Mommy's off to Iraq

My daugther did not want her daugthers that the deployment ceremony. She is an officer, the only one deploying with this group and she felt she had to be strong.

She told me at other ceremonies everyone would look shell shocked on deployment day, as if they just found out they were going to Iraq. Most would cry and some would really carry on as if the world was ending. She knew seeing the girls would make her cry and she did not want to cry.

Originally she did not want any of us there but later I found out it had only to do with the kids. We live in Texas and she was leaving from Virginia. She knew we had no overnight care for them so she figured we could not come. When I found all this out my husband and I decided I should go and he would stay with the kids.

I video taped the ceremony and as the commander she had to speak. She made it very brief because she knew the soldiers really didn't want to hear any of it.

Before I left home she called and said I had to promise not to cry, of course I promised. At the ceremony everyone seems to be doing okay until they played this song. The lady sitting behind my younger daugther, her sons, and me started bawling. Then we all started crying.

My daugther's company commander said to me, "she'll be alright", I said, "don't tell me that. I work with soldiers that come to BAMC, I see what this war is doing to them first hand". He did not say another word.

When I returned home I could hardly wait to show the kids the tape of their mommy. The older one had little interest but the baby watched, meshmerized. Every now and the she looked at us and said, "my mommy". It all went well until her mom got on the bus and waved goodbye. She looked at it and she did not cry, she wailed, "my mommmmmy, my mommmmy". It was heart wrenching and we all ended up crying. The video has not been played again.