My son is back in the US!

[Bike Chick]

How wonderful, Crankin! I know what a relief that is. Does each deployment get easier for you or do you worry the same each time?

[Crankin]

It just becomes the new normal.
At least here. I am more pragmatic about this than a lot of other people. I went to a military family support group and they made me feel worse! They were very nice people, but it's not in my best interest to sit around and cry. If something bad happens, I will deal with it. It's just not in my nature to sit and continually worry. I do miss him when he is gone, even though I don't live in the same state as him. I think it's because I can't just call him any time or Skype him.
He doesn't tell us anything, mostly because of the nature of his work. The only thing he said about Afghanistan is 1) "I haven't seen a woman since I got here; they are hidden away behind the black shmatta, in the house" and 2) "It's a sh**hole and makes Iraq look like a party." He mostly discussed the mental health issues of his men and how he has to counsel them to deal with the stresses of deployment. Somehow, he and his wife deal with this and seem incredibly normal about everything. I explained to him that it sounded like most of what he was telling me is related to the fact that these guys come from very dysfunctional families. As he says, "crazy, lazy, and azzhole." I know it sounds irreverent, but this is my son at his best. The things that make him a good Marine also made him a good racer....