Hey to everybody and hope this finds you well. It’s been almost 3.5 months since I left the U.S. and said goodbye to my wife, who is also my best friend, and I can say that I was ready to get back to her the moment I stepped out of that hanger at Fort Campbell. A husband and wife are not meant to be apart like this, but thus is the nature of my job.
As for what I’m doing here in Kandahar (Afghanistan), that’s on a completely different note. My unit is tasked with providing aerial reconnaissance (since its an aviation unit) to pretty much all of Kandahar Province. My job is to provide intelligence support for the pilots. That’s about all that I’m willing or rather, allowed to say about that.
I’ve learned a number of things since I’ve been here and have compiled a few of them into the list below:
1. Calling your wife everyday is a great thing no matter what others may say. It helps to pass the time and keep you going.
2. Make the most out of the time you are with people because you never know when you won’t see them again. This is direct reference to my friend John Runkle who gave his life for our Nation on 26 May 2011.
3. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Once again 26 May brought out a few heroes that aren’t with us any more.
4. The sooner you accept that A. somebody is firing a rocket at you and B. there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it, you will sleep better at night.
5. I really miss my wife, are you starting to see a trend?
6. Afghanistan makes the bad part of Birmingham look like a great place to visit
7. I miss grass. period.
8. I’m never drinking another bottled water ever again once i get back.
9. Beer is sorely missed.
10. Armed Forces Network TV really blows. If I see one more “Army Values are My Values” commercial I probably will throw a brick at the TV.
11. America is really the greatest place on Earth. The foreigners over here don’t see it that way. Maybe its becasue they’ve never been to our Nation.. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that America is second best.
Well I hope that was insightful, but the big takeaway is that I really miss Mrs. Erica O. DeSpain. I hope that everybody has a great day and continues being great Americans.
-Jamie
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo