To Ducksafloat:
No mention is made of your son's branch of service or MOS, but take heart! Have confidence in your son and the men and women with whom he'll serve. They are all well-trained, well-fed, and well-equipped, and they'll look out for each other. Also, for the first time in U.S. history, all allied field leaders in this conflict must be experienced veterans, so he's in very good hands.
Military service in a war zone is nothing to look forward to, but the vast majority who serve there will never see combat. Unless your son is Airborne, Infantry, EOD or special forces, it's likely he is part of a support detachment - replacements for support units returning home now following their first tour. While this assignment is a tough pill to swallow during the holiday season, next Christmas will be the best and most memorable one you and your family have ever had.
A mother can't help worrying about her son, but please take comfort in the knowledge that he couldn't be better prepared for the task he now faces. He'll serve with people who are just as sharp, dedicated and well-trained as he is, and they'll see to it that your granddaughter's daddy comes home safely.
Before long, you'll be meeting some of those people through the letters your son sends home, and those letters will become a great source of comfort to you during his absence. Of course your son will be in the thoughts and prayers of all of us here at LP.com; after all, we're your family, too. However, I do hope you'll check in with us now and then to let us know how he's getting along.
I'll close this post with the following lyrics, which I hope will bring you some peace...
Be Not Afraid....
You shall cross the barren desert,
but you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety,
though you do not know the way.
You shall speak your words in foreign lands,
and all will understand,
You shall see the face of God and live.
Be not afraid,
I go before you always,
Come follow Me,
and I shall give you rest.
If you pass through raging waters
in the sea, you shall not drown.
If you walk amidst the burning flames,
you shall not be harmed.
If you stand before the pow’r of hell
and death is at your side,
know that I am with you, through it all
Be not afraid,
I go before you always,
Come follow Me,
and I shall give you rest.
Blessed are your poor,
for the Kingdom shall be theirs.
Blest are you that weep and mourn,
for one day you shall laugh.
And if wicked men insult and hate you,
all because of Me,
blessed, blessed are you!
Be not afraid,
I go before you always,
Come follow Me,
and I shall give you rest.
lyrics written by Bob Dufford, S.J.