So it seems dad will be having another rotation in Iraq. He’ll be out of the country for 6 months total, 3 in Kuwait, and 3 in Iraq. With that, he’ll be done with the military before they ship him anywhere again. I worry, but not much I can do.
Getting a word in edgewise
So it seems dad will be having another rotation in Iraq. He’ll be out of the country for 6 months total, 3 in Kuwait, and 3 in Iraq. With that, he’ll be done with the military before they ship him anywhere again. I worry, but not much I can do.
I was in Iraq for 8 months…yea it sucks…but the best you can do is support him and write to him often…
Yeah, I need to work on the letter writing. I’m terrible at long distance friendships with the digitally disconnected. I’ve told my folks about my blog, but they don’t read it.
so its your real dad going back to iraq….what branch is he in…and whats its rank…
He’s a Colonel in the Ohio National Guard. He’s an MD, which is why he’s in such demand, and why they limit his time over there to 3 month stints (unless other arrangements are made, apparently).
o ok well that makes sense….
How many times has he been there now, and for how long? Sometimes I swear every time I hear you or Liz mention him, he’s either going to Iraq, in Iraq, or just got back from Iraq.
Only once for 3 months so far. I guess we don’t mention him that often… =)
Either that or I talked to both of you several times right around that time! It seems like it was longer.
I had no idea your father was career military. Did you live on military bases as a kid?
Actually, he’s not. Well, sorta.
He’s been in the national guard for like 20 years. He’s been the chief medical officer for the state of ohio. So he’s been at it for awhile, and taken it seriously enough to advance in it, but he’s always been more doctor than soldier, as long as I’ve known him anyway.
He was briefly in the Navy in the 70’s, but never went overseas then.
Sorry man
I know it sucks to have your family taken apart like that . . . my brother did time in Iraq the first time through and Afganistan more recently.
*hug*
My dad should still be around in 3 months. He wants to leave at the end of the Summer. He’ll have been there 2 years in the end. He’s not in the military though, he’s in Bagdad as a fiscal consultant for the British Aid fund and Finance ministry.
My mother gets worried about him now and again but I’ve decided it won’t be violence that will kill him. In the 2 years he’s been there only 2 guys from the security team protecting ex-pats were killed. It’s an Irish based security team and both men were killed at the same time about a year ago. He’s survived Afghanistan, Russia (during an election, bombs were going off all over Moscow), Timor Lorosae (formerly known as East Timor), Pakistan and a few other places where safety for a white man with a British accent was more than a little dubious.
I hope your father comes to appreciate the country as much as mine has. He’s always up to discover new countries but Iraq seems to have won a special place in his heart beside the former Soviet Union states (his personal favourite).
Are you generally worried for your father’s safety? What job does he have in the military?