Rest and Relaxation
05.26.06Apparently R&R is a very sensitive time for most troops.
Being away from “the norm” for so long we pick up habits that may end up causing some form of conflict with either family, friends…or just society in general. I myself heard all the stories and kept telling myself, “I don’t see what the big deal is. It’s just like any other vacation.” But I have caught myself choking on my own words.
There are so many things that soldiers will feel upon returning to the states. I’m not going to go into all of them right now. That would be a little more complicated than my current “One Year of Public High School Psychology” degree would cover. So I’ll just give you my perspective.
One of the main things they tell us before we return home for either our break or for good, is that reality is harsh. Thing’s don’t always go as you had planned. The biggest thing here is the reactuion you can expect from people back stateside. They tell us, “Don’t expect the hero’s welcome.” I for one never did. I know I’m nuthin’ special except to those I love. They are the only ones I ever expected any kind of overjoyed greeting to come from. I didn’t expect one of those scenes from the movies where we walk into the terminal after landing and having crowds of people standing and applauding with the confetti stuff flyin through the air and all these “Welcome home troops!” signs hanging all over. I knew I was going to come home and walk into an airport where people still bump into you trying to get where they’re going and not even bother a glance in your direction. I that back here it’s back to “Rule Numero Uno…don’t mess with tex-oh wait that’s not it. Rule Number One: Look out for number one. It’s back to survival of the fittest here instead of the “All for one, one for all” attitude of brotherhood in the sand pit. Not that everyone has that….but you can tell a big difference in the overall attitude of the place.
I walked into the same airport that I left back in December. Nothin changed. And yet…I caught myself feeling those very thoughts I didn’t think I’d have. I felt those little jabs of resentment that there was no Grand PooBah celebration. But who am I to say I deserve a greeting as such? Nobody. I did get the occasional “Thank you for serving.” comments which are more than enough. The fact that I got just one is more than enough. Do I deserve some kind of special treatment? Hell no. I may be a soldier but I volunteered. I’m just a regular guy like everyone else. Nothing special about me gives the “right” to have better treatment than anyone else.
Remember though…I speak for myself. There are too many to count in the Armed Forces that have displayed the courage and valor that I can only dream about. There are plenty of heros in the the military. Those are the one’s who deserve those massive greetings. Two specifically in our company. Those who have given more than time; More than a little energy. Those guys deserve the heros welcome.
I realized my selfishness and tried to put it away right then and there. My heros greeting wasn’t waiting at any of my connecting stations…it was right here at home.
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On the morning of May 26th, between the hours of 2:00AM and 4:00AM, in the year of our Lord, 2006, my brother and his wife had their firstborn. A baby girl.
All congratulations go out to him and his wife!
…and I’m an uncle again.
Dag! If you don't get it then noone
WELCOME HOME!!!!! Nice to hear you got home safely! You have been doing a great job! Thank you for your service and dedication to your family and country.
Enjoy your time off! Don’t let Chad work you tooooo hard! heh heh
Congratulations on becoming an uncle again too!
annie
May 26th, 2006
Enjoy America and its beauties dude, and party hard!!!:beer:
erik
May 26th, 2006
Well, if our family had been at the airport, we woulda been whooping and hollering and cheering and crying with joy ~ even if ya aren’t a relative of ours, LOL! *throws confetti* (hey, better late than never! *throws more confetti*)
Congrats on being an uncle again! Yippee! Can’t wait to see pics!
Enjoy your leave - we appreciate you and are proud of you.
Kat in GA
May 26th, 2006
Many Congrats all around guys!!!! SF, so glad to know you’re home for a while….enjoy! We’ll see how much Chad wants to work on ceilings now that he’ll be getting no sleep
SK
May 26th, 2006
Welcome Home! What an exciting day, first SF, and then a baby! Can’t beat that! Congratulations!!!!,
gloria
May 26th, 2006
*Throws confetti* Welcome home soldier!
Congrats on the baby girl! i was hoping to have ours by now but she’s just kinda set up camp in there and decided to hang around for a while
we’ve tried everything from pineapples to walking, walking, walking, and uh other things….to make her get a move on but i guess she’s as stubborn as he is. *sigh*
anyway,
Welcome Home *passes beer* enjoy your vacation (try NOT to spit on the floor in the house, eric had a hard time readjusting to that particular bad habit he picked up) and put up some pics for us!
liz
May 27th, 2006
Small airport……11 p.m. at night…..a tired group gathered at the airport waiting for their loved ones. Even still, when SF walked down the terminal hall into the waiting area, he was given a round of applause by the 30-40 people gathered there, and a big hug from his mom (me) and brother and sisters. As far as I can see, that was a good ‘welcome home’!!! Glad to have you home, son!
Mom
May 27th, 2006
Just wanna say Thanks. I hope you get some rest and relaxation in while you’re home.
soldierswife
May 29th, 2006
Glad you are home and safe. Keep the war boring when you get back in theater (makes it sound like entertainment, don’t it?) and come home in one piece. Congratulations on the new neice.
stoicmom
May 29th, 2006
Welcome home, troop, and congrats on the new neice! I have to add, the folks at DFW meet every R&R flight and give a big Texas welcome home, my hat’s off to them!
SFC D
May 30th, 2006
Just adding my Welcome Home and confetti! You DO deserve it!! Thank You for keeping us free.
SoldiersAngelCJ
June 1st, 2006