He was a medic for 5th group special operations on a mission to find a couple of terrorist. 4 SF teams were involved in this mission as it was a high priority target, two teams covered the perimeter of the building while the other two teams were to breach the building at street level and at roof top. The building was a hard target so this was the reason for the large amount of personel involved with the mission. As soon as the street level team started to breach the building shots rang out and a couple of team members went down. Medics were on the ground tending to the wounded while the terrorist were on the roof still firing down on the wounded personel. As a medic attended to a fallen brother a team member observed the individuals on the roof and he started for there location to neutralize the threat. He stepped out onto the roof in the heat of the battle with no regard for his own safty, just the safety of his team members that were in harms way down on the street. He executed the mission, took out the target but was shot and killed in the process. That night two team members were killed and seven injured. It was September 12 2003 when he died in a far away land, he laid down his life for a brother. SFC Bennett was to leave Iraq the very next day to go home! He left behind a wife and son.
Today I attended a memorial service for SFC Bennett, The Army renamed the compound after him in his Honor. This is one of many stories that most people will never hear about, SFC Bennett died for his country doing a job most will never understand or don't want to hear about. In that slit secound, the dicision he made cost him his life, but in turn he probably saved the life's of several men under his command.
On this 4th of July the reality of freedom rang clear to me. Men like Bill have paid the ultimate price for the freedoms I so love. We live in the greatest country in the world, there is no other place I would want to go. If anybody ever questions what they have or the places they can so freely go as an American, remember men and women have fault and died for this Nation never asking for anything in return.
The next time you see a veteran, young or old shake there hand and say thanks, they may not understand the reason why but the least we can do as a society is thank them for a job well done.
05 July 2009
10 June 2009
Deployment
Hey everybody, yes I'm still alive and kicking. Sorry for not doing this sooner I've just been........... blowing this off for far to long. All is well with me here in the desert or as I like to say "It's all good". Many things have happened since my last posting so I will try to tell you what life is like "IN THE WAR ZONE".
We left California 2Mar09 for a far and distant land with excitement and a little fear of the unknown. The flight sent us to Bangor MN, Shannon Ireland, then onto Kuwait. We stayed in Kuwait for about a week to acclimate and rest up then flew into Iraq. The fun started with a broke C-130 from Kuwait into Iraq, with a slight delay we were soon off again. We flew into Balad, Iraq to start our mission.
Our detatchment arrived safely in theater as it's called ready to get started with our mission. I was quickly told not to get comfortable as I was to depart Balad withen a few days to fly out to a "FOB" (Foward operating base) for a turnover from the unit we replaced.
Our turn over went well and we assumed the duties set by our Commanding Officer. We are working for the Army's 5th group called SOTF-N (Special operations task force-north). They are a special forces group taking care of all the northern part of Iraq. I'm not sure exactly what they do as most of it is top secret. We as Seabees are the builders of the fleet no matter who we work for. Our tasking was to build several building's for the Army during our stay here. The project started out with tons of dirt to move and prepare the site for new structures. To date we have completed several buildings left by the last battalion and started several ourself. We have been tasked with 4 new buildings to be errected, they are to include a Armory, Theater, Kitchen, and a vehical maintenance shop. This task will be about 14000 square feet of buildings to be finished by 10 people in 6 months. There have been tons of dirt moved, a couple hundred cubic meters of concrete poured and thousands of boards cut to fit.
As for me I am the only mechanic in this group and it is my job to ensure that all our equipment is maintained and ready to go. This has been quite a challenge because our equipment operators run the equipment like it was a rental! Needless to say there have been a couple of people that have witnessed my wrath first hand. These same people would be the "ignants" referred to earlier in Sheila's post.
There has been alot of fun as well as some long days while in country, my roommates and I are always going out and trying to find things to do and people to meet. We have received several guided tours while out on our excursions. We met a warrent officer that told us everything you could ever want to know about his Apache attack helicopter, and a couple of maintenance guys that did the same about there Blackhawk helicopter. Everyone wants to tell you about there "specialty" or there piece of equipment. I have been involved with several projects for the sole purpose of just building relationships, there was a volleyball court for the hospital staff, a memorial for a sevice member killed in combat and built a table for the gate guards to put a microwave on.
There have been good as well as trying times while here, it is hard to work, play, eat and sleep with the same people 24-7 without the help of the Lord. I have found that the the only way for me to handle this deployment is by Gods grace and mercy! One of the first things I did once I arrived was to meet the Chaplain and start getting plugged in. Luckily both of my roommmates are christians and we all go every sunday to church. I made a new friend while attending church, Tim an Army sargent that I know the Lord put in my path. I had all these plans before I left the states on my "mission" trip. What I am finding out is that the Lord had his own plan for me. I probabaly will not get to go outside the wire into other parts of the country and carry the gospel to a lost people, but I am finding out that there are many right in front of me that need to be ministered to and loved on. I miss Sheila and the kids and being away from home, but I know the Lord has me here for a reason. My prayer is still that when he calls I will listen and obey!
We left California 2Mar09 for a far and distant land with excitement and a little fear of the unknown. The flight sent us to Bangor MN, Shannon Ireland, then onto Kuwait. We stayed in Kuwait for about a week to acclimate and rest up then flew into Iraq. The fun started with a broke C-130 from Kuwait into Iraq, with a slight delay we were soon off again. We flew into Balad, Iraq to start our mission.
