MEN LEAVING FOR COMBAT ZONE

[blondie 11]

(this is not a discussion on if you think the war is right or wrong)

As some of you are aware, I work at a hotel where we accomadate our troops as they leave for the war zone and when they return.

Today we had a first, Being Thursday, this is the day the troops leave and it is always difficult. I see faces of guys that a full of emotion, but they usually get lots of calls from back home. The cel phones are always ringing as they get on the bus for the airport.

 

After I left at 3pm yesterday, one of the guys wife came in with 2 small children. She was there screaming, crying and telling the children not to let Daddy go. Daddy had signed up to serve and had taken the final instructions this week. This was so difficult on him and the other men leaving. She was asked several times to please step back for the childrens safety. She even went so far as to try to hide his duffle bag. I have been seeing these troops leave for many years, and I saw the senior officers puzzled in how to handle this delicate situation. It was having a negative impact on the other troops also.

 

When I was a Navy wife, I never would have cause any problems for my husband, and to me this was very childish behavior. Am I being harsh???

[darroll]

It’s childish behavior.
We didn’t even have that when were drafted.

[stillgoing]

Nope. She's just wants someone to take care of her, very hands on. Hopefully she'll grow up during this experience. Doubtful, but it could happen.

[larry kremis]

You're not being harsh. This is a very weak woman, not ready to take care of her children and her home on her own. I know I am sounding harsh. It's an incredibly sad and depressing moment for our warriors and their families. A real woman doesn't act like this. All the soldiers and their families need compassion, she was making damned sure she got it. Pathetic. I really feel sorry for those kids and her husband who will be half a world away, fearing for his life, and at the same time, fearing for his children's welfare in the care of this pathetic loser.

[CWO3ROBBIE]

Having been a married soldier that deployed, and having had many soldiers who worked for me, and a son who was in Afghanistan in the infantry deploy, I have to say, I always thought it is harder for those left behind than those being deployed. Having someone break down like that in public is rare but understandable to me. Without knowing more about her and her situation I won't make judgements. I will say that the situation could not have been good for any one involved. I hope the senior Officers have learned what to expect and will try to preclude it from happening again. My ex wife is very patriotic. She watched me go of to viet Nam, She watched our youngest son leave for Afghanistan. She held up really well both times, but she stated, and I fully believed her, That if the son was being sent to Iraq she would have encouraged him to desert. And that she would have made such a stink that it would never have been forgotten. I personally am very surprised that some father of a son or daughter killed in Iraq has not attempted to kill Bush and or Cheny.

[larry kremis]

Heart wrenching for sure to see a loved one shipped off to war. That woman did her husband and her children a huge disservice. What a fucking drama queen. It was all about her.

[CWO3ROBBIE]

Larry, I don't understand how you can be so decisive without knowing more about the situation. I once had a E-4 who worked for me put in for emergency leave. The Battlalion Sergeant Major did not like me. He diapproved the kids leave. The kid came unglued and went awol. I caught him before he got out of town. He told me his father was dieing of cancer and he was going home no matter what the army did to him. I confronted the Sergeant Major. He said the kid was lying and he wouldn't approve his leave because he was worthless. I called the Battlaion Commander and he had the red cross contacted. Turned out the kids dad who BTW was a retired NCO was dieing of cancer. We advanced the kid leave. That was just one of many runins I had with that Sergeant Major. Things aren't always as cut and dried as they seem.

[larry kremis]

"She was there screaming, crying and telling the children not to let Daddy go".

Right, Robbie. I don't know this woman nor her situation. I just have this image in my mind that disgusts me to no end. The image in my mind is that of small children who don't understand and are scared out of their minds.

Bless the real warrior wives like trr's daughter, the ones who hurt just as much as this woman but remain strong.

[Merry]

I respect my sons for what they chose to do as far as serving our country.I'm proud of them,but truth or dare, I have a very emotional side that gets triggered by situations like that and I'm glad to hear someone being nonjudgemental when they don't know the whole story. The woman needs conseling and hopefully she will get a larger dose of it now. The families of soldiers ALL need a tremendous amount of support, anyone who thinks they are above having emotional moments is full of it.

[larry kremis]

I didn't see anybody here try to diminish the depths of despair felt by all who watch loved ones being sent off to a combat zone. We all have the ability to control our behavior, even when overcome with emotion. What happened is strictly hearsay, blondie had already left work and didn't witness the outburst in front of this woman's small children, but I'm sure it happens by those hoping to garner as much pity as possible.

[CWO3ROBBIE]

1GL, I think you have been watching too much television. You don't know this woman, how can you demean her based on what someone else has reported. Sure, you can visulize any amount of crap that you want. But what basis in fact does this thread have? An observation. How do you know that this woman didn't just have some other family member killed in action. How do you know that in her mind she was trying to save her husbands life? I wanted to use a lot more graphic language in my response to you and Larry but I will give both of you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you haven't thought it through.

[larry kremis]

Come to think of it, I've met this woman Robbie. Driving my 18 wheeler on route 51 between Chippewa and Bridgeport, PA. It's a 2 lane road down a very long, winding hill. I know this section of highway as I've traveled it thousands of times. I came upon an accident within seconds of it happening. An elderly man driving with his wife pulled out onto route 52 to head in the same direction I was travelling. A woman in front of me couldn't stop and hit him. A dangerous intersection on a curve, he pulled out from the left. The young mom was hysterical, I understand this, she had 3 small children in the car, I'm guessing ages 1-6. I checked them first and they were all right, mom by now was outside the car crying. I went across the road to check the other vehicle, the old man was ok but his wife was unconcious. I stayed with them a minute and told the man that 911 had been called. By now there were several people around to render assistance. I and another guy went back to the young mom. She was still outside the car crying and screaming into the phone to, I assume, her husband. I went to the kids, they had all stopped crying. I talked to the 6 year old in the front seat and asked if she were hurt, she said she thinks she hurt her head, I moved her hair back and acknowledged the bump and the redness and assured her it was ok. The other guy was still with the mom, she's still hysterical, I could see the other guy was thinking like me. We both gritted our teeth and growled at her that she has got to get a grip for the sake of her children. I wondered if she might have had an asshole for a husband and was frightened of him. I told her it was obvious it wasn't her fault, loud enough for the person on the other end of the line to hear.

Maybe it wasn't the same woman, as this woman had 3 children.

[darroll]

Some of the ladies are not ladies when their husbands go off to war.
Ask the vets about "dear john" letters while in combat.