back of my mind, but dwelling on it doesn’t make him any safer.

LT Fromage has been on blackout for days, and this morning I got an email with the subject “Casualty Notification”.

Of course I knew this would not be the chosen way to notify the family of such news, but I had never received an email like this, I didn't even want to imagine what it said. My heart stopped, the hairs on my arms stood up and tears welled in my eyes. I had never felt so afraid in my entire life.

It was not my husband. I don’t know why, for the first time, they sent out a mass email to the families of the unit, but they did. While I breathed easier knowing LT Fromage is fine, my heart hurts for those not as lucky.

I know one man with short hair and combat boots looks just like the next (or, they do to me), but each one is eveything to somebody. Now they are called “casualties”, but before that they were known as fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, wives, daughters, mothers and friends. Please keep our them in your thoughts and prayers (especially the family who is suffering right now).