A Website About Survival

Make no mistake about it. Despite its name and the content, this site is all about survival. And even though I might not be using that word in the traditional sense, I do believe I have employed an accurate interpretation of its meaning.

You see, I am the mother of a soldier, and not just any soldier, but Airborne … who now flies Apache helicopters! Since my only son “Buddy” joined the Army (just about one month before his 18th birthday) he has deployed to a war zone roughly every other year. The impact of this on my life has been a constant search for ways to survive the assault on my sanity caused by his absences. Enter the Blog!

Mission Statement

Survival Through Support!

In the past, for every week my son was overseas, I would send him a care package containing a fresh batch of homemade cookies, in addition to some combination of toiletries, crafts, and various other goodies. My goal was simply to help him and his battle buddies get through their deployment by offering amusing (and sometimes juvenile) distractions. However, I discovered along the way that the activity of pulling these packages together helped me to get through the ordeal, as well.

I plan on continuing this support for Buddy’s upcoming deployment (his first as a pilot), however this time I decided to go public with my support and care packages. Each week over the next (roughly) twelve months, I plan on maintaining an online journal of my thoughts and experiences as the mother of a soldier — a sort of “52 Weeks of Cookies” (the book) redux. In addition to a weekly update regarding how the deployment is proceeding (and/or my sanity is ebbing), I will also be providing the recipe for the treat I will be sending in that week’s care package. Even though the title of this website suggests otherwise, I am hoping to expand my homemade treats beyond cookies. For those who are interested, I will also provide a list of what other little goodies I have found to include.

Once a month (or so), I hope to provide an Arts & Crafts type project for those of us waiting at home needing something to do with our hands (and nervous energy). In the past, I have discovered that, not only does it please the troops to get these homemade ditties, but that it is amazingly therapeutic to pour oneself into this type of activity to help maintain calm during an otherwise stressful and anxious period.

It has never been lost on me that I am not alone in my situation. I know that there are other mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, grandmas and grandpas, who know the constant worry and feelings of trepidation – peppered with moments of intense fear – that are the result of having a loved one deployed. It is my hope that this website will provide an outlet for them; a place to escape to, provide activities to help pass the time, a place to share your thoughts and experiences, but most of all, a place of survival through support.

Background

I have been the mother of a soldier for roughly thirteen years. Recently, I have learned that deployment number five was on the horizon for my son. The first two times Buddy deployed, he was Airborne infantry – which can be interpreted as front lines and most dangerous. By the third deployment, he had re-trained and switched to an IT billet. He remained in that billet for the fourth deployment as well. It was intellectually comforting to know he had moved away from danger, but that never really gave me much solace when he was in Afghanistan. His current billet of Apache pilot puts him right back at the front lines … only now he will be flying slightly above it, supporting the soldiers on the ground doing what he used to do.

Each time Buddy deployed, I looked for ways to survive the assault on my sanity caused by having a son in a war zone. Over the years, I developed some basic techniques … like the cookie baking, inventive crafting and filling care packages mentioned earlier. Not only have my past endeavors supported Buddy in a very positive way, but they also helped me endure being the mother of a soldier during its most trying times.

Being the supportive mom to my soldier son has always been paramount to me, but I also liked the idea that those serving with my son have also benefited from my activities. In fact, when my son is safe and sound at home, I have sought out deployed troops through friends and websites to support with my care packages. It is my sincere belief that the more we can do to support our troops, the better it is for everyone.

Though my son’s deployments were the main inspiration for this website, they were by no means the only reason for me taking to the Internet. I am keenly aware of the turmoil that a military career generates for all family members, not to mention the troops, themselves. As the mother (or father or wife or husband) of, not just a soldier but, any of our troops knows, it is not always easy to know what to do or even what to say sometimes.

However, I have had the advantage of a long career of working with the military (almost eighteen years spent at the Pentagon) that has given me some insight into what our troops went (and go) through, and hence, what they might want or need when they are deployed. Basically, they know serious – they are dealing with it every day. What they need in their down time is a bit of distraction … as do all the members of our troops’ families.

It is my hope that this website can help provide that needed distraction. If it can, it will have fulfilled its purpose of survival through support. Hopefully, it will not just be meaningful to the military and their families, but for others who would like to support the troops, but are not sure where to start. Support is the key. Being as positive and upbeat as possible in that support is paramount to its success (let alone the success of this website!)