my step son just called from Fort Bragg

[MathEducation]

His Christmas leave is canceled.

His Airborne unit leaves for Iraq January 4, 2007 or sooner...

He celebrated his 21st birthday last week...

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I am so sorry for you!

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

[trumad]

2. 82nd I assume

Yep--- it's about to escalate.

[madokie]

9. no telling what direction though

[seemunkee]

3. I'm sorry

May he return safe and sound.

[mzmolly]

4. I only wish they were all coming home.

:(

However, I'm glad he gets to leave after the Holiday.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[originalpckelly]

5. That poor young man.

They ship him off, but won't even let him enjoy Christmas. I tell you, that's a dirty thing they pulled on him. Poor guy.

Just an absolute sin what the government's doing to these fellas. :cry:

You and your son are in our thoughts and prayers.

[NC_Nurse]

6. That sucks!

I'm so sorry for him and your family. I pray he stays safe.

Welcome to DU, BTW.

[babylonsister]

7. Jeeze, Merry Christmas, huh. Nothing like advance notification.

I wonder if this an indication of things to come?
May he stay safe, MAthEducation, and welcome to DU. Please keep us posted.

[Little Wing]

8. That sucks

This must be part of the Christmas surprise. Bush is too much of a wimp to announce that he's stepping up his vendetta on failure before Christmas.

[stellanoir]

16. "vendetta on failure"

sums it up more aptly than anything I've yet read.

Wish it wasn't so but you nailed it.

Kudos

[auntAgonist]

10. godspeed ..

I'm sorry his leave is canceled, sorry he has to go to Iraq :cry:

I wish him godspeed and safety.

My thoughts are with you and your family.

aA

[Viva_La_Revolution]

11. My son told me last night, he goes fully active next month

possible deployment this summer. :(

I'll add your boy to my prayers. Hang in there. :hug:

[rodeodance]

22. Goddess speech to your son.

[Botany]

12. A good friend's son is set to go to.

His family is going to Ft. Bragg now to spend time w/
him and to cook Xmas dinner for him and his friends.

This has been in the works for a long time. After the election
it was moved up from spring to january.

I will bet you anything their job is to take out Sadr as
per the Saudi's request.

Meanwhile the boy king is "waiting" to tell the American
people about his new direction forward ..... as if he
had not had this planned for a long time.

[bobbolink]

13. Welcome to DU, MathEducation! And I'm so sorry you got this bad news...

You're deserving of much better news, especially if you are a Math teacher! :hi:

WElcome! :toast:

And, belated Happy Birthday to your step son! :party: :bounce: :party:

Please extend my best wishes to him!

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Welcome to DU

and tell your son to keep his heaad low

[madokie]

15. Keep us up to speed on him if you will, please

nothing would make our case stronger than first hand or second hand info on the goings ons

Peace, you're living my worst nightmare not to mention his. I wish him the best for staying safe

[Liberal Lassie]

17. I was a military wife and mom for most of my adult life.

I know exactly how you feel from your head to your toes. My ex was in special forces and sometimes would disappear into thin air and return whenever. He would reappear at the door bloody, dirty, angry and so tired he dropped. My husband had been somewhere in the world and doing God knows what and couldn't even talk about it. Then it was time to go again. You need to learn the fine art of
distancing yourself from his world. Focus on HIM and not on his job. For what it is worth, this illegal war is going to take it's toll on the families for years to come and finding another military mom or military support group is the best thing to do. You can cry and hug and pray and oh so many other things to get through this. You can vote the bastards out of office. You can join
Cindy Sheehan's efforts. You can write letters to congress and king george himself. You hang an upside down flag on the front of your house like I have already done two years ago when John KERRY
gave up too soon. You can lean, lean, lean on whatever faith you have. Time will pass sooner than you think and your answers will come. You must have a steel rod in your back everyday for him.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Welcome to DU

and as a wife of a Submariner, yep, I know what you talk about.

Now that he is retired we can talk about how things went at work.

[Evergreen Emerald]

24. you are an inspiration.

