Prelude to a Deployment: Part 1

When my husband (JD) and I met way back when, he was in the National Guard in a left coast state. He had a variety of jobs with the NG, but he wanted to go back to school so he went IRR. Throughout school and then for several years after, JD had no contact with the military. Then as is want to happen to officers in times of war, they (of the Office of Them) called him back. Bam! He is the Army Reserve. At first it was just drill weekends and the 2 weeks in the summer. Then JD's full-time job situation changed and he went to work the Army Reserve essentially full-time. By this time it is 2005 and JD had not been called to be deployed. His number was going to be coming up sooner or later. We (and yes, we decided this as a family) discussed he various options. (1) He could simply wait for the Army to send him to Iraq or Afghanistan in whatever capacity they saw fit; or (2) he could seek out an assignment that would suit him and have slightly more control over how and when he went. We decided on the latter.

In the summer of 2005, JD found a unit that would be a good match for him. About 1500 miles from Middleville. So do we move to Westville or do I stay and he go? JD would be in Westville for at least 6-9 months before the unit actually deployed to Iraq. He would be traveling to various schools during that time. For a variety of reasons (including financial), we decided that I would remain in Middleville.

Alas, the day came that JD was to leave and I was to try to figure out how to handle the household. (This must be the point where the butterfly process began.) Panic set in. I was all of 1-week post-op from surgery. I hadn't returned to work or my post-op appointment with the surgeon and my husband was gone and I did not know when I would see him again.

(to be continued . . . )