Posted on May 24, 2014
MAJ Deputy Director, Combat Casualty Care Research Program
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Wanted to share this with somebody, and thought those of you on here might get why I wanted to share.
I have an 18 month old son, and I had only seen him for a few months until recently because I was either TDY or deployed. When I got back from Afghanistan in December, I was like a scary monster to him. He would scream when I even looked at him. But tonight, for the first time ever, he laid into my arms while watching TV, and he fell asleep. It broke me up and I was thinking others on here might have experienced the same. I knew him via skype - and he didn't know me at all until recently. It's hard that we become attached while gone, but when we get back we can be strangers or even scary to those we care most about.
Posted in these groups: Children logo Children
Edited >1 y ago
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Responses: 2
CPT Jacob Swartout
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Sir, my son was born when I was deployed in Iraq. I had to wait 5 months to see him. Each day I went on patrol, I said my prayers that I would live to see him in person and not just on Skype or pictures sent to me. I had the chance to see his birth via Skype but as I was talking to my wife, the internet connection went down for 2 hrs. I feel asleep (time zone difference) and Skype woke me up. I couldn't see anything for the first 3 min and heard a baby boy crying in the back ground. Best moment I had over there knowing he was born. When I finally returned and held him for the first time, he just looked at me for the longest time. Then we became good buddies.

I had to leave him again for my 3rd deployment and when I returned, it was daddy and son time again.
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SFC Mark Merino
SFC Mark Merino
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YEAH!!!
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PO2 Tiffany Taylor
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Sir, this is the thing that scares me the most about having kids while in the military. I've seen my Shipmates go through similar experiences with their kids, especially the geo-bachelors who aren't deployed, but are still only able to see their kids for a week or two a year, or a weekend every few months. I've been discussing the possibility of starting a family within the next couple of years, but having to leave small children behind seems like it would be the hardest thing anyone would ever have to do. It boggles my mind how people cope with it.
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