Posted on 03/14/2007 4:43:17 PM PDT by SandRat
CAMP TAJI, Iraq, March 14, 2007 — More and more soldiers spend their deployments in Iraq serving alongside their spouses.
Sgt. Erick McCormick, the warehouse non-commissioned officer in charge for Headquarters Company, 15th Brigade Troops Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade from Ketchikan, Alaska and Spc. t Michelle McCormick, a supply specialist also with the Sustainment Brigade, from Houston, Texas, are on their second deployment together, but first deployment as a married couple.
Michelle joined the Army in 2004. Right after graduation from high school she packed her bags and headed to Fort Jackson, S.C.
"My dad is a military policeman and my sister is a supply specialist in the Army Reserves, so I decided to join," Michelle said.
Her first duty station was Fort Hood, Texas, and within a few short months of arriving, she deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, for three months during Operation Iraqi Freedom 04-05.
"I was excited because my dad was in Baghdad and my older sister was in Karbala," Michelle said.
Erick joined the Army in 2002 after taking the first few years out of high school to work as a fisherman on charter boats. He also worked as a bio-medical tech at the Ketchikan Indian clinic, a local reservation clinic.
"After the twin towers were hit in 2001, I decided to join," Erick said.
With friends in Special Forces and the Rangers, he felt the patriotic pull to serve his country. He completed basic combat training at Fort Jackson, S.C. His first duty station was at Fort Hood, Texas.
"I liked my first deployment, we went out on a lot of convoys so we were gone a lot and that made the days go by faster," Erick said.
Arriving in Camp Taji, Iraq in 2004, he met his wife while working in the internet café. She would go in and check her email, giving her a reason to go in every day to sit and look at him.
"I guess you could say it was love at first sight. I would go into supply for minor things like pens just to see her," Erick smiled.
It took two weeks to get back to the states after the first deployment. After what seemed like an eternity for the two, they saw each other again and began dating. They married two months later, in May 2005.
"I love having him here. It makes the deployment less difficult since I have him here with me," Michelle said.
When asked how he likes having his spouse over here with him, he replied with a chuckle.
"It saves me a bunch of money on phone cards."
Please keep them (and all) safe.
Thanks for this sweet story. May they and all our troops remain safe.
Godspeed to them both!
I think it is great if couples can serve in the same theater, but I think where husband and wife are both in the military and they have children, especially young ones, only one should be deployed to a combat area and away from home.
My buddy and his fiancee are both there now. They will get hitched when they get back in a few months.
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