Anyone with Sailors/Soldiers/Marines in War Zones and Combat Areas

Chief, I had a friend who had a saying...please forgive my crudeness..."well, they can kiss my ass and call me Freddie."  I have not a clue what it means but that was going through my mind when I was reading your post about your poor ignorant SIL.  You know, when a recruiter tells her that if her kid joins the Navy he'll never got to war, she's gonna believe it! HA!!!

And I too, hope and pray that there is no war for her kids to serve in and that she never has to know how good it feels to come here, and realize that you are not the only one to be afraid, and cry in the Target, and that you are really truly not alone. And how important it is to all military moms and dads, just knowing that we are not alone.

Susan

It's probably SCWS, Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badges_of_the_United_States_Navy

Link to article about Special Ops Helicopter Tragedy

Eastern Afhganistan in the province of Wardak late Friday

Prayers for these families, and for each of you until you hear from your loved one in Afganistan and know all the way through your body and heart that he/she is safe. 

I am so sorry. And I know how afraid many of you are this morning, even if you know your sailor/marine/soldier is not in that area or in special ops. I am so sorry.

My heart is breaking for those seals and their families. This is such devastating news that none of us should have to hear. My prayers are with all.

I have heard from my son via skype a short while ago and I hope all of you hear from your loved ones soon.

hotflashes, I'm so glad you heard from your son, and thank you for sharing it with us. As you all hear from your kids, please share it with us, it helps us all to know that one by one, more are safe today in particular.

Thank you TDM, I almost don't want to hear or read about these tragedys but then again I have to know and so I read and listen . I am sure you all know what I mean. Glad you are all here . Not everyone understands what I mean. 

Again, I hope you all hear from your loved ones.

I can't express how sick I am feeling of the current loss.. and of course it goes without saying that ALL of our losses give me this reaction.. today I learned that 2 more surgeons and 4 nurses were pulled from their base in the NW and are heading to AFG with my brother.. none of this group were givin a lot of notice.. my sister in law will not be deploying since my brother is going.. he is taking his daughter home today and then heading out for his briefings and trauma training then leaving.. I'm shocked at this build up of medical personell I dont know if this is in preparation for something...  We also have a good family friend leaving for AFG soon and his new bride has been invited to join us here.. hopefully she will come.. as I told her and my sister in law.. no one NO ONE understands what we as family members go through so come join us for support.. regardless of your military branch you are welcome here....My prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones.. to those who have loved ones leaving and for those who have loved ones there...

I have been so consumed the last 24 hours with emotion over the loses I have no words of comfort for anyone just my thoughts and prayers.. to their loved ones..

cancercrab, one thing I learned when my son came home...where I thought he was? it was never where he actually was when I was home worrying. So, we're going with he is in the wire, as safe as one can be in a war zone. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Deb, gut wrenching. Just gut wrenching.

I invite others here as well, I'm sending an email off today to a woman I met whose SIL is deployed.

So true....Chief I live in a county that 75% of the population are against war and the people who are fighting it.. Plus there is a war going on in our streets here too..

Not everyone understand..They are not living it like we are... My heart hurts everyday for so many reasons and for people I may never have the privlage to meet...

I go crazy when I see those facebook posts and email forwards naming names of our KIA in Afghan and Iraq...and the deaths occured months ago....it proves to me that, well meaning as they are, most of those people posting them are just that day thinking about those serving and dieing in war zones, because they got an out of date email forward or facebook post. It's a trigger point for me, I have to leave the computer, or I'm going to read somebody off. It's actually cost me an old "friend" from high school days. My comment on her post made her label me "too political" and that's not allowed in her facebook page. Too Political?? being outraged by the fact that many Americans live their lives day by day and NEVER think about our kids laying their lives on the line?? grrrrrr.

Okay, I came here to post this link: Dollies!!  because it reminded me of Chief and any of us who pack packages....

I love the Dollies.... Heard about them a few years ago....

TDM I have had to do the same with a few of my friends...They didn't want to hear about my son but yet I had to sit and listen about their kids... people don't want to hear about whats going on..its not affecting them... Oh, by the way the women who said to me it wasn't the time nor the place to talk about my son... her son just joined the Army....Hmmmmm I wonder if she is going to talk about her son and how proud she is of him and what he and his fellow soldiers are doing at a brunch like I did ... We were all talking aboout our kids....

Denise, he'll call again soon...my son laughed when he found out I saved every voice mail and answering machine message. Still do for a while when he leaves one, just habit. Click that button and hear his voice....

