REGINAROADIE'S BLOG

reginaroadie

My brother's going to Afghanistan
Thursday, November 23, 2006

Hey All

I just got some big news. Well, not really big news, I've known about it for some time, but this just confirms it.

My brother is in the military. He's in the reserves as a member of the com squad unit. And he told me like last week that he might be going over to Afghanistan for a tour. Now, as horrible it may sound, it actually isn't that bad. It's mostly an administrative position, so he'll be around the base for the most part. Basically, nowhere near the front line. He'd be gone for about 8 months, which is from beginning of Nov to probably around my 22nd birthday, which'll be next Sept 2nd. And apparantly, the pay is incredible. I've been told somewhere north of 40k.

I had known about it a while, and I was thinking about what it would mean if he actually were to go and how that would impact the both of us. So I had already resigned myself to the idea that he was going. But a few minutes ago, after I got in from running around the city doing stuff for a project, I noticed a message on the machine. I played it and it was from a Sgt. of his. I get his lazy ass out of bed and play the message for him, he calls and he starts training for going to Afghanistan on Monday.

It's weird. It's almost anticlimactic that he gets this call, since we both knew he was going. This just confirms it. But it still feels werid on my end. My brother and I had lived in the same vicinity our entire lives. We shared a room as kids, a dorm room as teenagers and a house as college students. He's always been there, y'know. Normally, if he's ever gone for long periods of time because of the military, it's over the summer for about four months. But this time, he'll actually be gone for 2/3rd of the year. And when he gets back, he'll actually have enough money to get his own apartment. Which is good, because when Matt goes, we're going to move his stuff into storage at the farm and rent the room out to a new tenant. So we'll have two new roomies in the house by the beginning of next year. We had talked about it earlier, and he's OK with it.

I guess I can understand Simon's plight now with River a little further. Even without the Academy cutting into her brain to turn her into a psychic assassin, that separation from your sibling after living an entire lifetime together is going to be really tough.

En shallah (God willing) and Peace

COMMENTS

Thursday, November 23, 2006 3:09 PM

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER


It's never easy to be separated from one's family and friends. And it's not helped that your bro is going to Afghanistan...even in an admin position. Cuz even non-combatants are at risk:(

Still...I know I am proud of every single person who's gone to Afghanistan as members of the Canadian Forces and/or members of other NATO forces (though someone please explain how NATO is involved with the North Atlantic's several thousand klicks to the northwest). Truly some Big Damn Heroes;)

BEB

Thursday, November 23, 2006 1:38 PM

CYBERSNARK


Best wishes for your brave brother and equally brave family. Tell him we're all behind him.


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