My Brother, the 303Rd Cavalry & the Us Military

[thecougchef]

after months of special training, requiring him to be away from home, but still in the country, my little brother officially leaves for iraq today.
please just remember periodically to pray for him throughout the next 12 months. & the rest of his unit too. his best friend is going with him - who i have also watched grow up.
my brother & i are really close in age and he is truely my best friend. and im already very lonely without him.
i dont really have any other words to say because i just cry.
just pray/wish for a safe mission, safe journey, safe homecoming.

 

[sk8rgrrl99]

I will certainly hope and wish for your brothers safety. It's always amazing to me when people are brave enough to risk their own lives for the safety and protection of others.

 

[jrstephens]

I pray for our troops dailey.

 

[Chef Michelle D]

Your brother will be in my thoughts and prayers, a friend of mine has a son that will be leaving for Irac next month. Men and Woman in the military are special people and I thank God we have them to help and protect us and others.

 

[pampered.chris]

I pray daily for the troops as well. My BF has been gone since May. He is with the Air Force Reserves and will be home in 3 weeks!!! I can't wait. It has been so tough having him gone. I have tried to fill up my time, but some days it is just too much.

I feel for you!!

 

[thecougchef]

I pray daily for the troops as well. My BF has been gone since May. He is with the Air Force Reserves and will be home in 3 weeks!!! I can't wait. It has been so tough having him gone. I have tried to fill up my time, but some days it is just too much.

I feel for you!!

ive been through having a significant other over seas. that was when they were making active duty army 15 month deployments. it was the longest 15 months of my life.

three weeks is amazing. i am so happy for you!
i was just telling my bf this morning - i wish it was next august and zachary was home already

 

[KellyTheChef]

Meghan...I pray that God's hand of protection is over your brother, his best friend, and his entire troop! I would be crying constantly if my little brother was going over there, too...he's my buddy!

 

[missmindym]

Keep your chin up, send him lots of packages and letters, keep busy and all of the other stuff they tell us to do, sometimes it really does help. My dh is in last two months of two back to back 7 month deployments and I'm getting antsy. Keeping yourself busy really does help.

I pray for your brothers safe and speedy returns!

 

[pampered.chris]

ive been through having a significant other over seas. that was when they were making active duty army 15 month deployments. it was the longest 15 months of my life.

three weeks is amazing. i am so happy for you!
i was just telling my bf this morning - i wish it was next august and zachary was home already

Having already had as significant other over there, you will know this, but sometimes the mail is fast and sometimes it is slow.
I just sent my BF peanut butter no-bakes...and Sundays are our call days...and he told me to NEVER make the cookies again...he just got them on Saturday and threw them out...I mailed them to him almost 2 weeks ago!!!

I had to laugh, they were probably horrible!!!!

We found out he would be deployed in December, and it never hit me until he was gone for 3 weeks. We had been apart for 2 weeks at a time before and so it wasn't a really big deal, but that 3rd week...oh man!! I started a thread to find out if I was normal. I hadn't cried more than maybe 20 times in 3 years and I was crying 20 times a day for 2 weeks!! I am doing much better now and am so excited to just see him and breathe the same air as him.

If it were my brother that was gone, I would worry constantly, my brother is my bud, he is 4 years younger than me and is still doing stupid stuff. I would be so nervous that something would happen and be wishing he was home.

I keep thinking of you and if you EVER need someone to vent to...you can vent to me!!

 

[PamperedDor]

Oh Meghan - I will keep your brother, his friend and all the men and women in my thoughts and prayers - Try to stay positive and strong!!

 

[raebates]

He'll be in my prayers.

 

[Flamingo]

Tell him THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TammyStar]

Meghan, I will be praying for your brother and his friend. Thanks for enclosing pictures it is a great reminder what these young young men and women are doing for us! And its great to see them smiling. Keep those memories all around you when he is gone and it will help you get through the rough spots.

