Skip to main content

He's Home!!

Photo: Our Soldiers just after stepping off the bus, and just before greeting their Families.

Nothing compares to an Army homecoming. After months apart, Soldiers are on their way to be reunited on an Army installation somewhere … usually in a gym or on a parade field. The Army band comes to play or a deejay is hired to play to the emotional crowd so music fills the air and excitement and apprehension build to record levels. Remember, it’s been months. Months! These Soldiers have been in the heat and sand, working nonstop with few comforts of home while the Families at home have handled all of the domestic duties while worrying each moment about their Soldier’s safety. (We could spend chapters on that alone, but suffice it to say, it is exhausting.)

Now THE DAY is here. Now this DAY is much different than that ‘other’ DAY. The goodbye day is heart-wrenching and sad and gloomy and feared. This day is the antidote to that day! This is a day full of exhilaration and nerves and joy and pride and love. Balloons bounce around the welcome home site, banners proudly welcome home the mommies and daddies and brothers and sisters and sons and daughters of the unit. Streamers and American flags abound. 4th of July décor has nothing on a welcome home ceremony! It’s a beautiful, happy occasion.

I absolutely LOVE seeing Soldiers come home. Daddies holding their babies for the first time, the first welcome-home kiss, moms and dads and grandparents and siblings wearing some version of the “I AM PROUD OF MY SOLDIER” line of clothing … this is good stuff! My all-time favorite is the Romeo-and-Juliet version (before the last act) where the Soldier and the spouse run toward each other, arms outstretched, and leap into an embrace, twirling, crying, laughing, kissing … while a love song plays and cartoon hearts float around them. You’ve seen them. There is not a romance novel out there to beat that scene.

All of the anxieties I felt about him coming home were erased the moment I saw the bus pull up to the parade field. From there, it was just exhilarating. It was finally MY turn! My Soldier stepped off the bus! My husband walked across the parade field! My kids’ daddy stood with his fellow Soldiers and listened to the (thankfully short) welcome home message. My boys got to run to their dad and hug (tackle?) him for the first time in months. Life is good, HOOAH, and all that. It’s a good day!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Fabulous Remarks

Popular posts from this blog

TORCH and ADVON

Photo: ADVON returning from a year-long deployment. Okay, I have to admit that after 15+ years as an Army wife, I don’t know what ‘TORCH’ and ‘ADVON’ stand for. Something about advanced party … but there’s no ‘p’ for ‘party’ … so I just don’t know. I do, however, know what it means. It means your Soldier comes home FIRST!! We’ve never had the honor of either of those designations. My husband somehow manages to get himself into the ‘stay-behind-and-make-sure-all is-well-out-here’ job and comes home late or last. Not that I’m complaining, though, as I am happy these TORCH and ADVON folks get here and get the place ready for everyone else to come home. In a way, it’s reassuring to me. The wheels are turning, the process has begun … our unit actually is coming home and coming home soon! Homecoming becomes reality, not just a long-sought-after dream. It’s good to see our unit patch and our unit Soldiers back at home, on U.S. soil and on our Army installation. It’s heartening to w...
2 comments
Read more

The Change of Command Ceremony

Last Friday, my Family and I participated in the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division change of command on Fort Hood, Texas.  Hubby became the battalion commander of the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment and joined a wonderful group of "Red Dragon" Soldiers and Families.  It's a dream come true for us ... one of those things you hope in the back of your mind you'll get to do one day, but know realistically that the chances are slim you'll get to do it. When I first saw his name on 'the list' that the Army publishes, I was elated for him.  No one knows more than I do his passion for the Army and for the Soldiers in it.  He is a wonderful leader and cares so much.  We both knew that this would be the adventure of a lifetime.  We explained this new job to our two boys (ages ten and six) as best we could and they kept saying, "We'll have 500 new friends on Friday!" as their summary of the discussion.  =) The ceremony was amazing,...
7 comments
Read more

A Letter to My Cousin and Friend

As I was cleaning out our home office today, I came across an old college notebook from a writing course I had taken at Baylor. Our assignment was to write a letter to someone filled with memories of time spent together. I had chosen to write to my cousin Lori and, although it was a rough draft, I just had to post it. I finished out the last part and laughed out loud at some of the superfun memories with Lori, my cousin and friend. Dear Lori, As I reflect on the time we have spent together, I remember so many wonderful memories with you. Laughter always comes first to mind because we have shared so much of it. We start out giggling over some trivial nothing and soon are rolling in teary-eyed, side-splitting, I-can’t-catch-my-breath laughter. Days later, we will laugh again when one thought triggers another and we think of the same funny thing. After all, we are ‘more funny repeated.’ Our memories together are vast and varied for they have been collecting since, well, basically fr...
Post a Comment
Read more