Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Boots On The Ground

Sorry I haven't posted.
I had a meltdown.
And I quit smoking 21 days ago. Well, let's put it this way. I can go a week or 10 days without a ciggy and then I have to have a puff. I'm working on it.

My son arrived back in the U.S. from his deployment to Iraq a few days ago. Having him back on American soil wasn't near as wonderful as seeing him with my own eyes. Spending a few days with him managed to mend the part of my heart that has been torn to shreds while he was gone. That's all I'm going to say about that, because if your child, or spouse or parent has not deployed, then you have no concept of what I'm talking about and I'm not going to debate my feelings or the politics of what we're doing.

I saw this article this morning on CNN.com.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/28/burn.pits/index.html

I've been following the story of the burn pits for quite some time. Partially as one who works in the legal profession, and partly as a mother. I was aware of the stories before my son deployed. Yes, he spent time at the base mentioned in the article.

I noticed it immediately, from the first phone call home after my son arrived in Iraq. The cough. Maybe he was just getting used to a different climate, I'm not a doctor but I know my son. I listened with every phone call. To the cough. To the irritated raspy trying to clear his lungs of something. Then he came home. And it was still there. The crap in his lungs. It's become such a habit of hacking to clear his breathing that he doesn't even know he's doing it. I hope now that he's away from it, it clears up and goes away. And I fear for those who spent a great deal of time there who have serious stuff going on as a result of this burning.

I know that reporters don't always report the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth just like I know in my own profession it's nothing unusual for a person to swear to tell the truth in court and get up on the witness stand and lie their ass off. But there's some truth to what's said in this article.

Just thought I'd pass it along.

2 comments:

  1. My son was only deployed to Diego Garcia and I was so relieved when he returned. I can't imagine what those who've had loved one's spend a year or more over there must go through. My prayers are with you on his health recovering.

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  2. I MISS YOU,,, SO GLAD OT SEE YOU NOW DO NOT STAY AWAY SO LONG AGAIN,,, EMAIL ME WILL YA,,,, i AM IN oooopppsss sorry for the caps but I do not have time to fix them,, I am in my own home/house now,, I am single,,,,,I am a working fool now,,,, come visit will ya....

    love ya and miss ya lots too

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