Once Again, Into The Breach

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the next long year of Deployment for me and the family. As some of you may know, my son Michael volunteered for a deployment with one of the units at his base to avoid a later deployment.

This past week has been full of official ceremonies and other events for the departure of the unit. It's been busy, with me dealing with the issue in the only way I know how, helping those around me come to grips with their sense of dread and loss.

My son Josh returned from Iraq a completely different person. Some of the changes were a direct result of the things he'd seen and done while over there. Some were a direct result of him not having his mother around to coddle him every time something went wrong.

I am concerned for the changes that this deployment will have on Michael. He has always been a quiet person, with no experience dealing with the traumatic things he may be witness to while in a faraway land. With luck, his training will have helped prepare him for the worst.

I am afraid, quite frankly, that I will never see my son again. This thought bothers me, but I can't vent to anyone in my immediate family, since the ones that are experienced in dealing with this issue are the ones that I help get through their emotions.

Being the parent of a deployed soldier is like being the parent of police officer. You never know if the next ring of the phone will bring the words that no parent wants to hear, "I'm sorry for your loss".

Hopefully that call will never come. It's difficult to think about, and I just hope that he manages to accomplish his mission with no loss of life for anyone in the unit...

For the second time in three years an Almeida marches to war, leaving behind his Mom and Dad, brothers and sisters, his girl. We will miss him and start counting the days until his safe return.

God bless and god's speed Michael. You make me proud...