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Four Months More in Iraq

Aug-18-2006 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

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Tom Philpott, Military.com

By July 26, Jennifer Flower had resigned from her civilian job at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. With her husband, Army SSgt. Brian Flower, expected home within days after a tough year in Mosul, Iraq, Jennifer planned to welcome him home and then to pack for reassignment to Fort Knox, Ky.

That morning, however, Jennifer heard a news report that shocked her. The 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Brian’s unit, might see its year-long combat tour extended for up to 120 days.

Army Gen. George W. Casey, commander of Multi-National Forces-Iraq, ordered the 4000-member brigade to Baghdad to help stop the violence between Sunnis and Shiites. In July alone, more than 1,800 Baghdad residents were killed, raising fears of a broader civil war if attacks continue.

“I called friends to see if they had heard the same rumors. Then we all just waited to get the official word,’’ said Jennifer. It came that evening.

In a video teleconference with the brigade’s Family Readiness Group – spouse volunteers ready to pass along information and provide support to other families -- Col. Michael Shields, brigade commander, confirmed the disappointing news.

“I was very upset. Angry. I was sad,” said Jennifer, describing her initial reaction. “It was literally heartbreaking. To spend 12 months [apart] and to be within days of having your spouse back home, to find out that was going to be ripped away…was crushing.”

That was three weeks ago. Families say they are bouncing back. They have returned to work, altered travel and vacation plans, arranged for ticket refunds and unpacked boxes. Some have taken their children on to new assignments, including to Europe, so they can settle in before school starts. Other children are surprised to be returning to Fairbanks schools.

“Just like anything else in the military, stuff happens unexpected. It is what it is. So you pick yourself up and you carry on,” Jennifer said.


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