Our detatchment arrived safely in theater as it's called ready to get started with our mission. I was quickly told not to get comfortable as I was to depart Balad withen a few days to fly out to a "FOB" (Foward operating base) for a turnover from the unit we replaced.
Our turn over went well and we assumed the duties set by our Commanding Officer. We are working for the Army's 5th group called SOTF-N (Special operations task force-north). They are a special forces group taking care of all the northern part of Iraq. I'm not sure exactly what they do as most of it is top secret. We as Seabees are the builders of the fleet no matter who we work for. Our tasking was to build several building's for the Army during our stay here. The project started out with tons of dirt to move and prepare the site for new structures. To date we have completed several buildings left by the last battalion and started several ourself. We have been tasked with 4 new buildings to be errected, they are to include a Armory, Theater, Kitchen, and a vehical maintenance shop. This task will be about 14000 square feet of buildings to be finished by 10 people in 6 months. There have been tons of dirt moved, a couple hundred cubic meters of concrete poured and thousands of boards cut to fit.
As for me I am the only mechanic in this group and it is my job to ensure that all our equipment is maintained and ready to go. This has been quite a challenge because our equipment operators run the equipment like it was a rental! Needless to say there have been a couple of people that have witnessed my wrath first hand. These same people would be the "ignants" referred to earlier in Sheila's post.
There has been alot of fun as well as some long days while in country, my roommates and I are always going out and trying to find things to do and people to meet. We have received several guided tours while out on our excursions. We met a warrent officer that told us everything you could ever want to know about his Apache attack helicopter, and a couple of maintenance guys that did the same about there Blackhawk helicopter. Everyone wants to tell you about there "specialty" or there piece of equipment. I have been involved with several projects for the sole purpose of just building relationships, there was a volleyball court for the hospital staff, a memorial for a sevice member killed in combat and built a table for the gate guards to put a microwave on.
There have been good as well as trying times while here, it is hard to work, play, eat and sleep with the same people 24-7 without the help of the Lord. I have found that the the only way for me to handle this deployment is by Gods grace and mercy! One of the first things I did once I arrived was to meet the Chaplain and start getting plugged in. Luckily both of my roommmates are christians and we all go every sunday to church. I made a new friend while attending church, Tim an Army sargent that I know the Lord put in my path. I had all these plans before I left the states on my "mission" trip. What I am finding out is that the Lord had his own plan for me. I probabaly will not get to go outside the wire into other parts of the country and carry the gospel to a lost people, but I am finding out that there are many right in front of me that need to be ministered to and loved on. I miss Sheila and the kids and being away from home, but I know the Lord has me here for a reason. My prayer is still that when he calls I will listen and obey!
15 May 2009
In a dry and weary land………..
the chapel at Camp Speicher, Iraq
the chaplain holding sunday service
When Eric arrived at Camp Speicher he set out to find the chaplain. He wanted to know if he was a Christian (yes, he could’ve been something other than that), talk about his own faith journey, and find out about church services. Eric seemed to like him. The first Sunday they had 5 people at the service. Eric and his 2 roommates were 3 of them. On Easter Sunday even the “Easter Christians” came out in force. They had high attendance that day……..9 people attended!!! How’s that for church growth! The numbers are back down to the 5 regulars now……but that’s okay. God is not concerned with numbers….only hearts that seek after Him. “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” ~ Matt. 18:20.
I was proud of Eric as he shared his heart with me, our friends, and our home fellowship group before he left. God has done so much in his life the past year preparing him for this. He learned how to “Live on Target” and has grown so much at our new church the past year. He is proud and honored to serve his country but his first mission was to make a difference in the lives of others and to share his faith by word and deed. He thinks of this as a mission trip. Those of us who have been on missions know that we go with the idea that we are going to make a difference, lead people to “change” their lives, etc. But the reality is we are the ones who grow and change the most. Yes…….we make a difference but we come home changed forever. I know this journey is growing and stretching Eric as he relies daily and hourly on God to sustain him, protect him, and guide him in difficult circumstances. My prayer is for Eric to be bold in his words and more bold in his actions and witness. I pray other soldiers will look at him and see something different in him. We are nearing the halfway mark (thank you, Lord!) of this deployment and there is still time for Eric to make a difference. Press on, Eric! Don’t forget your first love and your first mission! Stay on task. God has surely shown you favor through this journey. Pray for every opportunity for Eric to share/lead “Living on Target” with other men and to seek hard after God. I am praying for miracles!
‘Therefore, my brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord’~1 Corinthians 15:58
11 May 2009
Finally……an update…..blogging again!
Sheila - I had someone email me recently and ask if everything was okay since she hadn’t seen any blog posts lately (thanks Debbie!) so it reminded me that I needed to get busy!!
Eric has settled into a routine in the desert finally. He is working 6 days a week and goes to church services on Sunday at the chapel. He and his 2 roommates make up 60% of the church! (there are only about 5 that attend). We are so thankful for modern technology! We are able to talk via Skype almost everyday. For those that don’t know what Skype is……it is video calling with a webcam from computer to computer and the best part is….it’s FREE!! How stinkin’ cool is that? So not only do we get to hear his voice we get to see his face!!! Not to mention his totally bald head and his desert tan. Boy how things have changed since his deployment 18 years ago when we could only use snail mail!