Tammy

 

[laurichef]

My heart goes out out you.

Thanks to your brother and his friend, and all our military "family" over there. I am so grateful to each and every one of them.

My prayers are with you all at this time.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

Meghan, I PM'd you.

Wishing your brother and his friend a very safe and successful journey. Prayers for them daily!

 

[PampMomof3]

Tell him to stay safe and he's got a great team here rooting for him!!!

 

[pampered1224]

My heart goes out to you and your family. I can not imagine what that is like except that I have a friend whose son just got back from Afganastan in May and was shipped out to Iraq last month. She is scared but also very proud of her son. I don't know these people personally but I feel scared for every last one of them. I also feel a great amount of thanks in that we have such valient men and women willing to put themselves out there for us. So my prayers are with him and his friend and his whole batalion. Be proud of him and hug him nightly in your prayers as will I.

 

[WLMcCoy]

Praying for our troops!!

 

[peichef]

I'll be praying not only for you & your brother, but for all the cheffers with love ones who are deployed.

 

[thecougchef]

I'll be praying not only for you & your brother, but for all the cheffers with love ones who are deployed.

AGREED. alot of people have come out mentioning that they have family, husbands, boyfriends, friends who are deployed or have been deployed or are going to be deployed. prayers for all of our soldiers, airmen, marines, sailors.

 

[Kitchen2u]

Prayers for a safe return for your brother and all of the other military folks. THANKS to ALL of them ~ without them, we would not have our SAFE freedom.

 

[thecougchef]

prayers must be working guys because - without going into much detail - there was an incident & everyone involved was able to walk away.

however - zachary is having some head trauma now & is having difficulty with his short term memory. they are keeping a close eye on him & my poor mom is ready to fly over & get him.

if you could all remember to include him in your prayers again tonight. i would appreciate that.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Thanks for the reminder for us all to keep praying, Meghan!

 

[tlag1986]

I will gladly pray for him, and all his battalion.

 

[pampchefrhondab]

I'll be praying for him and all of our troops - may God protect them.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

Prayers to him and your family! And the rest of the BN

 

[Crystal Patton]

The most accurate statement I have ever heard regarding what a soilder does is: "Fight for Life" Please thank him for stepping up to defend lives, ours and others. I'll pray for him.

 

[pamperedpals]

Meghan praying for your brother and the other's involved.

 

[scottcooks]

Thanks for his service, for your mom, for you. Prayers for all our fighting men & women, those in combat, those in harm's way and those further back but still away from friends, family and loved ones.

 

[pampered.chris]

Praying for him and for you!!

 

[armywife_consultant]

i can definantly relate. my husband just returned from a 16 month tour in november. it goes by alot quicker then you think it does. just pray dailey. and stay busy.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

Meghan any new updates?

 

[baychef]

Meghan, my prayers are with your brother, all military troops and especially their families.

I live near Fort Drum, NY. Along with making friends with many military families over the years with my PC business, I also head the food services for a school with 55% children from Fort Drum. We have seen these families and children endure the high of highs and the low of lows. They have my total respect and admiration. I can say that I doubt I could be as strong.

Our school district prides itself in being the best support we can be when a family is in crisis or need. To watch the worry families endure, it is a helpless feeling. It helps to be involved with a district which prides itself in being a "soft place to land" for all families.

 

[candiejayne]

Is there a group set up here for people who have someone deployed? I think that would be a great support to those of you who need each other right now. I know when my exhusband was deployed, no one really got what I was going through except others that were there, or had been there at some time.

 

[baychef]

This is so true, Andrea. Even though I am friends with many of the wives, their daily burdens are very different from what we civilians can imagine.

Examples...one woman (who's husband was in the last leg of his deployment) was distressed about family issues with deaths of her one of her parents, teenage children and when she spoke with her husband looking for support, he was frustrated because he was an officer and just couldn't "take on" anymore than what he was dealing with his men and what they were dealing with. They got in a little fight over the phone but she understood. She decided that she could not tell him anything negative so she really leaned on her military friends so she could discuss her own burdens. Add to that her worries about his safe return.

