Families reunite after Engineers return from OIF
US Army Europe News
Release Date: 10/16/2003
Story and photos by Jayme Loppnow, 130th Engineer Brigade Public Affairs
HANAU, Germany -- Many prayers were answered on Oct. 11 when soldiers from V Corps', 502nd Engineer Company and Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 565 Engineer Battalion, arrived at Pioneer Kaserne after an eight-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and were welcomed home by excited families waving flags and banners.
Sammy Jo Lukashow, 3, clad in a mini desert camouflage uniform, and Dad, Frank, lined up around the flag pole at Pioneer Kaserne in Hanau waiting for a glimpse of their loved one, Spc. Betty Lukashow.
Frank, a stay-at-home-dad, expressed his joy for the return of his wife and reminisced how rough it was to send his wife to war.
"It was very difficult to send her off," he said. "It's very hard because she's not just a soldier going to war, she's a female soldier going to war, it's scary. When my wife joined the Army we made a deal -- she does the Army thing and I raise Sammy. We expected these deployments and knew that this was the way that it was going to be."
Frank was active in the Family Readiness Group and participated in Army Family Team Building classes, which he said made the separation more tolerable and often offered words of wisdom for others.
"I tried not to watch CNN. That's one of the key things that I tell everybody. Don't watch the news, don't read the papers. Listen to the people that you trust like the chain of command."
Besides staying busy in the community, Frank played the role of Mr. Mom raising a daughter and keeping up with household duties but always keeping in mind the safety of his wife.
"I'd ask myself everyday, 'Is today the day that I'm going to have to tell my little one that Mom's not coming home?' That's the hard thing. But we sat down a discussed all of this in detail before Betty left on how to handle different situations."
Betty said she felt comfort in knowing that Frank was taking care of things on the home front.
"It makes things a lot easier for me so I don't have to worry when I go and do whatever the Army sends me away to do," she said moments before reuniting with Frank and Sammy Jo. "I don't have to worry about if Samantha is going to be OK, or is he going to know where to go for this, or is he going to know how to do that. I'm going to be the one learning how everything is working now that I'm back home. It's kind of like a role reversal but it's really nice and comforting."
Betty said she was looking forward to the moment when she was able to embrace her family again but would try to keep in mind that she is still a soldier.
"I'm going to try and keep my military bearing but it's going to be very emotional," she said.
Steve Lott is another spouse who had to keep all the pieces together while his wife Spc. Renatta Lott was away. He's been raising two children, Kiona, 2, and Devonte, 7, while working at the Pioneer Kaserne Dining Facility and said prayers and letters got him through the hard times.
Steve and Renatta were married before she enlisted into the Army and said he always knew of the possibility of deployments and continued to stand behind her. "I'm behind her 100 percent," he said. "Whether you are a mother or father and married to a spouse in the military, you've got to back your partner 100 percent and keep their morale up."
Steve said they planned on spending their first day back doing family things and "just kick back and enjoy each other," he said.
1st Lt. Rose Guerrero, HHD commander, said just watching everyone else's reactions at being home was enough for her.
"It was such a great feeling to see everyone's faces all bright and happy," she said. "I was just excited to see everyone out there waving the flags. It was like homecoming. We got in formation and some of the soldiers said they saw their spouses. It was a good feeling."
Rose said she prepared for the climate change from the 100-plus degree heat to the rainy, overcast German fall weather.
"I actually thought it was going to be colder so I wore a long sleeve t-shirt. Everything is so green and wet; it's not sandy and dry."
Rose planned on spending her first evening at home relaxing.
"I'm going to take a shower and then a bath," she said. "I haven't seen a bathtub in eight months. It's going to be awesome."
The unit participated in nine bridging missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom including construction of the longest floating river bridge assembled in a combat theater since World War II. The troops spent the majority of the deployment in Tikrit, Iraq, but moved to Camp Virginia, Kuwait, in August to deactivate the 38th Engineer Company and begin reorganization of the 502nd to become a multi-role bridge company. About 180 soldiers returned home to complete the reorganization and train on the Army's new bridge equipment.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
