A year of hard work coming to a close...

Jfrag Teh Foul

Diamond Member
Jul 18, 2001
3,146
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In January of 1991 I joined the Arkansas Army National Guard and spent the next eight years making some of the best friends of my lifetime. In '98, my wife and I had our first son and my attitude started shifting from serving the country to serving my family... so I ets'd out with an honorable discharge and kept my focus at home.

Last year, my old unit was called up to serve in Iraq for a year. The entire 39th was deployed (including my brother-in-law, who is my best friend), and it kind of floored me that at the time because it was nigh impossible to re-enlist and go over with them because of several different reasons (2 kids, pregnant wife, building house, etc.). Well, I take my guilt and a couple of friends and decide to create a local organization that would at least help them from afar if I couldn't actually be there. We managed to send over upward of 6 tons of supplies!

Fast forward to today. While most have gotten to come home, my brother-in-law and several others who are still there are going to be coming home soon... meaning that my service to them in this capacity is nearing its end as well. The problem that I am having is that while I still have my family at home that totally has the right to have their husband/father around, most of my obligations have been met... and I feel that I maybe should go ahead and sign back up with them... except how do I explain to my family that daddy has to leave to go fight (because it would be a very good possibility of deployment) If I do indeed sign... the thought of doing that to them is very painful to even contemplate.

Anyway... thoughts or opinions?

BTW, Here is the webpage we use to get information out about current projects and updates on how and what the guys are doing.
 

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Originally posted by: Jfrag
Fast forward to today. While most have gotten to come home, my brother-in-law and several others who are still there are going to be coming home soon... meaning that my service to them in this capacity is nearing its end as well. The problem that I am having is that while I still have my family at home that totally has the right to have their husband/father around, most of my obligations have been met... and I feel that I maybe should go ahead and sign back up with them... except how do I explain to my family that daddy has to leave to go fight (because it would be a very good possibility of deployment) If I do indeed sign... the thought of doing that to them is very painful to even contemplate.

I understand your dilemma, but given that you have a family I think you should stay here. If you want to help out, you can probably "adopt" another unit, and keep them supplied.
 

Jfrag Teh Foul

Diamond Member
Jul 18, 2001
3,146
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I have thought about that... would be tougher to do because of the local connection infrastructure that I have here would be moot at that point. The Family Assitance group here in Arkansas has been integral in finding help to get the shipping handled (shipping 6 tons of stuff costs a fortune... nearly a dollar for every pound). :confused:
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,082
12
76
fobot.com
you did your time. i got out to avoid family seperation. you don't need to feel bad and go back in for that reason.

if i had stayed in the Navy, i would have been sent to Hawaii for 3 years and stationed on a fast attack submarine and had to do 6 month deployements . we had a 3 year old daughter and i didn't want to miss out on her growing up, so i got out. i did ten years, i think that is a good chunk of time to serve.

there are plenty of single youngsters that can serve and do the job
 

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
13
81
Originally posted by: Jfrag
In January of 1991 I joined the Arkansas Army National Guard and spent the next eight years making some of the best friends of my lifetime. In '98, my wife and I had our first son and my attitude started shifting from serving the country to serving my family... so I ets'd out with an honorable discharge and kept my focus at home.

Last year, my old unit was called up to serve in Iraq for a year. The entire 39th was deployed (including my brother-in-law, who is my best friend), and it kind of floored me that at the time because it was nigh impossible to re-enlist and go over with them because of several different reasons (2 kids, pregnant wife, building house, etc.). Well, I take my guilt and a couple of friends and decide to create a local organization that would at least help them from afar if I couldn't actually be there. We managed to send over upward of 6 tons of supplies!

Fast forward to today. While most have gotten to come home, my brother-in-law and several others who are still there are going to be coming home soon... meaning that my service to them in this capacity is nearing its end as well. The problem that I am having is that while I still have my family at home that totally has the right to have their husband/father around, most of my obligations have been met... and I feel that I maybe should go ahead and sign back up with them... except how do I explain to my family that daddy has to leave to go fight (because it would be a very good possibility of deployment) If I do indeed sign... the thought of doing that to them is very painful to even contemplate.

Anyway... thoughts or opinions?

BTW, Here is the webpage we use to get information out about current projects and updates on how and what the guys are doing.


You have a higher obligation to your family, IMHO.
 

Gulzakar

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
3,074
0
0
I had this killer job on a submarine when I served...

They put me in front of this console with a little "blipping" device and some red button with WMD tapped below it.

A couple of time I fell asleep on top of the button...lucky for me it took quite a few pounds of pressure to push it down.


 

VirginiaDonkey

Golden Member
May 18, 2001
1,704
0
0
I think you are being selfish

think about your family first....unless you value your "military family" more than your real family