Face of Defense: Mother, Son Prepare to Deploy to Kosovo Together

Face of Defence ^ | Spc. Lindsey M. Frazier, USA

[SandRat]

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind., May 15, 2008 – Many mothers sit at home and wonder what their deployed son or daughter is doing, hoping everything is all right and waiting for the next phone call. Some might see a mother deploying with her son as a great thing, but what onlookers might not think about is what is left back home.

Army National Guard Spc. Roschell Eaton and her son, Spc. Jason Hutchins, both from 3175th Military Police Company, train at Camp Atterbury, Ind., for their upcoming deployment as part of Kosovo Force 10, Multinational Task Force East. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Lindsey Frazier  
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Army National Guard Spc. Roschell Eaton of 3175th Military Police Company from Warrenton, Mo., knows this scenario all too well.

Eaton’s younger son, Devlin, a high school senior, is staying with his grandmother while she deploys with her elder son, Spc. Jason Hutchins, also an MP in the 3175th.

The mother-son National Guard duo from Troy, Mo., is in mobilization training here for their upcoming deployment as part of Kosovo Force 10, Multinational Task Force East. KFOR 10 is the 16th rotation in an ongoing peacekeeping operation to provide a safe and secure environment for all of Kosovo.

Eaton and her sons have never been apart; it has always been the three of them. She has raised the boys on her own since Jason was a toddler.

“We’re best friends,” Eaton said with a sigh. “But sometimes you have to leave the ones you love to do what you love.”

Eaton served eight years in the Navy before joining the Missouri Army National Guard. She began missing the camaraderie that she had in the military when she would watch Jason come home in his uniform, and in 2006, after a 12-year break from the military, she decided it was her time to get back in.

“While I was in advanced individual training, my mom called me and told me she joined the Guard,” Hutchins said. “She talked about joining, but I didn’t think she really would.”

In addition to being military police in the same company, mother and son were in the same platoon before the deployment started. And they’re not the only military members of their close-knit family. Devlin, the younger brother, joined the Army National Guard last year and completed basic training the summer before his senior year. He will continue on to AIT for military intelligence as soon as he graduates from high school this month.

“It’s really cool having my mom in my unit; it made us even closer than we were before,” Hutchins said. “The part that is hard is leaving my brother behind.”

The hard part, Eaton said, is that she won’t be home to be Mom. She said she has always been a mother first, but being a mother has to come second, since the Army is now first, she acknowledged.

As she expressed her pride in being a mother, she paused, turned her head to the side and looked away. Taking deep breaths was all she could do to keep the tears from falling. The moment hit her as she thought of not being there for the special moments in her younger son’s life.

“He graduates high school this year, and there’s prom,” she said softly. “I want to be there for the big things and the little things. Devlin says he understands. He said that I was there for his basic training graduation, and that meant more to him than anything.”

Eaton smiled as she regained her composure. With a big grin, she said, “My boys and me are a tight trio.”

Knowing both of her sons are safe, and not sitting on the couch wondering about them, is the best thing she could ask for, she said.

(Army Spc. Lindsey Frazier serves in public affairs at Camp Atterbury, Ind.)

[Righter-than-Rush]

Um, where is the husband and father? Did she run him off while she was learning how to be a man? Best friends? Now THAT is a disfunctional pair of people (not a family).

[sappy]

What is our exit strategy for that Kosovo quagmire? I thought Billy Boy and Weasly Clarke solved all their problems over there. You mean, there are still troops needed 14yrs later? Why, we’ve been in Iraq and Afghanistan for 6yrs.

[Kimmers]

Neat story....

[E. Cartman]

And I thought we couldn’t find enough troops to fight the WOT in Afghanistan?

[GAB-1955]

Kosovo is not a quagmire. Kosovo is working out very well. The U.S. contribution is down to about a brigade, and the Europeans, including the Swiss and Austrians, are chipping in. The only ones unhappy about Kosovo are the Serbs.

[donna]

Yeah, this is creepy.

[sappy]

could you feel the sarcasm?

[old-and-old]

creating a new state is not easy. Iraq will tell you that but thank God in Kosovo not many US soldiers died and the cost to US has not been that much (relatively speaking).

I hope EU steps and take this as their own, because it is theirs. Have Kosovo become part of EU and a penny here and penny there and they manage to survive. Serbia, despite saber rattling is impotent and couldn’t take Kosovo if we left the Albanians a few anti-tank weapons, so peace is guaranteed. The problem is economy and that area has been poor for ages. Inflation and desperation might cause internal problems, but EU knows.

[Enough_Deceit]

Just damn! I need to show this to the recruiters. I told them that I was perimenopausal, raised 5 children and thus had combat experience. Throw in a few hot flashes and take away our chocolate, and we “seasoned” women are a force to be feared. Plus I am an experienced RN. Would they take me? NO! /sarcasm & joking

My poor son gets ill at just the thought. LOL

[GAB-1955]

Actually, I couldn’t, but I trust you on that. Memo to self: Never post on low blood sugar.

[FormerLib]

Kosovo is working out very well.

Particularly for the sort that like the sight of burning Christian Churches.

And for Jihadists looking for another base of operations in Europe.