Back to Eric……he is with about 11 Navy guys working with/for Army special ops guys. I don’t think I’m supposed to say exactly where he is. They are doing building projects on the base. I’ll have to encourage him to blog so he can give better details. I’m so proud of him. He has such a great attitude except when his patience runs short in dealing with what he calls “ignant” people. Maybe the Lord is trying to teach him something! God has surely shown favor on him during this deployment. He likes his roommates (southern boys from Tennessee and South Carolina , he has been given great opportunities for leadership, he has not really seen any real danger, apparently they eat like kings, they have cable tv, he is not bored (as he and boredom don’t get along well!), and he gets to stay in touch with his family on a regular basis. It could have been so much worse. Thank you Lord for your grace and kindness!
As for the rest of the Treat household……things are going well. Really….they are. Avery has transitioned beautifully into his role as chief lawn caretaker! He push mows, weed-eats and blows it. I finally hear him taking pride in “his” yard now instead of complaining about doing it. God is good! Shelby has been so busy with school and soccer. Occasionally she has some sad moments of missing her daddy but they pass quickly. I am so proud of them!! They have handled this journey with grace and faith. As for me, truly by God’s grace and faithfulness, I am doing fine. We have had a few “deployment demons” but God always sees us through. We went away for a weekend and came home to no water. So many people offered to come take a look I had to turn people away. It was fixed so quickly when a great friend showed up with someone that fixed it in about 15 minutes- and for FREE!! How amazing is the body of Christ?!! Someone is always checking to see if we need anything. Another friend came over and switched out some electrical outlet plates & switches for us too. People have kept our dogs, offered to help taxi children where they need to go, simply hung out with my kids while I was working and countless other things.
So…….things are great except for missing Eric tremendously! Sometimes I think that people think I am just pretending to be okay. But I really am………..I don’t understand why people find it so hard to believe except for the fact that everyone handles things differently. Here is the bottom line for me……..I have NOTHING and I mean NOTHING to complain about. First and most of all, I serve an amazing God and my life is His not my own….He sets the agenda, not me. If I say I am a person of faith I have to live it….talk is cheap. My husband is alive and well, my kids are learning to be strong and deal with the realities of life, we have an income that provides food and shelter in hard economic times, we have been blessed beyond measure with the best friends & family ever, and we get to live in the greatest country in the world! So…what in the world would I have to complain about? I’m so proud of my family and ever grateful to the Living God that ‘supplies all of our needs according to His riches in glory!’
Blessings to you!
02 March 2009
New from Shelby!!!!!
By Shelby I know it has been awhile since anybody has blogged so i finally decided to do that! Right now i am sitting at our close friends Chad & Faith's house because last night we got this HUGE snow storm and we lost power at our house. So we loaded everything up at 10pm and made the short trip to the Stilwells. We have 5 or 6 inches of snow on the ground and it is very pretty. I can't wait to get outside and go sledding!!!!! I can hardly believe it has almost been TWO months since dad left for California(boy how time flys!). Everything has been going very well around the Treat house and we have been keeping really busy with school, sports, church, and life. My soccer season just started and I can't wait to get started. This week I was supposed to have drivers ed but because of the snow storm it has been cancelled. I'm kind of bummed because I really just wanted to get it done and over with. Next week we are headed for the capitol of the United States for a fun school trip. We are going with four other families and we will be staying for five days. I am super excited because I really love Washington DC and it is so much fun to see everything. Dad leaves tomorrow for Iraq and we don't know when we will be able to talk to him but hopefully it won't be too long. Thats basically it for me, now i am going to go enjoy our beautiful snow day!!!!!!
15 February 2009
letter to my wife
Valentines day is a day when we share with our loved one a special note, flowers, or even chocolate. I am unable to do that this year so I decided to share with my wife a letter here.
Dear Sheila,
It is hard for me to understand just how lucky I am that God had a plan for me and you so many years ago. I can not tell you how thankful I am to have a person such as you as a partner and a friend. You have been a rock for me when things have been good , and when things have been bad. I consider you not only a wife but my best friend. You manage to bring a smile to my face in any situation. You have given me two awsome kids that would bring a smile to any dads face. Your love and devotion to the Lord is a carractor trait that I strive to emulate.
It breaks my heart that once again we are separated this valentines day but more than that we will be separated on our anniversary. The navy may be able to take us to different parts of the world but they will never be able to separate my love for you. The past twenty years has been full of joy and some sadness but I feel that the best has yet to come. I know the Lord is with us and will continue be our guiding light not only now but well into the future. I only wish that I could get a look at what that holds, but that is for the lord to know.
The next several months will be trying at best but know that I love you with all my heart and soul. I can not say for certain what that holds but feel secure in your heart that my love will never fail.
Your Loving husband, Eric.
ps. Thanks for picking me!!!!!!!!!
Dear Sheila,
It is hard for me to understand just how lucky I am that God had a plan for me and you so many years ago. I can not tell you how thankful I am to have a person such as you as a partner and a friend. You have been a rock for me when things have been good , and when things have been bad. I consider you not only a wife but my best friend. You manage to bring a smile to my face in any situation. You have given me two awsome kids that would bring a smile to any dads face. Your love and devotion to the Lord is a carractor trait that I strive to emulate.
It breaks my heart that once again we are separated this valentines day but more than that we will be separated on our anniversary. The navy may be able to take us to different parts of the world but they will never be able to separate my love for you. The past twenty years has been full of joy and some sadness but I feel that the best has yet to come. I know the Lord is with us and will continue be our guiding light not only now but well into the future. I only wish that I could get a look at what that holds, but that is for the lord to know.
