thedrifter
09-09-06, 09:12 AM
The reality hits home for a family
September 09,2006
CYNDI BROWN
DAILY NEWS STAFF
In their nearly 14 years of marriage, Marine Maj. Joseph Atherall and Tina Atherall have been through four deployments.
The fifth begins today.
“The first three were a piece of cake compared to now,” said Tina Atherall, noting that early MEU floats and a stint in Somalia were just another absence to get through. “Now, it’s play by play on television, the reality that your husband may not come home.”
Joseph Atherall, the operations officer of 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, will leave for his second tour in Iraq this weekend. About 800 of 2nd LAR’s Marines are also headed out this week — two companies left Wednesday; two more were scheduled to head out early this morning.
It’s the fourth time in-country for the battalion.
“We have a lot of guys that are returning lettermen,” said Lt. Col. Austin “Sparky” Renforth, commanding officer of 2nd LAR. “It’s a double-edged sword (since) it’s always changing over there.
“Certainly the veterans do help, but sometimes being new is good.”
Second LAR will spend the next seven months in the Al Anbar province. Their focus will be on counter-insurgency, training Iraqi security forces, interacting with the local population, ensuring the urban governments are stable and able to control their areas and ridding the region of insurgents.
“It’s not known to be very stable right now, which is why we’re going there to stabilize it,” said Renforth, 43.
The challenge, he said, is staying up to speed with what’s happening around them and not getting complacent. Things can change in an instant — “from nothing happening to the craziest 10 minutes where you lose two guys,” he said.
The Marines will be stationed in what he described as a “Spartan” area, but Renforth said they will have intermittent e-mail and phone access.
“We do a pretty good job making sure Marines are calling home, getting contact back home. That’s real important,” Renforth said.
It’s just as important, he said, to know that people back home are supporting the Marines.
“We need the support. We’ve gotta fight for something,” Renforth said. “If the people aren’t behind you, it doesn’t seem much worth it. But I think they are, certainly from my vantage point.
“The battalion has never been hurting for support.”
That support, according to Renforth, extends to the families — not just spouses — back home.
“We try to get the parents involved, make sure it’s not just the wives but the parents,” he said.
Tina Atherall, the battalion’s Key Volunteer coordinator for the past two years, has since added parents to her e-mail list to keep them updated as well.
“The Key Volunteer Network is not supposed to have anything to do with parents,” explained Atherall.
But Renforth gave Atherall the OK to reach out to them as well.
“I worked them in because Sparky said I can,” said Atherall. “I get the most pleasure working with them. I love the wives, but the parents, they appreciate every little bit we can give them.”
Atherall herself got involved in Key Volunteers as a way to meet people and pass the time while her husband was gone.
“It saved me. It became my family,” she said.
Over the course of her military spouse career, the Marine Corps itself has stepped up its family support in programs through Family Team Building and LINKS, for example.
“There’s more information out there,” said Atherall, who has since added working with Officers Wives Club and Run for the Warriors — in addition to taking care of her four children — as ways to stay busy and connected.
“The key is keeping busy,” said Atherall, who added that she and her husband have made a conscious choice to live on base, which comes with a built-in support network.
“It really is about the network,” Atherall said. “Being in the military community is the No. 1 thing.”
Contact city editor Cyndi Brown at 353-1171 ext. 224 or cyndi_brown@freedomenc.com.
Ellie
September 09,2006
CYNDI BROWN
DAILY NEWS STAFF
In their nearly 14 years of marriage, Marine Maj. Joseph Atherall and Tina Atherall have been through four deployments.
The fifth begins today.
“The first three were a piece of cake compared to now,” said Tina Atherall, noting that early MEU floats and a stint in Somalia were just another absence to get through. “Now, it’s play by play on television, the reality that your husband may not come home.”
Joseph Atherall, the operations officer of 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, will leave for his second tour in Iraq this weekend. About 800 of 2nd LAR’s Marines are also headed out this week — two companies left Wednesday; two more were scheduled to head out early this morning.
It’s the fourth time in-country for the battalion.
“We have a lot of guys that are returning lettermen,” said Lt. Col. Austin “Sparky” Renforth, commanding officer of 2nd LAR. “It’s a double-edged sword (since) it’s always changing over there.
“Certainly the veterans do help, but sometimes being new is good.”
Second LAR will spend the next seven months in the Al Anbar province. Their focus will be on counter-insurgency, training Iraqi security forces, interacting with the local population, ensuring the urban governments are stable and able to control their areas and ridding the region of insurgents.
“It’s not known to be very stable right now, which is why we’re going there to stabilize it,” said Renforth, 43.
The challenge, he said, is staying up to speed with what’s happening around them and not getting complacent. Things can change in an instant — “from nothing happening to the craziest 10 minutes where you lose two guys,” he said.
The Marines will be stationed in what he described as a “Spartan” area, but Renforth said they will have intermittent e-mail and phone access.
“We do a pretty good job making sure Marines are calling home, getting contact back home. That’s real important,” Renforth said.
It’s just as important, he said, to know that people back home are supporting the Marines.
“We need the support. We’ve gotta fight for something,” Renforth said. “If the people aren’t behind you, it doesn’t seem much worth it. But I think they are, certainly from my vantage point.
“The battalion has never been hurting for support.”
That support, according to Renforth, extends to the families — not just spouses — back home.
“We try to get the parents involved, make sure it’s not just the wives but the parents,” he said.
Tina Atherall, the battalion’s Key Volunteer coordinator for the past two years, has since added parents to her e-mail list to keep them updated as well.
“The Key Volunteer Network is not supposed to have anything to do with parents,” explained Atherall.
But Renforth gave Atherall the OK to reach out to them as well.
“I worked them in because Sparky said I can,” said Atherall. “I get the most pleasure working with them. I love the wives, but the parents, they appreciate every little bit we can give them.”
Atherall herself got involved in Key Volunteers as a way to meet people and pass the time while her husband was gone.
“It saved me. It became my family,” she said.
Over the course of her military spouse career, the Marine Corps itself has stepped up its family support in programs through Family Team Building and LINKS, for example.
“There’s more information out there,” said Atherall, who has since added working with Officers Wives Club and Run for the Warriors — in addition to taking care of her four children — as ways to stay busy and connected.
“The key is keeping busy,” said Atherall, who added that she and her husband have made a conscious choice to live on base, which comes with a built-in support network.
“It really is about the network,” Atherall said. “Being in the military community is the No. 1 thing.”
Contact city editor Cyndi Brown at 353-1171 ext. 224 or cyndi_brown@freedomenc.com.
Ellie