Thinking of you all today, and those in such pain, with the wish that peace is soon.

Cancer....he'll talk when he's home, and good for the commanders for paying attention. Can you imagine WW2 with social media running rampant?

One of the favorite things I sent my son was pillow cases. Not decorated ones, but the old soft ones from the back of the linen closet. He is fair skinned and his face chaps easily, he said they felt so good on his face. . And the first time he used it it smelled like home. Not a hug, but close.

I spoke to my niece the other day, she called...she's becoming quite the mother bear...I'm so proud of her. Joseph is doing well, in fact, she wants to increase his feedings, and do them on demand, the way we always have done our babies. He's at a little over 4 lbs now. And he's hungry! The alarms keep going off, and she's convinced it's not him, it's the wiring, she said it started after they moved him to a new bed with different connections. I'll call her in the morning after the older boys are in school and get a new update.

I cried like a baby as that list rolled by...all I could see was they were so young and "US Navy"...over and over. My heart went out to the little boy whose dad was the pilot, and he was concerned because only the Seals were being mentioned....bless his heart.

Chief, let us know when you hear from your son, and I hope it's soon, to make that stomach p;it thing go away...

Janice, might be a good week to buy a lotto ticket!! what are the odds?

Have some good news, daughter is purchasing a house.  Need some help, the shelves  are all lined with some really old contact paper.  Anyone got a sure fire way to get if off?

Hey moms/dads, can they listen to music with their ipods thre?  I'm thinking about a good headset for my son.

oops  ...  there 

Just coming here to post this warning : TO ALL MY MILITARY FAMILY FRIENDS: BE AWARE!!
Bn XO here. 1 of our deployed Marine's family was called & informed of a false-IED strike on their son. The caller identified himself as a Marine. We have already confirmed this to be false and not a case of mistaken identity. The Marine is fine and has spoken to his family. We believe this may have been an attempt to gain personal information from a concerned family. HQMC has stated that this is not the first phone call of this nature.

How anyone could be so cruel, even a common criminal like this slime ball.

Make sure your facebook pages are closed down tight to non friends, if you use that "family" thing, and it lists your son/daughter on it, I would discontinue it while they are deployed or in the service. Our kids keep their pages so open, makes me crazy, but you don't want some ass like these people to be able to find you through your sailor/soldier/marine or vice versa. The Navy and Marine fb pages have been posting tons of messages concerining social meda OPSEC, we have to help them...

Ladies and gents...would one of you check with your family readiness folks and ask them to give you the procedure that would be followed by the military in the situtation like the one listed in my last post? Ask them exactly what would occur and if any family got a call like this one, exactly what number should be called and who should be notified. We want to be able to give accurate information to any family member coming here if they get calls or emails, any communication that cannot be verified.

Lori...how were you notified when Joe was injured?

Good to note... I am always so careful about what I say and do... What that family must have felt...

Thanks for the advise and warning...

It's just too damn hot. We're in for 75 days of over 100+ days, consistently, no rain....burning in hell type heat. I do not know how our military does this in Afghan or Iraq. God Bless them. It's too damn hot.

Okay, I vented, but it's still hot. The door knob to our front door is hot, the handle on the storm door is HOTTER....

Great news, Debby!! are they mom trained enough to send photos?

and lynda! it's a hot state, but normally not this hot...we're breaking records here right and left for high temps and the length of consecutive days. No idea when it will end. As my son said about Iraq...'at least you know you'll be leaving it behind when you go home'...this is home! grrrr...burnt and crispy...very crispy. So many fires all around...

TDM.. no they are not mom trained however...actually they are more.. Dont ask don't tell mom trained.. deployments do that to you ...  so I am hoping someone will take a picture.. My daughter in law is pretty good about that...   Lynda yes they are.. but just haven't been able to see each other due to deployments then one could get leave one couldn't.. life with military kids...  the do speak on the phone a lot though ...

Well my sailor is now a Sandy Sailor (as he calls it) He arrived safely. We've gotten 2 phone calls in 2 days. OF course I say " Hello" then hear his voice and say "Is this _his name__" to which he replies "Yeah" next response is "Are YOU OK, Everything allright?" He says "YUP" 

Okay so when i her his voice so clear from all the way over there I'm amazed. SInce I really didn't think I would hear from him but on like facebook.

Just had to share with my friends here on N4M. HUGS to all of you. and NTW where he is they are having a sandstorm and it was 135 yesterday. "But it's not that bad it's a dry heat, Mom."  . 

"semi neurotic" !! we have many total basket cases here, DDM...welcome!!