The next several months will be trying at best but know that I love you with all my heart and soul. I can not say for certain what that holds but feel secure in your heart that my love will never fail.
Your Loving husband, Eric.
ps. Thanks for picking me!!!!!!!!!
12 February 2009
11FEB09
As my wife stated in the previous post her 10 random things that are a positive I to have 10 random things, but I would not classify them as positive. Now I'm not going to say that everything is bad because that would not be true, many things have happened in the past 30 days that are great. My quite time with the Lord is awsome, time spent with people from different places has been good, have met new friends, so all isn't bad. But for now I will stick to the not so positive 10 random things.
(1) I get my own twin size bed all to myself, with the exception of my bunk mate.
(2) Laundry for 1 sure does multiply when you only get to it once a week.
(3) I don't get to watch any TV unless it's with 20 people. 2 TV's for 300 people, not a good ratio.
(4) My house is MUCH louder with 50 men in the same room snoring.( the Lord could'nt make enough breath rite strips for this group.)
(5) I would love to have a casserole compared to the galley food. ( no taste, no salt, no seasoning.)
(6) No money saved, it still cost the same to eat galley food GOOD or BAD.
(7) No kitchen counter to put stuff, now it has to be stowed away in my locker.
(8) Shoes, instead of just mine there are a couple hundred pairs in the way at any given time.
(9) The toilet seat may be up or it may be down, anyway you can bet it will be wet, so you better check it out, or you maybe in for a big supprise when you sit down.
(10) I will say that I have talked to my wife alot since I left and thats a good thing.
This is just a few non-positive things about a deployment. I am sure I will see more.
(1) I get my own twin size bed all to myself, with the exception of my bunk mate.
(2) Laundry for 1 sure does multiply when you only get to it once a week.
(3) I don't get to watch any TV unless it's with 20 people. 2 TV's for 300 people, not a good ratio.
(4) My house is MUCH louder with 50 men in the same room snoring.( the Lord could'nt make enough breath rite strips for this group.)
(5) I would love to have a casserole compared to the galley food. ( no taste, no salt, no seasoning.)
(6) No money saved, it still cost the same to eat galley food GOOD or BAD.
(7) No kitchen counter to put stuff, now it has to be stowed away in my locker.
(8) Shoes, instead of just mine there are a couple hundred pairs in the way at any given time.
(9) The toilet seat may be up or it may be down, anyway you can bet it will be wet, so you better check it out, or you maybe in for a big supprise when you sit down.
(10) I will say that I have talked to my wife alot since I left and thats a good thing.
This is just a few non-positive things about a deployment. I am sure I will see more.
11 February 2009
10 random, but positive, things..........
Today we officially have one complete month behind us-woohoo!..........and he hasn't even left the states yet! Of course, we really don't know how many months left that leaves since they haven't told us anything.....so goes life in the military!
Not being used to this blogging thing, I haven't really known what to write so I decided I would write some random things today.
I am the optimist in the family so let's look at the positive sides of this journey we are currently on.......
1. I get the king sized bed all to myself...well....almost-when Avery isn't begging to sleep with me.
2. It's amazing how laundry for 3 instead of 4 people is so much more manageable.
3. I don't watch a lot of TV but if I wanted to I don't have to fight for the remote.
4. The house is much more quiet during the night since we have only one snorer now instead of two! (maggie, the boston terrier, holds her own)
5. Casseroles and one-dish meals have now returned to the Treat household.
6. I can save $ and time by implementing #5 above!
7. My kitchen counter remains free of all kinds of "stuff" like bolts, screws, pens, coins, 2 sets of keys, pocket knives, small notebooks, receipts, gadgets that I have no clue as to what they are.
8. Shoes!! I haven't tripped over any shoes in the last month!
9. The toilet seat is always down (although Eric is pretty good about that most of the time)
10. I have talked to Eric more on the phone in the past 30 days than I have talked to him on the phone ever. He hates talking on the phone!
That's all I can come up with for now. Just for the record.......I would rather share my bed, trip over shoes, cook meat and potatoes, listen to snoring (well, maybe not), have cluttered kitchen counters, and wash some extra clothes if it meant my husband could be home instead of somewhere else out there. So the down side is this.......we miss him terribly! Love you Eric!
Not being used to this blogging thing, I haven't really known what to write so I decided I would write some random things today.
I am the optimist in the family so let's look at the positive sides of this journey we are currently on.......
1. I get the king sized bed all to myself...well....almost-when Avery isn't begging to sleep with me.
2. It's amazing how laundry for 3 instead of 4 people is so much more manageable.
3. I don't watch a lot of TV but if I wanted to I don't have to fight for the remote.
4. The house is much more quiet during the night since we have only one snorer now instead of two! (maggie, the boston terrier, holds her own)
5. Casseroles and one-dish meals have now returned to the Treat household.
6. I can save $ and time by implementing #5 above!
7. My kitchen counter remains free of all kinds of "stuff" like bolts, screws, pens, coins, 2 sets of keys, pocket knives, small notebooks, receipts, gadgets that I have no clue as to what they are.
8. Shoes!! I haven't tripped over any shoes in the last month!
9. The toilet seat is always down (although Eric is pretty good about that most of the time)
10. I have talked to Eric more on the phone in the past 30 days than I have talked to him on the phone ever. He hates talking on the phone!
