I Volunteer Sir

It was late June when the knots in my stomach finally started to recede. I don't think I could have prayed with any more passion than I already had, every moment I could. When I got the call from Sgt Lutz, the information almost seemed fake, "your roster number is 123-45" he said, confirming that I was the second newest addition to the 230th Signal Company for their deployment to Afghanistan. He was the first, and we would not be the last from our team to join them.

April was a tough month for the MPAD but we were determined to get our deployment. Eight of us banded together and started the research, finding what we thought was the perfect unit and the perfect deployment for us. Another MPAD out of Georgia who was run by a Special Forces Ranger and was set to go to Afghanistan the summer of 2012.

The excitement of our discovery began to wear off a few days later.

When logistics of transferring got in the way, Ashley Curtis, fellow journalist said to me one drill weekend, "What if their deployment turns out like ours did?" She was right, we were better off staying put and being thankful, Im not sure if we could go through that roller coaster again. Oh but I did get my roller coaster ride a few weeks later.

Late June was the day that I had final confirmation that I was a new member of the 230th Signal Company, heading to Afghanistan to be a journalist. Our elite team of 8 was cut in half and the 4 of us were heading to the desert. The two weeks prior was almost like a competition that no one was guaranteed to win. "Well, you are on the list along with 4 others but im not sure how many they have room to take" SFC Allen told me over the phone one afternoon when I called to get any detail that I could.

We all wanted to go but there were only a few spots.

Back and forth we went, waiting for updates on who would be going and who wouldn't. Even down to the last day in Nashville where 2 MPAD soldiers were geared up but still on standby to go.

Our team of 4 turned into 5 and a few days later we headed to Fort Bliss and then Kuwait where our team was cut to 4 once again. We were split and shuffled and split again until we ended up in pairs, with high levels of stress, new cameras, changed missions, and no time for public affairs.

When we said "I volunteer Sir" that's just what we meant. 

Now we will be spending the next year of our lives trying to figure out what our part of the mission will be. We are getting our deployment, but to get it, we all agreed to fill a spot and do whatever they needed us to do, even if it meant not being a journalist.....