Tuesday, April 04, 2006
MFSO Chicago!
We are trying hard to organize. Our first MFSO Chicago event surrounded the 3rd Anniversary of the War March and Rally held in Chicago on March 19. We started on the Federal Plaza where we met up with several peace groups from the city. MFSO spoke calling for our troops to be brought home now...and for Congress to act to take care of them when they get here. Then we lead the group on a march to Union Park. On that march, we were joined by students from the University of Chicago.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Recent Blog Blackout
I have chosen not to update my blog over the last several weeks due to my son's deployment. The unit has deployed to Afghanistan and most of the soldiers are in their duty stations.
I heard from my Soldier when he was in about 4 hours out of Kabul preparing to enter Afghanistan via military transport. They were tired since the flight was very long and crossed several time zones.
Recently, I heard from him again - by phone and email. He is "somewhere in the mountains" of Afghanistan in a remote operating base. The Soldiers have assumed the care of three dogs who were adopted by the Soldiers that just left Afghanistan to come home. The dogs accompany the Soldiers on patrol and assist in guard duty patroling the wire at night. He describes the area as ruggedly beautiful and the people as poor and very uneducated.
On the first patrol, many of the Soldiers contracted a mild food poisoning and plan to schlep a refridgerator to improve sanitary conditions at their remote outpost. During the winter months that was not necessary because perishables could be kept in an underground locker but with the weather warming, that appears to be a bad idea. When they are not patrolling, they are working to improve their temporary outpost.
As he does his job in Afghanistan, I am pleased to say that the peace work at home has not stopped. Chicago held a large peace demonstration last week. It was significant because the march was held on the Mag Mile where activists were arrested last year because the City of Chicago had forbidden access. We were well guarded by hundreds of police in riot gear in what can only be described as a show of intimidating force. There were no arrests according to the Chicago Police. Prior to the Chicago March, a weeklong vigil dubbed Camp Bring Em home was staged by a new Chicago peace Coalition called the Anti-War Majority at the office of Dennis Hastert. Following the march for the next week Camp Bring Em Home was moved to the offices of Rahm Emanual. One of the anchor groups of the Anti-War Majority, the Christian Peacemaker Teams, received the news that three of their members held hostage in Iraq were rescued...and on their way home to their families. The fourth, Tom Fox an American citizen, had been found dead in Baghdad a few weeks ago.
I will post pictures of the activities in Chicago as I have time.
I heard from my Soldier when he was in about 4 hours out of Kabul preparing to enter Afghanistan via military transport. They were tired since the flight was very long and crossed several time zones.
Recently, I heard from him again - by phone and email. He is "somewhere in the mountains" of Afghanistan in a remote operating base. The Soldiers have assumed the care of three dogs who were adopted by the Soldiers that just left Afghanistan to come home. The dogs accompany the Soldiers on patrol and assist in guard duty patroling the wire at night. He describes the area as ruggedly beautiful and the people as poor and very uneducated.
On the first patrol, many of the Soldiers contracted a mild food poisoning and plan to schlep a refridgerator to improve sanitary conditions at their remote outpost. During the winter months that was not necessary because perishables could be kept in an underground locker but with the weather warming, that appears to be a bad idea. When they are not patrolling, they are working to improve their temporary outpost.
As he does his job in Afghanistan, I am pleased to say that the peace work at home has not stopped. Chicago held a large peace demonstration last week. It was significant because the march was held on the Mag Mile where activists were arrested last year because the City of Chicago had forbidden access. We were well guarded by hundreds of police in riot gear in what can only be described as a show of intimidating force. There were no arrests according to the Chicago Police. Prior to the Chicago March, a weeklong vigil dubbed Camp Bring Em home was staged by a new Chicago peace Coalition called the Anti-War Majority at the office of Dennis Hastert. Following the march for the next week Camp Bring Em Home was moved to the offices of Rahm Emanual. One of the anchor groups of the Anti-War Majority, the Christian Peacemaker Teams, received the news that three of their members held hostage in Iraq were rescued...and on their way home to their families. The fourth, Tom Fox an American citizen, had been found dead in Baghdad a few weeks ago.
I will post pictures of the activities in Chicago as I have time.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Deployment and the State of the Union
On Friday January 27, my son's unit had their deployment ceremony. In typical Army fashion, it was not announced until two days prior. The unit, although primarily still in the US, is now considered deployed according to the post's website.
On Tuesday, January 31, the President gave his State of the Union address. I went to a "watch" party. I am not now...nor have I ever been a fan of Mr. Bush. This speech, in particular, was grating. His same old platitudes were a bit tough to take: "Freedom is on the March", "The road home for our troops is victory" et al. It is really too bad that he is so oblivious to the will of the people who elected him. I believe that more than 60% consider the war a mistake - and nearly half are calling for immediate withdrawal.
But as I mentioned, it was a party. Some of the people there were even MORE upset with his remarks than I was.
On Tuesday, January 31, the President gave his State of the Union address. I went to a "watch" party. I am not now...nor have I ever been a fan of Mr. Bush. This speech, in particular, was grating. His same old platitudes were a bit tough to take: "Freedom is on the March", "The road home for our troops is victory" et al. It is really too bad that he is so oblivious to the will of the people who elected him. I believe that more than 60% consider the war a mistake - and nearly half are calling for immediate withdrawal.
But as I mentioned, it was a party. Some of the people there were even MORE upset with his remarks than I was.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Back to the Base...And What Comes Next
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.
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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