That's all I can come up with for now. Just for the record.......I would rather share my bed, trip over shoes, cook meat and potatoes, listen to snoring (well, maybe not), have cluttered kitchen counters, and wash some extra clothes if it meant my husband could be home instead of somewhere else out there. So the down side is this.......we miss him terribly! Love you Eric!
07 February 2009
A nice note from Eric's niece..............
**Eric's niece Whitney asked me if she could post something on our blog so this is from her. Thanks Whit!**
Ok, so many of you may or not know who I am. I am Eric’s niece (his favorite – but shhh don’t tell - I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings).
In my family it was no shock that someone would enter the Reserves. It’s pretty much normalcy in the Treat family. When Eric went back into Reserves I knew there was a possibility of him being deployed – but I thought, shoot, Drew and KT went – there is no way Eric will go. When I first heard of Eric’s deployment – I must say I was selfish and was in my own world. I was in the midst of planning my wedding and in all honesty didn’t stop to think or ask how they were. But on Sundays while sitting in church, I didn’t pray for me, my wedding or my future - I prayed for Eric. After my ceremony, while sitting at dinner it hit me “he really is going”. I remember looking to my husband and saying this isn’t fair – he can’t go. I was grateful to look out and see him and his family sitting at my ceremony, dinner and reception – knowing this is a moment we will never forget. But part of me was hopeful he wouldn’t pass his medical test or by some chance they’d say "no you don’t have to come". But I knew whatever the outcome - the Lord would keep Eric safe.
As I write this I can’t help but remember how much of my past 22 years I’ve spent with Eric and Sheila. And to think of the next 8 months or so with just Sheila, is kind of hard. (No offense Sheila – love you – but Eric just tells way better stories). As long as I can remember Eric has always told us of stories from his past – they were some of the funniest stories I have ever heard. I also remember him telling embarrassing stories from my past. Before Shelby and Avery came along Eric and Sheila would baby-sit for my brother and I – what stories Eric tells! And he never misses a single detail – OH the embarrassment! Thankfully, my husband never heard any!
When I asked Sheila to write this for Eric – I had one thing in mind. My love, devotion and prayer for my uncle in his trying time. I have come to realize that just because I have a hard, stressful or maybe sometimes tiring life – I can’t help but think his life is so different. He is away from his wife, home, and children. Over the past few weeks while kneeling for communion I couldn't help but focus my prayer on Eric. But as I sit here I can’t help but remember a saying a friend told me a while back. “The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you”. And this is so true! I have made it through some of my hardest times with the Lord and I know Eric will emerge from this and have even more stories to tell. And when he does come home we will be waiting for him with open arms. So, Eric I love you - I miss you and Andy & I are so proud of you!
Ok, so many of you may or not know who I am. I am Eric’s niece (his favorite – but shhh don’t tell - I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings).
In my family it was no shock that someone would enter the Reserves. It’s pretty much normalcy in the Treat family. When Eric went back into Reserves I knew there was a possibility of him being deployed – but I thought, shoot, Drew and KT went – there is no way Eric will go. When I first heard of Eric’s deployment – I must say I was selfish and was in my own world. I was in the midst of planning my wedding and in all honesty didn’t stop to think or ask how they were. But on Sundays while sitting in church, I didn’t pray for me, my wedding or my future - I prayed for Eric. After my ceremony, while sitting at dinner it hit me “he really is going”. I remember looking to my husband and saying this isn’t fair – he can’t go. I was grateful to look out and see him and his family sitting at my ceremony, dinner and reception – knowing this is a moment we will never forget. But part of me was hopeful he wouldn’t pass his medical test or by some chance they’d say "no you don’t have to come". But I knew whatever the outcome - the Lord would keep Eric safe.
As I write this I can’t help but remember how much of my past 22 years I’ve spent with Eric and Sheila. And to think of the next 8 months or so with just Sheila, is kind of hard. (No offense Sheila – love you – but Eric just tells way better stories). As long as I can remember Eric has always told us of stories from his past – they were some of the funniest stories I have ever heard. I also remember him telling embarrassing stories from my past. Before Shelby and Avery came along Eric and Sheila would baby-sit for my brother and I – what stories Eric tells! And he never misses a single detail – OH the embarrassment! Thankfully, my husband never heard any!
When I asked Sheila to write this for Eric – I had one thing in mind. My love, devotion and prayer for my uncle in his trying time. I have come to realize that just because I have a hard, stressful or maybe sometimes tiring life – I can’t help but think his life is so different. He is away from his wife, home, and children. Over the past few weeks while kneeling for communion I couldn't help but focus my prayer on Eric. But as I sit here I can’t help but remember a saying a friend told me a while back. “The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you”. And this is so true! I have made it through some of my hardest times with the Lord and I know Eric will emerge from this and have even more stories to tell. And when he does come home we will be waiting for him with open arms. So, Eric I love you - I miss you and Andy & I are so proud of you!
04 February 2009
You missed it again, dad!
By Shelby So this morning I woke up and looked out my window and guess what I saw???? SNOW!!!!!! Yes, this is the second snow of 2009 and the second in two weeks time! Now for the past couple of years dad has been absent for our wonderful snow days. Either he still has to go into work or he has been out of town with the Navy. In 2004 when we got the really big snow guess where he was.......in California for the Navy! He has also been there for both of the snows this year. The good thing is that dad doesn't really like the snow that much. It's just his luck he is never around when it does snow. Anyway, so sorry dad that you had to miss not one but TWO snows this year! :) We will post some pics so you can experience it too! I love you daddy!
