All ideas and what-not aside from the conflict in the middle east. MY BROTHER JUST GOT BACK FROM IRAQ! I just got a phone call from my older brother. He's finally home! I just want to cry and yet I'm like in disbelief that he can just resume his old life. (He was going to Starbucks!!!) It's like something I tried to block out, the whole idea that he could have been injured or worse on any given day. Believe me he was one of the lucky ones who was stationed in an area not as 'active'. Don't get me wrong, he's had some close calls. I just never really let things bother me or weigh me down too much. It's like not that I forgot about him this last year, but rather kept him in my distant memories so that I didn't dwell on the negative. And now here he is. Back in the US. Unfortunately about 8 hours away, but that's okay because he has a baby boy who he's missed grow up, and a wife who he's missed in MANY other ways. I'm just happy. And Thankful.
Very happy for you boy0boy and him. Even though he is back and safe, it may take him time to adjust fully. All may appear to be ok on the outside at first, then a few dents and mannerisms might crop out. Just give him time and space if there are quirky things noted. War has a way of making one "different" and you may notice that. Just support him and thank him for his service. If you are truly proud of him, let him know that and more than once. If you support him but are conflicted with the war, let him know that too. He served, honor that service, as he had nothing to do with the where, what or how things came about. Happy for you and for him. Thanks bro for serving.
It's great that your brother is home safe and sound and that hopefully you'll have chance to spend some quality time with him soon. Coming from a long standing military family myself, seeing my own father go away on operations for months if not years at a time was just life for me. But it is certainly common for him to want to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. I'm sure your brother will have lost some very good friends over in Iraq and seen even more injured. But he'll be wanting to forget that part, so be there for him and act like you usually would. He'll talk about Iraq if he wants to, if not... let it be.
Glad to hear your brother is home safely. I just had a talk with an army officer the other day about soldiers coming home and post traumatic stress syndrome. Let your brother have some time the decompress and give him space if he needs it, but also let him know he has support. I haven't been to Iraq yet, but I expect to be there around next Christmas. Some of my friends are deployed already so I understand how exciting and how odd it can be to have someone back again safe. Tell him thank you for serving.
is it common to know somone in the military in the US? cause i dont know anyone in the defence force in australia and i live in an area where there in defence force housing.
Hmm, I don't know. My brother is in the U.S. Navy, and that's pretty much all I know personally except for a couple others, usually his friends. Then again, I'm not old enough to see my friends get recruited yet, and I'm sure a couple will enter the forces.
Well, speaking for my own generation and it really isn't much different from the others, in the US it is quite common to know someone in the military either through family or friends. It all depends on what is going on. For my generation it was Viet Nam. After us it was Panama and other places up to and including the Gulf War, now it is Iraq and Afghanistan. Just glad to hear whenever one of soldiers makes it home ok.
Thank you all for the support, it' great to have such positive people sharing in my happiness! We've dealt with the brunt of him changing from the military and he did come back in Febuary for a few days for his son's birth. So it's not completely alien for him or us. We know him pretty well and don't mind his war stories or impatience. Which is the biggest trait for returning soldiers. He should be here in a week or so. It's so funny how a brothers relationship changes.. well ours at least. We used to fight and like harm each other! It was bad. Slowly we realized we've been through so much together, nobody could know the other as well as we do each other. I knew he would be the most supportive about me coming out, and he was. I instant messaged him while he was overseas. So I'm just lucky in general that everything has turned out fine. thanks again guys. (ps. nice meeting you too nick)
