Robert has been in the National Guard for 14 years now. Last March, he was activated. Of course, we were like every other family and just knew in our hearts that would never happen. The one thing I can remember my husband saying is that "I have trained for 14 years for this...This is what I want to do.” This is what he is there for... He felt that all this time was wasted
if he did not do something like this.

How can you say anything to that? After training for 3-4 months, they deployed him at the end of last year. He is currently working in Abu Ghraib with the other 140-something men in his Battery.... I am thankful that he is not out on "the streets" as I know so many men and women are. Our son is 5, and children that age are old enough to understand, but not old enough to know what to do with the feelings they have.

Robert has missed his Kindergarten year, with the exception of the 2 weeks and 4 days he was in town for R&R time. What gets us the most is that my husband will not get this important year of my son's life back. His teacher and I have done everything we can do to keep Robert in the loop, but it is the little things that I hate him missing out on the most. My husband bought him some BDU's (military uniform) like his and it is all I can do to explain to him if he wears that in this 90 degree weather, he will be so hot! Our son is so proud of his Daddy being a "soldier" and his "hero"...and so am I. I was looking through your website and saw the Hometown Hero page. I almost cried. THANK YOU for honoring those that serve. I see so many people that are so furious about what is going on that they don't think that we, the families are on a whole different side. OUR husbands, daddies, mom's and wives are over there. We are left without that special someone.

ANYWAY...sorry for the rambling.. I wanted to say
THANK YOU
Nicole Cody
Springdale Arkansas