:hug:

[Fleshdancer]

28. I have so much respect for military wives

I am in complete awe of my sister-in-law when my brother goes out and does whatever it is he does (he is Special Forces as well). They have two kids and she works full time and I know she gets scared because who wouldn't but she has to be strong for the kids who miss their daddy and are too young to fully understand why he leaves. I know it can't be an easy life and she does it with so much strength and grace it boggles the mind. The times that she gets to talk to him when he's overseas she puts on a supporting and happy voice because she doesn't want to upset or worry him. I honestly don't know if I have that sort of strength.

Military spouses are incredible people. Welcome to DU Liberal Lassie. :)

[The Deacon]

18. At A Hockey Game I Was Privileged To Participate

In a touching moment. A 22-year veteran back from Iraq, sitting with his Dad & one sister in the seats next to us. The father asked if we could be sure to watch & move at the appropriate time - they were flying in his other sister, whom he had not seen for two years & would be arriving around nine o'clock.
At nine-thirty, start of the third period, my wife nudged me, we moved out of the way & there was the sister, standing in the aisle with two cups of beer, as though it was the most natural thing on Earth.

They tell me the third period was very exciting - I'm not sure, there was a weird atmospheric phenomena which made it all kinda of blurry.

My Christmas wish? That this scene repeats itself 149,999 times in the next six months. I don't even mind missing the winning goal.

[rodeodance]

25. ah, she bought him a brew.

[GenDem]

20. So very, very sorry to you and your family.

Sending prayers of safety and well being to your step son.

[rodeodance]

21. was he expecting this ?----is this something new?

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. From the post

no, the leave was cancelled

that means they are leaving in the next two to three weeks... the leave was cancelled so they can get raedy, with wills, medical, final equipment checks, et al

Having had a husband deploy several times, it takes about two weeks to deploy once you go into the deployment tempo

[Fleshdancer]

26. Damn. I am so sorry MathEducation

Make sure he writes out a list of things he would want for a care package so that we can send him stuff once he has his address. You can also point him to www.anysoldier.com and people from all over the country will send him things. It's a small gesture of course but any minor things of comfort will hopefully help.

:hug:

My brother is also stationed at Ft Bragg. He'll be heading back over to either Afghanistan or Iraq anywhere between Feb and April.

[Nite Owl]

27. I'm so sorry for your step son

and all of you. You all pay the price for this war and are in my thoughts and prayers always for his safe return.
May this New Year bring all of us the peace for which we yearn.

[MathEducation]

29. he gave his Cowboy tickets to his sister and brother...

the tickets for Monday's game.

He's just a kid.

I begged him not to join the Army. I suggested the Air Force or Navy like me.

So now our US Army has turned him into a "killing machine". Great...

God damn GW Bush to the hottest depths of HELL!!! Please...

[flpoljunkie]

30. Then it would appear the surge is a done deal, and Bush just waiting after holidays to announce it.

[Va Lefty]

31. I'm sure that comes as a shock to everyone here

[DoYouEverWonder]

32. They been planning this for months

but that doesn't mean Bush is going to get what he wants this time. Not with a DEM Congress.

I know one fellow whose got orders to go in Feb. and another in the Navy, who just came back and is going right back out after the New Year. Both have known for a couple of months.

[LiberalinNC]

33. Sorry to hear that.. Best of luck to him and your family!!! And please

thank him for his service!

[NaturalHigh]

34. I'm sorry to hear that.

My prayers are with your son and the rest of your family.

[newyawker99]

35. May he be safe and may he return soon.

:hug:

[Democrafty]

36. I'm so sorry.

He'll be in my thoughts.

[Glimmer of Hope]

37. I am so sorry! I wish this would all end.

[applegrove]

38. Sorry.

[knitter4democracy]

39. Oh my God. I'm so sorry.

I'll light a candle for him tomorrow at liturgy and pray for him. I need to get these other presents and such done so I can get going on the helmet liners again.

[zulchzulu]

40. All the best in this time of crisis

You have our prayers. Welcome to DU. We'll try to support you in this time and hopefully your stepson makes it through just fine.