Chris deployment journal – Jun 08

1 Jun 08-Chris has graduated from his training finally and is now just hanging out in civilian clothes finally with his rent-a-car. LOL He’s a little lonely as can be expected. He was supposed to be home today for 10 days but they neglected to tell him that he had training in Kuwait too so he’s leaving this week for Kuwait for that training. There’s a little bit of confusion as to where he is going after that. They don’t really show him inbound so he’s not really sure what is going on but the big wigs are involved in it now so hopefully they will get to the bottom of it. He sent his card from the digital camera so hopefully I will be getting it in the mail tomorrow and I can post new pictures of what he’s been going through. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts as he’s about to take that long plane ride overseas!

10 Jun 08-This will be my last entry on this particular subject!  Chris is HOME!!  Can you believe it??  They canceled his deployment while he was on his way from Atlanta to Baltimore (his last stop before heading to Kuwait for more training).  I have no idea how something like that happens and I’m so upset that they put him through everything they did for nothing but it is so nice to have him home!!

Chris deployment journal – May 08

3 May 08-Chris, from as far as I can tell, has been having a good time at his training. It seems like they are going through so much and I have a new found respect for him and what he’s having to go through. I will definitely say that it was nowhere near as hard for me to go do what I did. There was no training involved except for the training we did here on the base. His training, however, looks like so much fun. I have made him a deployment photo album and posted a ton of pictures that he e-mailed home to me.

4 May 08-Chris leaves Ft. McCoy tomorrow to go to another base close by where he is now to do some serious field training. They will be living in tents and it will really feel like he’s deployed then. He will be so happy if he’s got some mail waiting for him when he returns. I know first hand how frustrating it is to feel settled, have to pack your stuff and move again, only to pack one more time to come back to where you’ve been. Please think of him while he’s out playing wargames in the field.

7 May 08-Sorry I haven’t been posting much info. I cannot tell you about the training that he is currently going through but it’s brutal for sure. He’s been pretty wiped out most days. As for here, life goes on. I’ve been busy working and taking care of the kids and doing my daily errands/chores. It’s surely a busier life for me these days but thankfully I’m handling it well. It will be a busy weekend for us. I’m taking the kids to the fair at Harmony’s school on Friday and then Saturday, they are honoring military families at the base park. There will be food, crafts, bounce houses, petting zoo, etc. It should be a fun day out for the kids. We’ve found our routine well and I’m so thankful things are not as hard as I thought they may be.

18 May 08-Chris is finally back at the base and doing his normal training if you want to call it that. He was supposed to have the day off today but they had some more slots for medical training so he is going to learn life saving and he will be able to do IVs after his training for the next 4 days. They had some days of nice weather and last night it was cold and raining again. He’s got 2 weeks left of his training and he shared a nice surprise with me. It looks like he’s coming home after his training for a week and a half. We’re still waiting on confirmation but we’re not telling the kids. We’re going to just surprise them. I’m going to tell them I’m picking a friend up from the airport! It is going to be so fun for them!

22 May 08-Sorry for the delay in posting about Chris’ training.  Thankfully he is almost home and he is counting the days.  However, we do have some bad news.  He will not be returning as he was previously told.  He has more training to do closer to where he’ll be in Iraq so he goes straight from Wisconsin to there.    I am so thankful that we did not tell the kids.  Chris has been doing some medical training and can now give IVs.  He asked if he could practice on me to which I replied, “Hell no!”  LOL  I’d love to help my man out but I don’t even like them when they’re necessary!  He is doing well though and I am so proud of him!

Chris deployment journal – April 08

25 Apr 08-Chris headed out this morning for Wisconsin for a month of training. He will be headed out to Iraq after that. As of 10 a.m. our time, he is waiting in Chicago for his connecting flight to Wisconsin. There are 4 of them traveling together and as they finished their lunch in the airport, they were waiting for the bill when the waitress approached them and pointed to a man across the way and told them that he had picked up their tab. It is so amazing when people respond to us in uniform that way. It’s the little things like that which makes us feel like we make a difference and people do really respect us for what we do.

Since Chris is not a chat/computer person, I will do my best to update here what I can that he tells me about his journey.

As of 1:30 p.m. our time, Chris made it to Wisconsin. They are really treating it like they’re in Iraq already. They are to be in uniform at all times, they’re living in Army barracks and that consists of an open bay with 14 people to each one. This is going to be very interesting for him not having lived that way since basic training 12 years ago so keep him in your thoughts. He will have his cell phone and be able to make calls the whole time he is there and he will try to find the computers on base today or tomorrow.

26 Apr 08-Chris finally got his luggage today thankfully because he had to march in the snow flurries this morning with no cold weather gear. This sure doesn’t sound like it’s going to be a fun experience for him. His classes are kind of sporadic so at least he gets some free time. He has a curfew there and everything. He did get his address today so for the next 4 weeks, you can send him mail at:

SSgt Christopher Naylor
602 TRG (P) Det 7 JSTO 08-3
1868 Regiment Avenue
Ft McCoy, WI 54656-5234

27 Apr 08-Chris sent me a picture of his tiny little space. Things will be like this for a while. He may have a little bit bigger space in Iraq but not much.

28 Apr 08-Today is Cody’s birthday and thankfully Chris was able to talk to him. We were also. I sent his mom an IM and asked her if he could call so the kids and I could wish him a happy birthday. Chris had most of the day off today and had training late in the day. They are doing training pretty sporadically. It isn’t making a whole lot of sense to me. He has to get up at 0500 for PT tomorrow and it has been snowing there so that is not going to be fun for him. He sounds like he’s in good spirits although it is very boring there.

Happy New Year!

We hope that all of you have a wonderful new year!  I know I have plans for myself for this new year.  I absolutely HAVE to make TSgt this year and I hope that Chris does as well.  We could sure use the raise.  I’ve come to learn that it seems like there is a black cloud constantly over me.  It seems that nothing goes right for me although I do have a good life.  I’m going to try not to play so much of the victim and just accept the things that do not go right in my life.  It’s going to be a hard change because it just gets so frustrating sometimes.  I am going to continue to work hard to keep the weight off me that I lost while I was deployed.  I feel that this year is OUR year and I’m going to do everything I can to keep that good attitude.  Hopefully this year we’ll be buying the house we’ve been renting.  I just pray that everything goes through with it.  We really do love that house and it would be nice to do what we want to it.  I want to paint and really make it our own.

I am home!!

Sorry it’s taken me so long to post an update but everyone should know by now that I am home.  Thank you so much for all of your love and support over the last almost 7 months.  I couldn’t have done it without you!!  Thank you!