The Beginning

I'm nobody important, nobody special. I married my very best friend in June of 1979 and have been blessed through his friendship, support, encouragement, and love. We have two fantastic sons who are now young men out on their own.

TJ, our youngest, decided several years ago that he needed to serve his country. At the time he was very over-weight and was told "no thanks" by the recruiter. But TJ believed he was to serve and so he joined the local gym, watched what he ate, and began to lose weight. When he sets his mind on a goal, he becomes determined and focused on it, and very little will shake him from it. It took him almost two years to slim down to the Air Forces' standards and in July, 2007 he headed off to Basic Military Training (BMT or boot camp for most of us.) Three years ago this month, on a very hot and humid Friday morning in San Antonio, TX, at the Lackland Air  Force Base, we sat in the bleachers and watched TJ, along with 400+ young men and women, take their oath of service for the United States of America.

TJ & myself - BMT graduation - 8-2007

TJ graduated as an Honor Grad. This honor can only be earned during BMT. TJ was just an Airman First Class, while those who had some college education before entering were graduating as Senior Airman. But he didn't care because many of them had not achieved the Honor Grad status. Furthermore, he had earned the Expert Marksman ribbon during BMT. This meant that at graduation he had four ribbons on his uniform. This is the most he could possibly earn during his first seven weeks in the Air Force. He was one VERY proud Airman! And we were VERY proud parents!

Several months ago TJ made another decision. He volunteered for deployment to Kuwait. This was the third time he had requested deployment. The first time he volunteered for a "365" to Iraq, the second time he volunteered for a deployment to Afghanistan. Both times he was denied. But this time, they gave him the orders he'd been waiting for since he had enlisted! Tomorrow morning at 0600 he will board a plane and begin his journey to Kuwait. Tomorrow morning at 0600 I become the mom of an airman serving in a war zone, a whole new experience for this mom! It's one thing to have him serving here in the States. It is a whole other thing to know he will be half way around the world, serving in a war zone.

Just before TJ left for BMT, he and I took a trip to the Oregon coast. TJ loves the coast and it was always the place where he went when things were a bit frazzled in his life. While he and I were there, I asked him a very difficult question, one that most parents have probably never even thought to ask their children. I asked him if a day ever came when he was called upon to give the ultimate sacrifice for his country, did he have any desires for his funeral? He shared his thoughts and then suddenly his tone changed and very firmly, almost angry, he said to me, "Mom, if that happens, do NOT embarrass me!" I was totally thrown with this statement and made him explain it. Recently a serviceman had died in Iraq and his mom was making national news with her anger at his "senseless" death. This mom's actions infuriated TJ and he did not want his dad or me to behave in such a way should he die while serving. I assured and promised him that we would never dishonor his service in that way.

Now, I'm not into Facebook. I don't like to journal. And I never dreamed that I would be a blogger. But as TJ's deployment date crept closer and closer, I felt it was important that I record what I was feeling and what I would experience as the mom of a serviceman. I welcome you to listen in, respond if you'd like, and hopefully, together we will all become even more appreciative of what our service men and women sacrifice for us.

I'm nobody important, nobody special. But TJ is! And as he deploys, I'll be here cheering him on!

Signed,
A Very Proud Mom