When the unit left, I did not leave with them... I was held back for the birth of my son (turned out to be a fortuitous decision as that was a very trying time when we didn't know if he'd make it).
When it came time for me to leave, of course, there was no formal ceremony... I just left in the middle of the night.
When I came back, it wasn't with my unit. They're still there. And when they return, of course, I'll be in the cheering section... not with them.
So I ask... there's a part of me that would have enjoyed the ceremony. Is it wrong to be envious?
(Put another way - the inevitable view by some is "Well, you didn't do the full time... it doesn't count." And yes, I've heard that.)
Nope! You earned it! You were there for most of the deployment, weren't you? Aren't they coming home soon? Then you didn't miss the end by much. I wish you could be part of the ceremony. You had no choice but to leave when you did. I've never been in the military but sometimes I think they have no heart! You should be standing there with the rest of them!
ReplyDeleteI think its perfectly natural to want to be part of the special events with the others in your unit. You didn't have a choice about the timing.
ReplyDeleteMy army husband has had the same feelings, he came home early from a deployment for medical reasons. So, no welcome home, and it is almost as if he never even went.
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