Three Up, Three Down.  Almost There!


Last night, when Laurie checked in to let us know she was almost to her base where she will do her officer training, she told us that Stephen had made the selection list for E-8.  Master Sgt.  3 up, 3 down.  His selection number on the list is low, so we expect that very soon - before his deployment is over ~ he will be,  officially, a MSG. 

In early October, just before he left for the sand, we were going somewhere in Stephen's truck.  I went to get in the back seat and there were folders and papers all over the place.  Stephen gathered them all up and apologized for the truck being in such disarray.  He told me he was up for E-8 and he was getting all his stuff ready to send to the board before he left for the sand.  He was really hoping to make it in this year's selection. 

Last deployment, he was so thankful that none of his soldiers were lost - they all came home.  They did missions 6 out of 7 days a week during that deployment and sometimes when he called, he sounded so tired.  Usually it would be in the pre-dawn hours of the morning his time, dinner time for us.  But he made sure that  the first thing he did when he got back in was to call Laurie at school, and then Kasey at our house. His words were sometimes few, but they counted. And to hear his voice was music to our ears. 

A military couple gives up a lot.  Time together, time with their children, living in the grit and grime of deserts far away, and wondering just when they will see and hold each other again.  They are humble about what they do - "it's my job"  they say, and when you thank a soldier, they thank YOU for appreciating them. 

Yes, maybe it's not humble to announce achievements.  But I do, as we all do when our kids do well. It's because I am happy and thankful for THEM.  Nothing they work for is easily attained - like everyone else in the world, they know that if it's worth working for, it's reachable.  No matter how long it takes. 
We love Stephen as our own son. 

Three up, three down.  I can't wait to see it on our soldier son.