Posted on 05/17/2005 8:34:11 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
To: The wives, parents, sons, daughters of the soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division (air Assault).
From the vast and desolate desert of Saudi Arabia you so will soon be coming home (someday?).
There are some things you need to know about him and what he has experienced before he arrives. The purpose of this is to ensure that his stateside rehabilitation will be successful.
For the past several months your soldier has been existing in the most miserable environment.
Therefore make sure the house is very hot and dry. Gradually start using the air condition. Too much at the once might cause him to have a heart attack or start cussing out the Air Force.
Put lots of sand in his food, water and bed. he is no longer used to things that are soft and clean.
At the dinner table, make sure there are a lot of salt shakers. If he is not able to use the salt provided he will try to use the salt that has condensed on his clothes from the sweat.
When the family sits down to watch TV, make sure the program you watch is not the news. Your soldier will immediately try to listen for any indication of good news or hope in the Desert Shield situation. And since there is never seems to be any good news, your soldier will just end up being disappointed and depressed.
For something to do on a weekend, the zoo would be a bad choice. Your soldier has been living with camels, snakes and scorpions anyway.
Put someone beside your mailbox to protect your mailman. Because when it is time to deliver the mail and your soldier does not get any, it is always the mail guy who gets it.
Always remind him that his is home. This will be a sure way to put a smile on his face. That is probably the only thing that will make him smile. There certainly was nothing else to make him smile out in the dust bowl.
Do not worry when he shakes his shoes before he puts them on. He is just checking for scorpions and spiders.
Pay not attention to him if he drinks water from the hot tap or decides to boil it before drinking it. This what he has grown accustomed to in the desert.
Vocationally he will get up in the middle of the night wandering aimlessly. Not to worry, he is just searching for the latrine.
If by chance he does not find the one in the house, don't think he is strange if he talk to the commode as a long lost friend.
Last but not least, when your loved one wakes up in the morning give him a few moments to himself to wipe the tears away from his eyes. It will take sometime before he realizes he is finally home. We love and miss you all!!
Sgt. Clark wrote this during the first Gulf War. I just ran across this with other letter's from Desert Storm. Thought folks might like to read it and frankly it is as true today as it was when he wrote this during the first war.
But, I thought it might be time to start going through the boxes and I have come across a number of wonderful items.
One, a letter sent back to Ft Campbell as Desert Shield continued and while humorous the SGTs words really resonated with me then and they still do almost 15 years later.
Just thought some of my fellow military Freeper"s, all my fellow Patriotic Freeper's would enjoy reading it.
Good one.
An alternative is to fire up the backyard grill, turn the A/C down to "extreme chill", provide a boxfull of new DVDs for the 54-inch big screen TV, and recarpet the house in lush green Astroturf.
Then your soldier can feel just like he's serving with the Air Force in Iraq ;-)
Oops now did you also learn our secret hand shake.
I am a AF former military chick. :)
The USAF never deploys to anything less then a Holiday Inn :) Roughing it means that local calls are charged!
Hehe...
USAF, the Country Club service!
(Ret, USAF!)
Have to tell you, even on an Army post the Air Force rock with extra's that would never be found in the Army barracks just oh 3 blocks away.
It is the Holiday Inn of the services and frankly I am damn proud of my Air Force roots.
I salute and thank you for your service, USAFJeeper.
Plus there were variations of it every time I returned from germany and even CA.
Not that I am complaining but I bet if you looked real hard you could find something like this with the 1st Roman Legion marching out of Gaul.
The letter of warning to families and loved ones for those of us getting the DEROS and climbing onto our freedom flights (the big proud bird with the golden tail) were slightly differant.
If a pretty girl/woman is close by, quietly,quickly, and gently remover her, as your vet hasn't seen any and might not react appropriately.
Pay no attention to your vet slyly trying to trade cigarettes to the postman to arrange a "boom-boom" girl.
Do not be concerned when he attempts to "barter" in the grocery store, or to trade "C" rats.
We warned our loved ones too.
In my case, there was nothing in the letter warning my loved ones to my reaction on hearing a siren. I was in a store when one went off, and I shouted "INCOMING", and was immediately seeking a shelter.
Each had there own peculiar reaction.
During the first Gulf 'excursion' the AF had air conditioners in their tents on Diego Garcia. In their tents!
I was just glad my job kept me around lots of important secure computers during my time in the Gulf. We may not have rated extra AC, but the electronics did....
I hate sand now. I don't like beaches. Even after 15 yrs.
...and those scorpions..yikes!
PING
I wouldn't know about that sand stuff, but I know a lot of ex-boat sailors that like to ride behind the bus, just to breathe in the diesel.
Then perhaps you can tell me how to get some astroturf for my hooch :)
First, join the USAF ! After that it is issued. And I would never say that a unit I deployed managed to get golf clubs shipped in the cargo planes :)
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