[old-and-old]

and here you are again. How many Albanian men did Serbs kill, how many Albanian women did they rape, and how Catholic Churches, mosques and houses did the Serbs burn before their churches got touched? And how come no one burned Albanian Christian churches?

Those Serb churches have been there for centuries and no one touched them. Victimization apparently is an art with you. What you do to others does not matter, but if they hit you back, even at 5% you’re a victim.
Read this first http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/kosovo/ or search any reputable site (CNN, BBC, ABC...)

[E. Cartman]

Actually, what we need is a squadron of women, all simultaneously suffering from PMS. Now THEY would kick butt.

[old-and-old]

not if you’re on the receiving end :-)

[Jacob Kell]

>I hope EU steps and take this as their own, because it is theirs.

Yes, as much as it’s anyone’s.

>Have Kosovo become part of EU and a penny here and penny there and they manage to survive.

I don’t know if Kosovo will survive no matter what. It’s never had a history of being a independent nation, for one.

> if we left the Albanians a few anti-tank weapons, so peace is guaranteed.

We shouldn’t leave the Albanians anything.

>The problem is economy and that area has been poor for ages.

Amen. I don’t know if anything could help. A benefit of Ottoman and Communist rule.

>Inflation and desperation might cause internal problems, but EU knows.

So your solution is to basically turn Kosovo over to a bunch of bureaucrats? I suppose that’s as good a solution as any.

[Jacob Kell]

>How many Albanian men did Serbs kill

Yes, Milosevic’s forces committed atrocities, but that doesn’t justify atrocities committed by Albanians against innocent Serbs.

>and how Catholic Churches, mosques and houses did the Serbs burn before their churches got touched?

I was under the impression that the Serbs largely left the Albanian Catholics alone. Or was I mistaken?

>Those Serb churches have been there for centuries and no one touched them.

Does that include the Ottoman Turkish period?

[old-and-old]

>> Yes, Milosevic’s forces committed atrocities, but that doesn’t justify atrocities committed by Albanians against innocent Serbs.

That’s what exactly, Serbs? Nice to blame Milosevic, and deflect blame but he didn’t pull a trigger. Serb soldiers did. Do you know many Serb people still support the Radical Party’s view on Kosovo? Their official view is still Great Serbia and that Milosevic didn’t push hard enough. It isn’t just Milosevic.

No it does not justify against innocent Serbs, and it’s a shame. But it explains it. When you entire life is gone, you do not react reasonably. You have to also understand, that despite the “official” line, Serbs did NOT want K-Albanians to ever come back. They confiscated and burned their documents, robbed them blind of money and jewelry, burned their houses and then threw them out. In some cases they even raped girls in front of their families to literally destroy them. Their plans must have been to deny re-entry to anyone who not have documents when the war was done. Kinda convenient, right? You need documents to enter, but we just burned them. Local Serbs participated in this, either willingly or they were forced to (or mob rule took over), the idea was to make it impossible to come back since the neighbor who did this to you will be there. The poor Roma were caught in between: Serbs asked them where is this person, or who has the most money and they obliged. When Albanians came back, Serbs refused entry for the Roma.

>> I was under the impression that the Serbs largely left the Albanian Catholics alone. Or was I mistaken?

Online I have found evidence that they robbed and looted two Albanian ones, but Croatian Churches weren’t so lucky. On Youtube there a few videos of Serb soldiers taking aim at them with mortars. I remember reading in a report that several 100 catholic churches were destroyed during the war. My point was hypocrisy. If I slap you and you slap me back, why am I complaining??? Some worship mosques other churches. If you don’t respect mine, why should I respect yours? Moreover, historical places and century old bazaars were wiped out—totally. People do get angry at such things.

>> Does that include the Ottoman Turkish period?

Medieval by definition includes that period. I have not found any evidence of K-Albanians touching them—other than someone cutting a tree on church land, breaking a window that may or not may be “hate”—for ages. If they had wanted to, they could have despite the Ottoman tolerance let’s face. Albanians were some 75% when Serbia was granted Kosovo and there was no “Serbia” for 400+ years; just Turkey and regions.

[Jacob Kell]

>Online I have found evidence that they robbed and looted two Albanian ones, but Croatian Churches weren’t so lucky. On Youtube there a few videos of Serb soldiers taking aim at them with mortars. I remember reading in a report that several 100 catholic churches were destroyed during the war.

I think that maybe you’re referring to the wars in Bosnia or Croatia.

>Nice to blame Milosevic, and deflect blame but he didn’t pull a trigger. Serb soldiers did.

I said that, did I not?

>Do you know many Serb people still support the Radical Party’s view on Kosovo?

Maybe because the Radical party is the most prominent champion of ‘Kosovo is part of Serbia’ bit.

I have heard it said that all of the real revenge stuff happened the first few months or so after NATO entered Kosovo. Also, I don’t know if ALbanians made up 75% of Kosovo’s population in 1912.

[GAB-1955]

Burning churches is regrettable and stupid. The Albanians aren't saints, as people here frequently and I agree. However, no more open fighting has occurred since 1999, and in that KFOR is a success.

As for a base for Jihadis—what, Great Britain and Germany aren't the key source of terrorists in Europe?