Day 15 - Season of Separation

This holiday season has proven to be one to remember. 59 days and counting since I was last back in the United States. So much has changed - I’ve made so many friends, left so much behind. One of the few things that has kept me going over the weeks has been those lasting friendships that have developed. We share a common bond – separation. Separation from everything we left back home. Friends, family, possessions…all of it gone for now, awaiting our safe return. This too, they have become part of the growing separations faced here in Iraq.

Several Marines I have worked closely with over the past two months received notice that they would be out on missions for the reminder of the month. Within a matter of short days, they had packed up and left, leaving behind the comforts they once enjoyed here. The rooms, although small and primitive compared to American standards, will be a luxury missed. The twin-sized beds and one power outlet will no longer be available. For these troops, home will be where they park their Humvees for the night. Whether sleeping in their seats as the engines run or underneath the chassis, bundled up and huddled closely together, they have been separated once again.

Not only are they out on mission, carrying full packs and burdened with 60 pounds of additional equipment, they are unable to partake in what we have worked so hard to accomplish. The patio we constructed now feels empty and meaningless. Our fire pit lacks several individuals who frequently stood beside it. The nights of playing Hearts under a full moon have dissipated. And why? Is it because we are here fighting a war that many do not support?

Do I support all of the decisions made by the President? In this day and age, very few are likely to support every decision made by a single person. But, as my Commander-In-Chief, I must obey the orders of him and the officers appointed over me. As over 150,000 troops remain in Iraq, with thousands more being sent to Afghanistan by the summer of 2009, more and more families will have to part ways with loved once. For some, they will be reunited in 4, 6, or 12 months. For others, they may never see US soil again. So is the way of war. Full of uncertainties, unforeseen circumstances. There is one thing that has been certain for me while deployed: late 2008 is a season of separation. As 2009 creeps upon us, it ushers in hope. The hope that these wars will soon end. The hope that families will be reunited with loved ones. The hope that those who have fallen in the line of duty did not fall in vain, that they will be remembered as heroes.

As of December 12, 2008, there have been 4,200+ Americans who lost their lives in the war in Iraq. Another 31,000+ have been wounded in action. Each one a brave man or woman of the Armed Forces, they have served their country with honor. They have done their part to ensure a safer tomorrow not only for the people of our country, but for the people of Iraq as well. For many months, they have worked tirelessly to protect the lives of millions while risking their own.
In the Air Force, we live by three core values – integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. Being separated from family and friends is a hard task for anyone. Doing so while being on the front line, working multi-hour days with no down time is even harder. This is where the service before self comes into play. Putting the needs of the military and of the nation ahead of our own, we live up to this core value. We serve here with integrity day in and day out, performing our duties to the best of our abilities. We give our all during this tough season normally spent with family.

Though we have been separated, we are also united. Five branches of the military, multiple nations, officers and enlisted, active duty and guard and reserve, contractors and civilians. United we stand, divided we fall. Here in Iraq we stand united, on a camp with a population exceeding 15,000. There are not too many families who boast the numbers we have here. A family which is sure to grow and change in the coming months.

For my fellow Marines who have gone outside the comfort and safety of the “wire” to perform their duties, know that a nation is praying for your safe return. Know that thousands of brothers and sisters are keeping a watchful eye on your every move. From above we guide, from behind we follow, and from the front we lead, doing all we can to ensure your ultimate safety. During this season of separation, we do everything we can to transition into the season of uniting again as one.