29 January 2009
Thoughts from Avery.......
Avery -It's been 2 and a half weeks now since my dad left and it's going pretty good but I think it is going to get more sad as March and April get here. Right now it feels like he is just on a business trip and will be back soon. I having been thinking 'Man, I don't really want to do the whole yard by myself this summer' but right now it's good because there is not grass to mow. However, I accept the fact that I have to step up to some "manly" stuff and greater responsibilities while dad is gone. Besides....Shelby is surely going to have to help with the yard! The bright side is that I will know how to do all this when I get married someday. Oh yea......I got my very own new weed eater (sized just for me) before dad left!
I am trying to be positive about this journey so here are some other things I think are positive about it: Dad should be back before Thanksgiving and Christmas (hopefully!), sometimes we get to eat cereal for supper-woohoo!(don't worry dad-we aren't starving-mom still cooks some), hopefully dad is supposed to be back in time for hunting season, sometimes I get to sleep in mom's bed, my bedtime is a little later--like midnight--just kidding dad!!!
On the down side, dad will miss my birthday, Easter, and 4th of July. Also, I am the ONLY boy in the house now....even our 2 dogs are girls....that means I have to watch Platinum weddings and What Not to Wear...ugh!! (mom had mercy on me though and we got the military and outdoor channel right before dad left). The worst part is that I just miss my dad.
God has blessed us with great friends like our Chad & Faith Stilwell. Thanks to Chad for taking me to Bass Pro, Dick's, playing video games with me, and looking at airsoft guns with me. Thanks to him and Ms. Faith for also taking me over to their house for pizza, american idol, and guitar hero. Ya'll are the best! Thanks to Evan, Blake, and Mr. Mike McCarn for taking me squirrel hunting. Also, thanks to everyone for their prayers and for asking about us. We are doing good. I am proud of my dad and I can truly say that he is a hero! Gotta go for now.
I am trying to be positive about this journey so here are some other things I think are positive about it: Dad should be back before Thanksgiving and Christmas (hopefully!), sometimes we get to eat cereal for supper-woohoo!(don't worry dad-we aren't starving-mom still cooks some), hopefully dad is supposed to be back in time for hunting season, sometimes I get to sleep in mom's bed, my bedtime is a little later--like midnight--just kidding dad!!!
On the down side, dad will miss my birthday, Easter, and 4th of July. Also, I am the ONLY boy in the house now....even our 2 dogs are girls....that means I have to watch Platinum weddings and What Not to Wear...ugh!! (mom had mercy on me though and we got the military and outdoor channel right before dad left). The worst part is that I just miss my dad.
God has blessed us with great friends like our Chad & Faith Stilwell. Thanks to Chad for taking me to Bass Pro, Dick's, playing video games with me, and looking at airsoft guns with me. Thanks to him and Ms. Faith for also taking me over to their house for pizza, american idol, and guitar hero. Ya'll are the best! Thanks to Evan, Blake, and Mr. Mike McCarn for taking me squirrel hunting. Also, thanks to everyone for their prayers and for asking about us. We are doing good. I am proud of my dad and I can truly say that he is a hero! Gotta go for now.
Training
Training, training, and more training! I am amazed I get paid to do this, but hey somebody has to do it. It started out with SERT school, this is a course that contains several topics within one class. Basic combat, field medical, land navigation, weapons, and a whole host of other topics. This was accomplished and it was off to the next exercise, Chemical Biological warfare, this is when we get to enjoy the love of the gas chamber! The instructors wanted us to sing the SEA BEE song, I was to a little busy trying to get my nose and eyes to stop running, but was not having any luck! Needless to say I did not sing. Once the gas chamber exercise was completed we went into the next topic one I truly enjoyed! Bring on the gun range. For those who know me and those that don't I love the Lord, my wife, kids, friends, church, even work, but I really like to go shoot some guns. The first day was spent in the classroom, we covered topics like safety, ballistics, techniques, and procedures on the range. Day two and three we were sending rounds down range! I hate to say it, but there are those that need to (1) practice or (2) hope they never need to use there weapon! YES I did qualify, and NO I am not one of the few who hope they don't have to rely on there weapons skills to bail them out of a bad situation. There is still plenty of training yet to do this will be a ongoing evolution till we deploy.
Along with hands on training there has been allot of seminar style classes we have to attend, these are usually done in the evenings either in the building we are staying in or at the theater on base, just depends on the size of the audience. These classes cover a host of topics like sexual harassment, hazing, equal rights and lord only knows what else. There have been some topics that really do catch your attention like rules of engagement and escalation of force! Of course these topics were covered by our Commanding Officer.
As time passes I will be sure to keep every one up to date on the ongoing training. There are several evolutions yet to come but I won't let the cat out of the bag yet.
Along with hands on training there has been allot of seminar style classes we have to attend, these are usually done in the evenings either in the building we are staying in or at the theater on base, just depends on the size of the audience. These classes cover a host of topics like sexual harassment, hazing, equal rights and lord only knows what else. There have been some topics that really do catch your attention like rules of engagement and escalation of force! Of course these topics were covered by our Commanding Officer.
As time passes I will be sure to keep every one up to date on the ongoing training. There are several evolutions yet to come but I won't let the cat out of the bag yet.
23 January 2009
A Daughter's Perspective.....
