On Saturday, I was at Ft Hood to see a dear friend deploy to Afghanistan.  It was a heart-wrenching experience. 

The thing I remember most about it was the way the soldiers held their children close to them as long as they could.  One young soldier sat with his new baby daughter in his arms and just stared at her while the tears fell, his wife sitting close to him and staring at him while her tears fell.  Another soldier's toddler daughter had been hopping up and down out in the parking lot earlier but when we all went inside a room to wait for formation, she climbed in daddy's lap and fell asleep - it was about 4:30 a.m.  He cradled her, kept touching her face and kissing her forehead and cheek while she slept.  He could not take his eyes off her.  Another soldier had 3 sons of varying ages and he had them all in a tight group hug, with his head bending down to kiss the tops of each of his sons' heads.  When formation was called at 5:00 a.m., many of the soldiers stood in formation, holding their young children.  It was precious and sad at the same time and made it even harder for me to hold myself together til my friend said his last good-byes at 5:30 and got on the bus to head to the airport.  Then the flood gates opened and I cried.

I wish every person in America could witness our servicemen and women leaving their families behind to serve our country.  No one would ever take our military for granted again.

Wow, I need some tissues...thank you for posting this. I can't even begin to imagine how it would feel to say goodbye to a family member or friend like that. Our troops and their families are so amazing.

 Lilly,

 I feel your emotions.  My daughter dated someone in the military several years ago.  We were there went the group deployed

as well as when they arrived back home.  Such a rollercoaster of emotions and so hard to keep composed.

It was an unforgettable and truly humbling experience. 

Joy 

 Lilly -  the saddest part of being in the military -  leaving your family behind, especially the children.  I agree with you - everyone should go to one of these departures where families say good bye.  My daughter would not stay on the pier to watch the Carrier leave on the morning of deployments.  She would drop her hubby off, and go home.  She was told by an experienced Navy wife that was the better way to go.  It was hard enough knowing how long it would be before homecoming.  Thank you for posting this experience.  God bless them all.

Wow, Lilly.  Thanks for sharing this.  My heart is just breaking.  I, as I'm sure lots of us, write to quite a few soldiers who have children and while we "talk" about (and I think about ) them being far away from their kids all the time, I have never really given thought to those moments of of saying goodbye.  I just can't even beging to wrap my mind and heart around how difficult it must be.   But your description makes me feel like I'm there, crying right along side you. :(

 My goodness.  I need a tissue just reading.  Thank you lily for sharing this. 

Precious post, Lilly. What a moving description. I think I'd just want to inhale the smell of my kid's hair and touch   their soft skin forever.  I have never been to a deployment, but when my BIL came home from Iraq, I hugged him so tight and those floodgates opened with relief for a long time. I get choked up thinking about what you went through.

Having just been through a departure, I cannot imagine not being there when he left. Granted, it would have been so much easier to just drop him off and leave, but I am glad I stayed. However, that cannot be said for everyone and to be honest I do not know if I will stay the next time, because inevitably there will be a next time. The hardest part for me was the waiting for him to leave. I wish they would have left promptly when we got there, but, no, they kept us waiting around for 3 hours. Of course, we appreciated the extra hours together, but for me it was a lot harder to wait. There's really so much you could say, but nothing really gets said. You want to cry the entire time, but you can't because you know that this is harder for them than for you because they are the ones deploying and you're staying behind, to live your life as close to "normal" as you can. To see them all stand together ready for their deployment is quite a sight. It fills your heart with pride. Those moments that you hold each other close, well, you can only wish they would last an eternity.  

Sometimes, I get a little bitter at certain people who don't support our troops because, if those of us who have to deal with the vast distance, the loneliness, the separation, and the "see you laters" (because we never say goodbye), don't complain - why should they? I support my fiancee in whatever he does, and if whatever he does means I have to sit out in the cold at 4:30 in the morning to watch him as he prepares to do his duty, then so be it.

My advice to those of you that would like to attend one of this departures is - do it! It's not entirely a sad thing. It's a day of appreciation because in those moments as they board the bus, you realize just how much you have. 

I cried when I read your post Lilly. It just brought back so many memories.  

I can well identify with your feelings.  We attended the departure of our son for Fort Dix, NJ on February 24, and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.  The actual departure ceremony had been held on February 20, but we were granted permission to watch then board the buses from the Armory on the 24th.  We had to be there at 2:00 AM, and we waited until around 4:00 AM, when they left.  This is our son's first deployment.  Although we were so sad at seeing our son go for the first time, it was the soldiers with small children that affected us, as well.  One of the saddest scenes was that of a single mother holding her 2-year-old son.  The little boy was crying for his mother, and the mother was crying gently, as well.  Finally, the soldier's sister took the little boy because they were about to board the bus for departure for the airport. 

 About my son, when the platoon sargeant came by and said, "Ten more minutes," I thought I would just smother.  Ten more minutes!  Such a short time to say so many things.  We said our "I love you's" and "Be careful's" and "Come back to us."  Then, ten minutes later, they were in formation for departure.  We waved and blew kisses and then they were gone.  That is the time that we all let the tears fall, unashamed and not caring who saw us.  We held it together well up until the time they departed.