OEF 2009 » Lady Jess

V is For Valor

OEF 2009 5 Responses »

Aug 272010

I mentioned a while back that my husband earned an award while over in Afghanistan. At the time I didn’t have the whole story, and it wasn’t official yet. However, I do now, and it is. He received copies of it yesterday, since he won’t be here for the ceremony. He’ll receive the originals when he gets back from school. I’m very glad I didn’t know then. I was torn between hugging him, clobbering him, or doing both. The Award is the Bronze Star With "V" Device. Given for combat heroism, and 4th highest award in the Army. According to Wiki

The Valor device (or “V device”) is authorized by all services and identifies the award as resulting from an act of combat heroism (as in the case of the Army and Air Force) or signifying that the medal was earned in combat (as in the case of the Navy), thus distinguishing it from meritorious achievement awards. However, an accumulation of minor acts of combat heroism does not justify an award of the Valor device. Combat service deserving a bronze star, but not achieved in a particular valorous act, would warrant a meritorious bronze star. The Valor device does not denote an additional award. Only one may be worn on any ribbon.

The Bronze Star with the Valor Device is the United States military’s fourth highest award for valor.

The following (names and such edited out) scan is how he got it. Click to embiggen.

I’d like to say I was surprised at his actions. But I’m not. The man stood between me, my daughter, and a rampaging moose several years ago. He’s always been MY hero, I guess now I just have to share.

The Call

OEF 2009 5 Responses »

Jul 092010

chat_001 It finally came. In less than 24 hours this year long deployment ends. And with it, a huge Lose Weight Exercise lifts from my shoulders. I didn’t know what mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion truly felt like until this deployment. Even as I pushed through it, and didn’t think I was feeling the stress, it was there. It showed itself in tension and migraine headaches, IBS flare ups, waking up with anxiety attacks, hell I even bawled at a couple stupid commercials.

Aside from all that, I’m really proud of us. All of us. Him for being the one strong enough to take the risks, and trust me to handle things here. Me for getting through it, even when I didn’t think I could, both girls for making it pretty easy to be a Mom most of the time. And that’s saying something, since they’re both teenagers, and rather emotional to start with AND dealing with him being gone. This time they were well aware of the risks and reality of what he does. I’ve never shielded them from that, as hard as it was to be honest about it, they need to know. We had our moments but mostly we did ok.

Things went wrong…

The truck died. Twice.
The water line backed up
the dog ran off due to my scatterbrain
Kidney stones
Simultaneous Migraines for me and my oldest
I missed a shooting at the px by 10 minutes
the closet broke. twice.
We found out we were moving unexpectedly.
My computer died

Things went right…

I met Gretchen Wilson
I got the truck fixed. Twice.
I turned a house into a home
I got a new computer
I got my photography setup back
I learned to control my kidney stones
I learned I’m a damned good wife and mom

It’s finally over. We can get back to being a normal family. Well, OUR version of normal. It’s still vastly different than most peoples’ idea of normal. We have some plans for the summer. Litle things. Trip to the zoo, the beach, possibly a second vehicle.

But right now, I plan to do my dusting and vacuuming before bed, get some sleep, and then get up and shower and make myself look good to go bring that man home. And I must say thank you, to my commenters, my twitter friends, and everyone else for the support in the last year.

Stick a Fork In Me

OEF 2009 3 Responses »

Jul 082010

He is still not home. I wish I had more to tell people that want to know, but I don’t. And it is so frustrating. I’ve done everything I can possibly do to keep my mind off it. What little I do know, is thankfully given to me by a fellow wife, because our rear detachment is not telling us shit. So far I have…

steam cleaned the carpets

scrubbed the tile and baseboards

decluttered the living room and dining room

placed area rugs in high traffic areas

defined a dining room with another area rug. Since our living room and dining room shares the same 15x~30 ft area, this was all I could do. However, the rug matches the placemats.

I have also made the kitchen look like more personal, even though we move in 5 months I’m tired of just having a “house” and decided it would be nice to make it “home”. This is the first I’ve actually gone and bought ANY decor.

stovearea

I’ve cleaned inside the dishwasher, cleaned the garbage disposal. For pete’s sake I even cleaned the top of the fridge, and tore all the shelves and drawers out to clean. The sheets and towels in our room are washed and changed, all laundry is washed, dried, and put away. I have washed blinds and windows, scrubbed cabinet and drawer faces, you name it I’ve done it.

And now…I’m sitting and waiting. And hoping. He called this morning, told me what little he’s allowed to. Soon…we hope. But we’ve heard that before.

The Air Force Lost The Key To The Plane

OEF 2009 2 Responses »

Jul 072010

All weekend it was a madhouse here. I started getting the house ready for the return of hubby. This was sped up by the fact that the airflow vent to the main water line that controls the kitchen and laundry room drains got blocked and dumped water on the floor.

I was rockin the joint, cleaning behind the washer, scrubbing out the fridge, washing walls, scrubbing floors, all the while being cautiously excited that he would be home “any day now”. I had my laundry washed, dried, and put away, rotated my mattress, made everything look great. I was ready.

Then…delayed. Now granted, this is to be just a few days. It’s nothing like the last delay that kept him deployed an extra four months. But still it’s enough to invoke /Jessrage at the Air Force. They have some sort of Snafu going, I don’t know if they lost the keys to the plane or what but as of yesterday my husband was STILL in the waiting area.

The nervous energy is killing me. yesterday? I steam cleaned the living room. THREE TIMES!! I then proceeded to get the dining room into dining shape instead of scrapbooking chaos. THEN I went to the PX and got towels, and potholders, and placemats. My kitchen now has a coffee theme, my dining room table looks like people actually eat there, and both bathrooms have two full sets of matching towels. That’s right. I finally made some homey touches. Five months before we move.

All because the waiting is driving me crazy. And ya know what? I’ll probably tear through my bedroom today. Because I cannot STOP!!!

Slacker That Would Be Me

OEF 2009 2 Responses »

Jul 012010

I have absolutely sucked at keeping up with this blog. The crazy is starting now, though it’s a good crazy. I’m within days of having Hubby home for almost good. As “for good” as the Army allows that is. There’s always schools to complete and work to be done, but the Deployment will be over and that is the important thing. It has been a long, long year. I’ll be glad to relax again, not jump at the doorbell, not be the ONLY adult, the only one in charge. It’s almost over. well, he’s out of combat, so I guess I can say it IS over, but until he’s here, and in my sight…I can’t completely relax.

Of course, that’s when the craziness really starts. We have to go car shopping, and HOPE we are successful. We have to get as much time together, to do things this summer as possible before his school starts in September. Then after that the moving process begins. Though as he pointed out this morning at least we have 2 months between school and our move, rather than 2 weeks like last time.

But, I do have a small rant. I don’t know exactly when he gets home. I knew last time. But this time command is going BY THE BOOK and then some. Do you know WHEN the spouses will know for certain when their husbands are coming home? TWELVE HOURS before the plane lands. TWELVE HOURS people!! Come on now! I stop and think about spouses that have to work, or have gone home for the deployment and have to travel back here to reunite and think that must really effing SUCK for them. I understand OPSEC, I do. But treating these soldiers’ wives like we’re gonna call up Mr Taliban with the info is just…ugh. Sometimes the Army just makes me want to slap someone. You can understand the reasoning, you can even support it, and it can still piss you off. Thankfully one of his buddies’ wives is keeping me in the loop.

And…on nice days I’ve gone out with my camera a bit. I did finally get the shot I’ve been trying to get for years…I’ll leave you with that.