By Shelby- On October 4, 2008 my mom and dad told me and Avery the news of the deployment. In that moment many different emotions went through my mind. The first emotion was complete and total shock. I always knew the possibility of him becoming active duty but never thought that it would happen to my dad. The first weekend we knew, everything felt like a blur. I didn't know what to think or what to feel for those first few days. As we adjusted to the reality that our daddy was going to war the only thing I could to was pray and ask God to help us through it. As people found out the news, the encouragement they had for me and my family was AMAZING! I couldn't have asked for better friends and people in my life to help us through the situation. I want to say thank you to all the people who have been praying for me and my family and will be praying for my family in the months to come.
In the weeks leading up to dads departure day we all kept busy with school, work, and the holidays. We had an amazing Christmas and enjoyed spending time together as a family. As new years passed by the reality sunk in that we only had a week left with my dad. All I wanted was for dad to hurry up and leave so we could anticipate his return rather than his departure. As Sunday, January 11 rolled around, I couldn't believe dad was leaving today. We went to church that morning and Pastor Kelvin prayed for us, along with our homegroup. As we were leaving church a man stopped my parents and asked if he could speak to me. He said he had a word for me. The man told me that he sensed a spirit of fear all over me and he said that fear is not of the Lord. He gave me a passage from 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. The moment he told me I began to be at total peace with God. The most amazing thing was that I struggle SO much with having a spirit of fear and that man rebuked it in the name of Jesus Christ. We dropped dad off and said goodbye but in my soul it not goodbye forever it's goodbye for a little amount of time.
It's now been two weeks since daddy left and i have been doing great. Our lives have adjusted back into a normal routine with school, church, and friends and it's been going very well. Everyday I have talked to dad on the phone and it has made the separation so much easier. I miss my daddy very much but I know what he is doing is helping our great nation and the nation of Iraq. I thank my heavenly Father everyday for blessing me with the most amazing earthly father I could have ever wished for. Every kid has a hero and my daddy is one of mine!
In the weeks leading up to dads departure day we all kept busy with school, work, and the holidays. We had an amazing Christmas and enjoyed spending time together as a family. As new years passed by the reality sunk in that we only had a week left with my dad. All I wanted was for dad to hurry up and leave so we could anticipate his return rather than his departure. As Sunday, January 11 rolled around, I couldn't believe dad was leaving today. We went to church that morning and Pastor Kelvin prayed for us, along with our homegroup. As we were leaving church a man stopped my parents and asked if he could speak to me. He said he had a word for me. The man told me that he sensed a spirit of fear all over me and he said that fear is not of the Lord. He gave me a passage from 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. The moment he told me I began to be at total peace with God. The most amazing thing was that I struggle SO much with having a spirit of fear and that man rebuked it in the name of Jesus Christ. We dropped dad off and said goodbye but in my soul it not goodbye forever it's goodbye for a little amount of time.
It's now been two weeks since daddy left and i have been doing great. Our lives have adjusted back into a normal routine with school, church, and friends and it's been going very well. Everyday I have talked to dad on the phone and it has made the separation so much easier. I miss my daddy very much but I know what he is doing is helping our great nation and the nation of Iraq. I thank my heavenly Father everyday for blessing me with the most amazing earthly father I could have ever wished for. Every kid has a hero and my daddy is one of mine!
22Jan09
The call or should I say e-mail came in September with mixed emotions as I read it, ( You have been called to ACTIVE DUTY ) This was always a possibility, as a reservist this is what you train for, but needless to say it's still a shock when you read the words. There were a whole host of feelings that I was trying to deal with and not doing a very good job of it. All I could think about was leaving a wife, two kids, family and work. All of the issue's that you have to deal with was a little overwhelming. The little things in life that you normally don't pay any attention too all of a sudden become major issue's, like making sure my son knew how to mix oil and gas for the weed eater to how to reprime the well after a power failure, not to mention get a Will prepared turn in a leased car and accomplish lord only knows how much online training for the Navy.
Not until it dawned on me that this was a little much for myself, did I give it to God and let him work out all the issues on his time. ( not sure why I didn't do this first ) It is awesome to stand back and watch the Lord prepair the way, all I have to do now is hold on and ride.
The goodbye's were still hard leaving all that I loved behind me but what a neat adventure to be going on. God has a plan and if for some reason your not sure of it for your self just ask and he will reveal it to you.
Arrived in Port Heuneme CA. on 11JAN09 around midnight after one lay over and missed flight in Atlanta ( Delta rocks ) and a sweet bus ride to the base from LAX that took forever. Found my little piece of of heaven in a bottom bunk in a room full of other guys, at least it had my name on it and it was spelled correctly.
The first week was fairly uneventful, this is the check in phase. Every doctor dentist and lord only knows who else had to "check me out" thankfully "I'm good". this is a process that has sent several people home for some reason or another. I have made it trough all that and now I can get focused on training for what ever mission we are tasked with.
The next few weeks will see the tempo increase and the training increase as well. The cool part is that I have had time in the evenings to spend with the Lord in my quiet time before I go to sleep, and I have found that he has met my every need throughout this whole evolution, he gives me the strength every day no matter the situation.
Not until it dawned on me that this was a little much for myself, did I give it to God and let him work out all the issues on his time. ( not sure why I didn't do this first ) It is awesome to stand back and watch the Lord prepair the way, all I have to do now is hold on and ride.