One of a MILLION stories!!

 

[candiejayne]

Yep, exactly. Things like that happen all of the time. I was the Special Events Chairman for our Family Readiness Group during the deployment. I made sure to set up a fun event every month for the mom's and kids (we were a male only unit at the time). One month we did a craft day where the kids could make stuff to send to their dad, brother, grandpa, uncle, whoever they had over there. It was always a nice way to get the kids together and give the mom's a break to sit and talk to each other. Although I'm not affiliated with any unit anymore, I'd still love to be part of that process in helping others. It got me through the deployment and helped me to be a better person.

 

[gailz2]

prayers must be working guys because - without going into much detail - there was an incident & everyone involved was able to walk away.

however - zachary is having some head trauma now & is having difficulty with his short term memory. they are keeping a close eye on him & my poor mom is ready to fly over & get him.

if you could all remember to include him in your prayers again tonight. i would appreciate that.

Meghan, I truly hope he and all his fellow soldiers come through this "incident" as best as can be expected. I pray, most nights, for all men, women, and their related families who give so unselfishly of themselves so that others can enjoy the freedoms we have. Your brother will be at the top of my list. Stay strong and positive!
Gail

 

[heather223]

Tell him Thanks and I will keep him in my prayers.

 

[abaker1]

sending up prayers!

 

[baychef]

Yep, exactly. Things like that happen all of the time. I was the Special Events Chairman for our Family Readiness Group during the deployment. I made sure to set up a fun event every month for the mom's and kids (we were a male only unit at the time). One month we did a craft day where the kids could make stuff to send to their dad, brother, grandpa, uncle, whoever they had over there. It was always a nice way to get the kids together and give the mom's a break to sit and talk to each other. Although I'm not affiliated with any unit anymore, I'd still love to be part of that process in helping others. It got me through the deployment and helped me to be a better person.

We also have classroom activities, live computer feeds to Iraq and/or Afghanistan...we have arranged time when the Mom or Dad can see their child receive a special award, etc. There is a lot of live communication done.

Every graduation ceremony is streamed to the bases over sees. Last year there was a dad given special time with his daughter in her graduation gown and the two of them were able to talk on her special day. We just don't realize all of the little things that military families miss to help defend our country. One of my friends has 3 little boys and this is Dad's 3rd or 4th deployment. These boys are all under the age of grade 3. The most recent deployment for Dad was in January. One of the little guys just cried and said...but I need my father. :cry: Now I am going to go cry too!!

 

[thecougchef]

Meghan any new updates?

zachary called last night & he had an appt with the marine neurologist on his base & the swelling in his brain has gone down enough for there to no longer be a threat. he is still having bad migraines & memory issues - but they have medically cleared him to come home. they have put in his papers for him to come home on leave. im hoping he'll be in the states by mid march.

thank you all for all of your support. their deployment is still another 6 months - please continue to pray for their safety - & for the safety of other cs family members deployed & the entire armed forces.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

I am so glad Meghan that his swelling has decreased and that he is cleared for leave. He's been on my mind!!

How is his best friend doing? Was he OK during the incident?

Hugs to you and your family & thanks for your support as well.
Vanessa

 

[thecougchef]

I am so glad Meghan that his swelling has decreased and that he is cleared for leave. He's been on my mind!!

How is his best friend doing? Was he OK during the incident?

Hugs to you and your family & thanks for your support as well.
Vanessa

riley (the friend) was in a different vehicle but saw the whole thing happen. ive been emailing back & forth with him because i knew that he would know exactly how zac was doing without the sugar coating i know that zac is giving us. riley said it was a wake up call for both of them. thanks for keeping him on your mind vanessa. i appreciate it & so does he.