Thanks to everyone!

:)
Lisa

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. These are some tough times for anyone that has someone in a war zone. My heart goes out to you.

I know what it's like as my husband was a retired LTC from the army with 27 years active duty and he served in Viet Nam. So I know what you're going through.

I know you'll be so glad to be able to put your arms around him again. Just the fact that they can now call home or get on a computer, really makes it just a little bit easier.

Hang in there, girl! Prayers are with you.

Thanks so much Pat!

Brian is hoping to be a career Marine. I hope his dream comes true!

His next assignment after Iraq will be with the MSG - guarding US Embassies abroad for 3 years.

Oh, WOW! That's the hardest part of having a military child...

Oh my...I pray for your son's safety and the safety of all the men and women serving in the military.

As a military brat and daughter of a veteran, I'm always saying prayers for our service men and women. Now I'll just put Brian on top of the list.

Please thank him for me.

Lisa:
i'm so glad you got to speak to your son and that he is safe. He is always in my thoughts and I'm waiting for the post that says:
MY SON IS HOME!

Thanks everyone.

Sherry Lynn:

I am so glad that I was home to answer the phone when he called today and that I could get my ex-husband on a three-way conversation as well. I think Brian needed to hear both of our voices as much as we needed to hear his.

Sitting down tonight at my computer and reading the msn reports of the casualties and injuries brings tears to my eyes just knowing that he was very close to all of this today.

Not long before the attack, he had been sent out to a stronghold in the city to repair a communications radio that had malfunctioned. While out there, he had to accompany the guys that were his escort to the stronghold on a callout to investigate a possible IED. I know he had his fears going on that call. Thank goodness the possible IED was only a dead cow in the road! That was extreme relief for him!

Hearing his story about the dead cow and then having to help those guys move the dead cow out of the roadway does help to bring a smile though. He did comment that he would have been really mad if he would have been shot by a sniper while moving a dead animal!

Thanks again for all the kind thoughts and prayers!

Gerry:

Knowing my like I think you do . . . that post will come complete with a photo! When he comes home on leave, the entire family will greet him at the New Orleans airport. The fight will be to see who he rides home with! hehe!

We can't wait until the summer when he flies into North Carolina to be debriefed on his mission though. You bet I'll be in Jacksonville right there waiting as well!

You know, I'm such a sap.

I was in Atlanta covering the Peach Bowl festivities. During the parade, there were many Army vehicles with personnel aboard. One vet was walking the parade route shaking hands and touching as many people as possible. It was all I could do to maintain my composure. With the passing of each military vehicle, the crowd applauded loudly!

I don't think twice about stopping and shaking the hands of anyone that is military nowadays. I always tell them thank you.

Here is the gentleman. His uniform was starched perfectly!

What a welcome phone call and I'm so thankful he's okay! Tell him a big thank you from me and that I'll be praying for his safety! Bless his heart and all the other men and women fighting for our freedom! I'm so sorry for those that lost their lives!

Do you get to talk to him often? I have a friend whose son was in Iraq and he just got home, but while there, they talked quite often via his cell phone! Between cell phones and the internet, it's so much easier to communicate with them, rather than years ago when we just had to wait for a letter!

Before the elections in mid-December (about a month before), the insurgents "took out" the cell towers near and around Ramadi and Falujah because the Iraqi people were phoning in tips where weapons were being stored and insurgents were hiding. At that time, we lost cell phone communication with Brian.

Since he is the communications guru in his team, he does have two satellite phones that are military and he does get 10 minutes per month on them but he goes way over those minutes. His command told them all to use the phones as needed.

As far as Internet, since he has gotten to Ramadi (which has been for several months now), he has had trouble getting approval to run an Internet line to their quarters. We asked him about it yesterday and he said the paperwork is submitted but someone higher up on the brigade level is sitting on it. :( He rarely gets a chance to go to the room where Internet is set up because he is living on the Iraqi side of the base since that is his mission . . . to train the Iraqis. The Internet communications room is on the American side and its not close at all to where he is.

We do hear from him pretty often and he has become very mindful when he knows something big has gone on that will hit the news . . . he\'ll call to let us know he\'s okay.

Its difficult to talk to him on the phone and hear mortar attacks in the background. You never know if one will come his direction since he is with the Iraqi soldiers.

Lisa

Whew!
 

It must be such a relief to hear from him at times like that!! Please pass on my thanks for helping to keep the world safe.

:D

My comment is that I am very thankful for all of our miletary folks that are serving our country,I have 19 grandchildren,and the only thing I have ever wanted for them is to be raised in the same free country I was raised in,and if it were not for our wonderful people out serving that would not be a reality, 9/11 would have been the begenning of the end of our freedoms we so take for granted,thank you for raising the kind of young man that was willing to put his life on hold to protect my grandchildren and all of the other children in this great country,,my prayers are always with thede wonderful people and thier loving famileys..may you be granted the peace you need,,