The goodbye's were still hard leaving all that I loved behind me but what a neat adventure to be going on. God has a plan and if for some reason your not sure of it for your self just ask and he will reveal it to you.
Arrived in Port Heuneme CA. on 11JAN09 around midnight after one lay over and missed flight in Atlanta ( Delta rocks ) and a sweet bus ride to the base from LAX that took forever. Found my little piece of of heaven in a bottom bunk in a room full of other guys, at least it had my name on it and it was spelled correctly.
The first week was fairly uneventful, this is the check in phase. Every doctor dentist and lord only knows who else had to "check me out" thankfully "I'm good". this is a process that has sent several people home for some reason or another. I have made it trough all that and now I can get focused on training for what ever mission we are tasked with.
The next few weeks will see the tempo increase and the training increase as well. The cool part is that I have had time in the evenings to spend with the Lord in my quiet time before I go to sleep, and I have found that he has met my every need throughout this whole evolution, he gives me the strength every day no matter the situation.
11 January 2009
Departure day.....
Today was the dreaded day. We were ready for it to be behind us. It was an emotional morning from the time we woke up. We went to the 8:30 service at church on the way to the airport. His flight left at 11:36. (picture: Eric brought me flowers yesterday-sweet!)
Several had come early to pray for Eric and send him off. Pastor Kelvin prayed over him and spoke a great word of encouragement. Many tears. A man we had never seen gave Shelby a word from 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 as we were on our way out the door. It says "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.." She needed to let go of the spirit of fear she was holding onto. Wow! Once again......the Lord was speaking.
We took him to the airport, said our final goodbyes (I hate goodbyes!), and knew the worst of it was over. I am so proud of Shelby and Avery for their courage. I'm proud of Eric for being so brave! I thank Almighty God for His unexplainable peace. Let's start the countdown to homecoming!
10 January 2009
A Word from the Lord
We received an email from a friend....it happened to be her day to pray and fast for us. This is what she just "happened" upon that day in her scheduled Bible reading:
Deuteronomy 20:1-4
When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them because the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say, "hear O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."
I love it when the Lord speaks clearly!!
Deuteronomy 20:1-4
When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them because the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say, "hear O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."
I love it when the Lord speaks clearly!!
09 January 2009
Call to duty......
Sheila - It was one of those things I kept tucked away in the back of my mind.......the possibility of Eric being called to active duty. It seemed less of chance to me since it hadn't happened before now.....wishful thinking! Late September we got the word. After I recovered from the initial shock my mind went to the kids. I knew I could handle it (I had done this before) but I wasn't sure how the kids were going to take it. Of course, we had talked of the possibility that daddy might be activated someday but we didn't know someday would be now. There were a few tears but they seemed to understand. Only time would tell.
I moved forward the only way I knew how......in prayer. God gave me an ovewhelming sense of peace. Being mission-minded, I could only see this as another mission. How was this different than me going to Brazil, Cuba, etc. for a mission trip? People need to be free from cruel dictatorships and oppression just as they need to be free from the bonds of sin. Are we so selfish as to think that we are the only people in the world that deserve freedom and democracy? May it never be so. We saw this as an opportunity to make a difference....in some way......however God chose to use us. I also remembered that my husband volunteered to serve his country many years ago. So when the call comes.....he goes.
As I reflect back on the last year, God has prepared us every step of the way. We have had many changes this year but God has been in the middle of it all. The support and love of so many has been incredible. A dear friend coordinated a prayer/fasting chain that began December 1st and will continue every day Eric is gone. What more could we ask for?! I would like to personally thank everyone that agreed to pray and/or fast. It means everthing! Thank you also to Steele Creek youth and youth leaders that have reached out to my kids (especially being new!) with friendship, tears, prayer, and encouragment. Thanks to the Martin Home Fellowship group that has truly modeled the Acts 2 church. There are countless others I could name..........thank you all!
We are honored to serve God and our country. We do not take lightly the freedoms that we have undeservedly been blessed with. There are things worth living for, dying for, and fighting for. So we move forward in faith knowing that our future is uncertain but we are certain of the ONE who holds it. Keep praying!
I moved forward the only way I knew how......in prayer. God gave me an ovewhelming sense of peace. Being mission-minded, I could only see this as another mission. How was this different than me going to Brazil, Cuba, etc. for a mission trip? People need to be free from cruel dictatorships and oppression just as they need to be free from the bonds of sin. Are we so selfish as to think that we are the only people in the world that deserve freedom and democracy? May it never be so. We saw this as an opportunity to make a difference....in some way......however God chose to use us. I also remembered that my husband volunteered to serve his country many years ago. So when the call comes.....he goes.
As I reflect back on the last year, God has prepared us every step of the way. We have had many changes this year but God has been in the middle of it all. The support and love of so many has been incredible. A dear friend coordinated a prayer/fasting chain that began December 1st and will continue every day Eric is gone. What more could we ask for?! I would like to personally thank everyone that agreed to pray and/or fast. It means everthing! Thank you also to Steele Creek youth and youth leaders that have reached out to my kids (especially being new!) with friendship, tears, prayer, and encouragment. Thanks to the Martin Home Fellowship group that has truly modeled the Acts 2 church. There are countless others I could name..........thank you all!
We are honored to serve God and our country. We do not take lightly the freedoms that we have undeservedly been blessed with. There are things worth living for, dying for, and fighting for. So we move forward in faith knowing that our future is uncertain but we are certain of the ONE who holds it. Keep praying!
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