Don't take this as chauvinistic, but how tough is it to see your daughter head into a war zone?
You know, everyone asks me that. I try to tell myself, she's a trained soldier. She's expert on her weapons, could make sniper if she was a guy, and I'm not just saying that cuz I'm the mom, others higher up than her have stated the same to me. She's aced her last PT test. So, I have to have confidence in her training. With that said. I'd think I'd rather have her trained as a soldier and go to Iraq, than to head to Chicago with her girlfriends for a weekend party without the training. At least I keep telling myself that. Maybe as the time gets closer, I'll feel different, but she's so solid in her abilities, I just admire that.
On a fun note, they had an arm wrestling contest at NTC, and she wrestled the weakest guy in their unit, and she told me she could have beat him, but lost on purpose because she didn't want that lingering over him forever! She's not one of those macho girls either.
Tough, very tough. Although my daughter is 6' tall,drop-dead gorgeous and not to be messed with, it was a hard year from spring 03 to spring 04. She accomplished so much and experienced so much - mostly positive - in that year that sometimes I'm a little envious.