thedrifter
01-26-09, 08:25 AM
Families have soldiers' backs when it comes time for leave
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — Zach Miller was facing what some Marines might consider hazardous duty during his leave last week after finishing boot camp.
Surrounded by his mother’s co-workers, the 18-year-old Marine and 2008 graduate of Mattoon High School was taking in salvos of compliments, questions and nervous giggling without flinching.
On a 10-day leave before heading to additional training, Miller was spending some time with his friends; his mother, Cindy Hall of Mattoon, an employee of the JG/T-C; and other relatives. Hall was helping organize visits during his stay with her in Mattoon.
The Marine Corps recommends families offer family activities when personnel are on leave or facing a new assignment. The leave was extra special because it was the first time mother and son had some time together in 13 weeks.
“He and I have always been close,” said Cindy, who lost another son in a traffic accident more than four years ago. “I know this is what Zach wanted. He has always tried to influence people in a positive way by taking care of the little guy.”
Zach remembers how he told his mother when he had decided to join the Marine Corps.
“‘Mom,’ I said, ‘I’m going to join the Marines. I think you’ll understand,’” he recalled.
Family members’ understanding is a key source of support for military personnel, especially during overseas deployment into harm’s way, said Capt. Thomas Taylor II, who
coordinates enrollment and scholarship programs with the Eastern Illinois University ROTC program.
“The Army is a family. We want families integrated with the soldiers. Everything we do in the Army we do together as much as possible. And it is important to have the families involved as well,”said Taylor, an Army infantry veteran of deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq covering 27 months, and a husband with two children.
Family support can come directly from relatives or other families associated with a Family Readiness Group, which is a group of relatives of military personnel linked through a specific base or unit. A Family Readiness group has been active with the Illinois National Guard 334th Brigade Support company based in Mattoon as those soldiers have faced deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.
But many personnel like Miller depend mainly on their families for support.
“It’s great getting to see your family after three months. And to come home and have people shake your hand. It makes me feel proud of myself and realize I’m doing something right,” said the young Marine.
Hall said she worked out a schedule that mixed her family time with Zach’s personal time. He also spent time with his father in Texas.
“I had much of the time he was with me mapped out. I thought that was the best way to do it,” she said.
Some might think that military personnel on leave might want more time to themselves, but Taylor believes many appreciate getting back into a routine, especially after a long deployment, whether it’s a leave of a few days or much more.
“Some of these young soldiers are dealing with this for 15 months. That is a long time for an 18-year-old. They come to think of the people in their unit as their family,” he said. “They might huddle with people they deployed with, but a family member should include a soldier in activities when they return home.
“It is critical to have strong connections with the family,” Taylor added. “That’s because before you were in the military the family really knew who you really are.”
The officer added that both soldiers and parents need to realize that things have changed through military service, but that does not mean family ties are unraveling.
“Both have to realize there has been some growing up on both sides,” Taylor said.
Like many mothers of Marines returned from boot camp, Hall realizes that well.
“He exudes confidence. He simply amazes me,” she said of her son.
And Miller, who might be headed to Marine sniper school, has some appreciation of self-sacrifice more than ever before.
“With the Marine Corps I realize it is not all about me anymore. And someone’s got to do the dirty work,” he said.
Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.
Ellie
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — Zach Miller was facing what some Marines might consider hazardous duty during his leave last week after finishing boot camp.
Surrounded by his mother’s co-workers, the 18-year-old Marine and 2008 graduate of Mattoon High School was taking in salvos of compliments, questions and nervous giggling without flinching.
On a 10-day leave before heading to additional training, Miller was spending some time with his friends; his mother, Cindy Hall of Mattoon, an employee of the JG/T-C; and other relatives. Hall was helping organize visits during his stay with her in Mattoon.
The Marine Corps recommends families offer family activities when personnel are on leave or facing a new assignment. The leave was extra special because it was the first time mother and son had some time together in 13 weeks.
“He and I have always been close,” said Cindy, who lost another son in a traffic accident more than four years ago. “I know this is what Zach wanted. He has always tried to influence people in a positive way by taking care of the little guy.”
Zach remembers how he told his mother when he had decided to join the Marine Corps.
“‘Mom,’ I said, ‘I’m going to join the Marines. I think you’ll understand,’” he recalled.
Family members’ understanding is a key source of support for military personnel, especially during overseas deployment into harm’s way, said Capt. Thomas Taylor II, who
coordinates enrollment and scholarship programs with the Eastern Illinois University ROTC program.
“The Army is a family. We want families integrated with the soldiers. Everything we do in the Army we do together as much as possible. And it is important to have the families involved as well,”said Taylor, an Army infantry veteran of deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq covering 27 months, and a husband with two children.
Family support can come directly from relatives or other families associated with a Family Readiness Group, which is a group of relatives of military personnel linked through a specific base or unit. A Family Readiness group has been active with the Illinois National Guard 334th Brigade Support company based in Mattoon as those soldiers have faced deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.
But many personnel like Miller depend mainly on their families for support.
“It’s great getting to see your family after three months. And to come home and have people shake your hand. It makes me feel proud of myself and realize I’m doing something right,” said the young Marine.
Hall said she worked out a schedule that mixed her family time with Zach’s personal time. He also spent time with his father in Texas.
“I had much of the time he was with me mapped out. I thought that was the best way to do it,” she said.
Some might think that military personnel on leave might want more time to themselves, but Taylor believes many appreciate getting back into a routine, especially after a long deployment, whether it’s a leave of a few days or much more.
“Some of these young soldiers are dealing with this for 15 months. That is a long time for an 18-year-old. They come to think of the people in their unit as their family,” he said. “They might huddle with people they deployed with, but a family member should include a soldier in activities when they return home.
“It is critical to have strong connections with the family,” Taylor added. “That’s because before you were in the military the family really knew who you really are.”
The officer added that both soldiers and parents need to realize that things have changed through military service, but that does not mean family ties are unraveling.
“Both have to realize there has been some growing up on both sides,” Taylor said.
Like many mothers of Marines returned from boot camp, Hall realizes that well.
“He exudes confidence. He simply amazes me,” she said of her son.
And Miller, who might be headed to Marine sniper school, has some appreciation of self-sacrifice more than ever before.
“With the Marine Corps I realize it is not all about me anymore. And someone’s got to do the dirty work,” he said.
Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.
Ellie