Tag Archives | crisis

Guard Gearing Up for Hurricane Irene

By on August 27, 2011 in Life
Hurricane Irene Makes Landfall in North Carolina

Image by NASA Goddard Photo and Video via Flickr

One of the most misunderstood aspects of the members of The National Guard (Air and Army) is that they serve two masters and face dual challenges of both national and state emergencies.
What this means in real terms is that they can be, and are frequently deployed in times of national conflict by the Air Force or Army as my husband has been in both Iraq and Afghanistan. They also can be mobilized in times of national or state emergencies as they were in Katrina and countless other times of crisis.
As they now gear up to aid in the unavoidable aftermath that will follow Hurricane Irene, I am reminded of how vital and valuable this often overlooked segment of the military is to our nation, our state and our people. I am ashamed to admit that I cringe each time we get a call from the base, never knowing when, where and for how long the soldier(AKA my husband) will have to go.
As I wait at home, I hope that we are over-preparing, I pray that the damage will be less than expected and I wish for the devastation to be over.

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Not the Day I Had Planned

By on August 26, 2010 in Deployment

My day is actually going along pretty well and I have a fairly productive morning. Then I get one of those calls that every mother dreads. Daniel, my 19 year old son, has been in an accident. He lost control and rolled my sister’s car on a terribly curvy road on his way back from visiting his girlfriend. The bottom drops out of my stomach and I swear my heart stops. I’m not sure how I continue to breathe and have brain function. Miraculously he is all right, physically at least. Mentally he is a wreck. He is in shock, shaking and emotional. Who wouldn’t be? I know it’s just the adrenaline and the emotional reality that he has narrowly escaped serious injury or worse. I recognize it and can understand as I had all of the same reactions after my harrowing crash this spring. It is somehow, so much worse when it is your child though. I stay calm, offer comfort and take control of the aftermath. I make the necessary phone calls, pay the towing bill and help get the car moved to a place that won’t charge storage fees. Did I mention that my sister and her family are on vacation in North Carolina? They have not taken a vacation so long and I feel so bad about the situation, but there is nothing that can be done to change it now. The important thing is that my son is still in one piece. Now I can fall apart. I call my friend, Tanya because I frankly don’t know what else to do. Usually Anthony talks me down, takes control and comforts me but he’s not here.  I can’t even call him. I feel so frustrated right now; angry if I’m being honest. I should not have to do all of this alone, but I do…

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