Reporting For Duty

This morning my wife, Paula, and I took our 19 year old son to the Nashville airport. He went back New Jersey so he can deploy to Iraq next week. My oldest son, Michael; and James; fiancé, Brandi went with us.

James was home on leave for 3 days. We picked him up at the airport on Sunday morning and came back to church. Afterward we went to lunch with Paula’s side of the family at my favorite restaurant in town, Mariah’s.

James spent some time with us while he was here but most of it was with Brandi or some of his high school friends. Last night we sat in our living room and watched 2 movies (“I am Legend” and “Cloverfield”). That’s the way he likes spending time with us these days. It’s fine with me because being together in our living room is my favorite kind of family time.

It took some time for James to mentally distance himself from being a soldier to just being himself again. What I mean by that is this. From the time we picked him up at the airport until he left to spend time with Brandi on Monday afternoon he was all soldier.

All he talked about was the men in his platoon, his training, his future mission in Iraq, and the never ending list of weapons, equipment and tactics (all referred to with either an acronym or abbreviation). My favorite reference was how he talked about the young man whose job it will be to drive the vehicle he’ll be assigned to in the Middle East. He always called him “my driver”. This kind of behavior really wasn’t very surprising considering that he’d done nothing but train 18 hours a day for 3 months.

For a while I was worried that he wouldn’t be able to remove himself from that military mind set enough to enjoy his time with us here back at home. Nevertheless I was convinced that he had finally relaxed as poked and punched and wrestled with his older brother on the couch on Tuesday night and as he ate a pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream in the back seat of our Saturn Vue on the way to the airport. Although he was in his army fatigues he was pretty much the James everyone knows him to be.

Because it took a bit longer to get to the airport than we had anticipated I didn’t actually get to give James a proper “good-bye.” Knowing he would have to get in line for security as quickly as possible I dropped him and everyone else at the Delta airlines check-in desk outside the departure terminal. I tapped him on the knee before he got out, told him to be careful and read his Bible; then I went to park the car.

By the time I got into the airport he had said his “good-byes” to everyone else and headed for the security check. Paula, Michael, and Brandi were ready to head back home.

I regret not getting to see him off inside the airport and that I didn’t actually get to say a prayer for his protection before he left. However there is one thing I’m happy about. Before we left for the house this morning I had everyone pose for pictures with him. I will have these pictures printed and place one somewhere in my house so I will see it everyday.

This will assure that not a day goes by that I don’t ask God to protect and bless him as he serves our country. Our soldier has reported for duty and despite my doubts about his decision to serve I am very proud of him.