Deployment Update

To sum up what I found out today is that I am not deploying...as of right now. This is what I mean by that. When a National Guard company deploys, the unit kinda turns into two parts. There is a forward element and a rear element. The forward element in the main body of the element. That is everyone that is going on the deployment. The rear element are the people that are not qualified to deploy, the ones who are at basic training, or whatever else. 

I have been put on to the rear element. That means I am not deploying. The reason I put I am not deploying as of right now is that I have been in the military long enough to know that there are no forsures. This is as close as it gets though. I am not deploying! 

Here are a few reasons I did not want to deploy:

1. I do not want to be away from my family. I know that might sound bad because I "signed up for this"  but it is true. I do not want to be away from them. If I have to deploy I have to deploy. This last year has been sort of a roller coaster. I was told I am deploying and then I am not and so on. I have been told now three times I am deploying and three times I am not deploying. So that is why I am not totally sold on I am not going. I do believe I am not going though. It is only a few weeks away.

2. I don't want to get into it all but if I deployed, my job would not have been here when I would have gotten back. I probably could have found something in the National Guard when I got back but I would have been deploying without a job when I got back. 

3. I am in college right now and I want to graduate May 2010! If I was to deploy it would have thrown off my whole degree plan and I would have had to wait longer to graduate. 

I do know that I am a soldier and that I have a job to do. That can mean that I have to leave my family from time to time. I really just wanted to know this whole time if I was going or not. Almost all of the 3000 soldiers who are deploying have known they were going for sure for at least a year. That is a year they have to mentally prepare themselves and their family's. I was getting down to a few weeks without knowing. It was stressful not to know. 

So what now? I am most likely going to be hired on to AGR (that means no more belonging to my infantry company and recruiting, I will belong to just recruiting) by mid April. That pretty much prevents me from deploying in the near future. If I ever do have to deploy I just want to know for sure with enough time to prepare my family. If I stay on in the military for a career. I will have to deploy again. That is a no brainer but I am willing.

I just want to thank everything for their prayers and words of encouragement. Some of you know how difficult this has been. I can honestly say I feel so blessed by all of your prayers. When we really needed it everyone was really behind us. One thing Cassie and I have been praying for and asking for prayer about is that God's will be done. I have felt for a while that this is where I need to be for now and this is where God wants me. He gets all the glory for this one. And thank you my church fam for all your support!

What to do now? Well, thousands of soldiers are about to leave Oregon to go serve their country. They are going to be leaving their loved ones behind to go to a place that is unforgiving. Their lives and family's lives will never be the same. Please pray for these men and women everyday that they are away starting today. You should be seeing this in the local news soon about this deployment. They all come on orders around the 30th of March and will be gone for up to 16 months.

Also, Cassie's brother will be going on this deployment as well. He has known for sometime that he will be going. He is medic for the infantry. Please keep him in your prayers.

Mike