My daughter is assigned to a Army Reserve Military Police Battalion and has been training for two months in preparation for deployment. I wrote about my daughter’s progress through the training process before and I remain in marvel of the system that transformed my little Girl into a soldier.
We recently had 4 days with her during a Pass from the training (in fact the training is completed) She was picked up from the Barracks that served as one of her temporary homes at the training installation. Most of the training tour period was spend in tents in January and February in the field locations to maximize the training realism of conditions that would be faced over the next year. (probably really because of a lack of space at Ft. Dix which if anyone remembers was BRACed years ago and scheduled to close) As before the unit has a strong sense of efficiency, team atmosphere, competence and determination.
During the 4 days she did the normal 19 Year old type of things, trips to the mall although she didn’t want to purchase much as she would be able to use or wear it for another 10 months. A little bit of networking with friends and sleeping in at home. At the end of 4 days she was ready to return to her new family – her team to get started on the task at hand.
The unit will be departing for overseas shortly with the task of conducting its mission in Iraq. She will be part of an effort often in the shadows for many … including her peers from high school who still worry about fashion, what is in and out and where is the next party. I sense that she knows that it takes silent patriots, like her, to preserve that way of life for her friends. Like many that have served in OIF, she makes up the vanguard of today’s Army quiet heroes.
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