Departure...

Wow, it has been a long time since I last wrote.  Much has happened!  I just came back from dropping my husband off at the battalion.  His unit leaves tonight for a 7 month tour in Iraq.  We are private people, and prefer to keep our emotions in check (at least in public), so it has always been our choice to say our goodbyes at home.  This time, as the CO's wife, and Bn KVA, I felt that I should be up there to show support to the other wives whose husbands are leaving with mine.  However, my husband said I can do all of that once they are gone.  I know it would have been hard for him to speak with his Marines and their families, and maintain his composure if I was right there, so we said goodbye in the car, and now he is there and I am at home.  The kids are all sleeping - two were asleep before he could say goodbye to them, and I know they will be sad tomorrow about that.  But, is it ever easy to say goodbye?  There were less tears this time, not because we are less sad to be apart, maybe just because we know the time will pass quickly, and I think we were both anxious to get the countdown started.  He has been preoccupied with his upcoming mission for some time now, and I know he just wants to get there and do his job.   I am aware of what an incredible responsibility he has as the CO.  We had dinner the other night with the 8 Marines who will make up his personal security detail and their wives/girlfriends.  All were impressive guys.  All were YOUNG!  Many girlfriends/wives didn't look a whole lot older than our oldest daughter, and I am not even sure all of the Marines were legal drinking age.  One couple had their first baby this past Monday.  A beautiful little girl.  He had a photo album to take with him, and said he had wanted to stamp his daughter's footprint on his vest, but they forgot to do so.  I don't think my husband's vest would be big enough to accomodate all of our kids' footprints, but it is a neat idea, just the same!  What most impressed me was this guy and his wife's attitudes.  Although they are both very young, brand-new parents, and this is their first battle deployment, he was clearly fired up about getting there, and she was behind him all the way.  Nice to see.  Not unusual, contrary to media reports.  None of us are eager to send our husbands to a war zone, but all of us know that this is what Marines do, and it is just another reason why we love them, and a great source of pride.  God, please bring them all back home safely......