Last evening, I took my son to the airport to return to base following leave. He said that he had a great time even though he complained bitterly about the myriad of Christmas gatherings my family has...and has always had because well, we believe in keeping Christmas.
He and several friends spent New Years in the City, watching fireworks and "clubbing." Since he is not all that familiar with the City, he managed not only to lose his car...but the entire parking garage it was parked in. He said it took several hours to locate it on New Years Day - and then he got lost leaving the city.
Our last celebration was on Thursday - a gathering of close family members in a favorite Italian joint to say goodby. He will deploy in the next several weeks and this was a last trip home even though he requested that I not point that out. "No tears, please Mom. I will be OK." I hope that is true. I pray that he comes back unscathed. I have been to too many "vistiations"...and have written too many letters of support for those that have not.
On his last day of freedom, he flew into Houston, to buy a buddy a beer (or several, who knows). They will drive back to base together today. Final preparations will begin tomorrow. Lockdown will occur in the next few weeks. He will be busy for a few weeks but once all equipment is gone, they will be bored while waiting for their transportation - so I expect I will hear from him often. He told me not to fly down for the deployment ceremony since he will be confined to post both before and after. I guess this is to minimize the possibility of desertions.
No one knows how long the deployment will be - I guess like so much else, it is "classified." Nor can I write of where he will go because that violates OPSEC rules. I can say that his mission is reclassified from what it was originally intended to be. I do not know if that is positive...or negative. And I have really never liked not knowing. It kind of goes against everything I learned as a parent...information, no matter how bad is always better than uncertainty. And despite the fact that my son no longer needs a parent, it does not minimize my need to be one.
So the next time I see my son, he will be a combat veteran. May God keep his burden light.
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