thedrifter
01-01-08, 08:38 AM
January 01, 2008
Mother and son serving simultaneously in Iraq
By AUDREY PARENTE
Staff Writer
An occasional series featuring stories of military servicemen and women far from home and their loved ones here. Today, we speak with Department of Defense employee/Army Comptroller Lynne A. Caroe, 55, serving in Iraq. Her son, Capt. Robert A. Hedge, 29, also is serving in Iraq. Both are headed home on leave for the holidays.
Q. You are a civilian working for the Army in Iraq at the same time your son in the military is serving there. What is your job?
. I am embedded with the Provincial Reconstruction Team, a Surge Department of State mission that the Department of Defense personnel were asked to fill until the Department of State can get trained personnel to take over. The embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team assists district and sub-district level Iraqi government to form and solve their issues.
Q. What have you seen there so far?
The towns, cities and villages are forming local governments. These groups are learning to problem-solve and think more strategically, which is very different from the previous 40 years of top-down central government. I see the markets opening and more goods available. State and private banks are opening, which is essential in a cash-based economy. Crops (are) being planted in fields that have not been worked in years. Rubble and trash is being cleaned up, and normal life is returning. The hours of (available) electricity are increasing. I worked in Fallujah, Anbar, and now in Baqubah in Diyala, and both are more secure and prosperous each week. This is a joint effort by all the coalition partners, and I am very proud of the outstanding job our military is doing.
Q. What do you feel is being accomplished?
The surge is working. The Iraqis just want to live a normal life, see their children grow and have their country prosper. I see the smiles on beautiful children's faces and see them wave to us. I feel a great personal reward.
Q. Are there many civilian personnel over there?
There are quite a number of Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Agriculture, Department of Treasury and other federal civilians in Iraq serving beside their military counterparts. We serve without the military/contractor tax exemption -- federal civilians do not get a tax exemption because Congress has not passed any of the proposed bills into law. This is demoralizing to think that Congress doesn't think enough of us to give us the same exemption military and contractors have.
Q. How long have you worked for the military, and when did your son join?
I have worked as an Army civilian since 1984. Robert joined in January 2003 to serve our country in the Army. He is on a Military Training Team, training the Iraqi army to be a qualified modern army. They take new recruits and train them to be an effective fighting force that performs military missions with the Military Training Team now as advisers.
Q. Do you have any free time?
I sleep, eat and watch an occasional DVD. I get packages from all over the U.S. with things for the Marines/soldiers and Iraqi children, which are distributed to the intended people. There are personal hygiene items, twin sheet sets, baby wipes, cards, eye drops, books, CDs, snacks, bandannas, ChapStick, batteries and holiday decorations for those who serve. Beanie Babies, small stuffed animals, small toys, Matchbox cars, girls hair clips, school supplies, toothbrushes and paste, candy and soccer balls go to the children.
Q. How fortunate you and your son can be home together for the holiday. How did that come about?
Robert was assigned this period -- the military assigns individuals to flights and there are only so many per day going to Kuwait from all over Iraq. We both will be on the same flight. We'll meet in Balad and wait for the flight to Kuwait. Once we arrive in Kuwait, we'll store our body armor and Kevlar helmets, make the connecting flight reservations to Daytona Beach and wait for the next flight to Atlanta. From the time we each take a night helicopter flight from our respective forward operating base to Balad, to when we finally reach Daytona is a four- to five-day process. We'll wait in tents and get meals in the dining facilities along the way.
Q. Do you have family here to share the holidays?
My mother, Robert's grandmother is Anne Gerosa Caroe. Betts Caroe, my sister-in-law and Robert's aunt, lives in Flagler Beach, as does Al Caroe, my brother, Robert's uncle, and my niece Ashleigh. My daughter, Shari Anne Caroe Mead, a University of North Florida student, is in Jacksonville.
audrey.parente@news-jrnl.com
Ellie
Mother and son serving simultaneously in Iraq
By AUDREY PARENTE
Staff Writer
An occasional series featuring stories of military servicemen and women far from home and their loved ones here. Today, we speak with Department of Defense employee/Army Comptroller Lynne A. Caroe, 55, serving in Iraq. Her son, Capt. Robert A. Hedge, 29, also is serving in Iraq. Both are headed home on leave for the holidays.
Q. You are a civilian working for the Army in Iraq at the same time your son in the military is serving there. What is your job?
. I am embedded with the Provincial Reconstruction Team, a Surge Department of State mission that the Department of Defense personnel were asked to fill until the Department of State can get trained personnel to take over. The embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team assists district and sub-district level Iraqi government to form and solve their issues.
Q. What have you seen there so far?
The towns, cities and villages are forming local governments. These groups are learning to problem-solve and think more strategically, which is very different from the previous 40 years of top-down central government. I see the markets opening and more goods available. State and private banks are opening, which is essential in a cash-based economy. Crops (are) being planted in fields that have not been worked in years. Rubble and trash is being cleaned up, and normal life is returning. The hours of (available) electricity are increasing. I worked in Fallujah, Anbar, and now in Baqubah in Diyala, and both are more secure and prosperous each week. This is a joint effort by all the coalition partners, and I am very proud of the outstanding job our military is doing.
Q. What do you feel is being accomplished?
The surge is working. The Iraqis just want to live a normal life, see their children grow and have their country prosper. I see the smiles on beautiful children's faces and see them wave to us. I feel a great personal reward.
Q. Are there many civilian personnel over there?
There are quite a number of Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Agriculture, Department of Treasury and other federal civilians in Iraq serving beside their military counterparts. We serve without the military/contractor tax exemption -- federal civilians do not get a tax exemption because Congress has not passed any of the proposed bills into law. This is demoralizing to think that Congress doesn't think enough of us to give us the same exemption military and contractors have.
Q. How long have you worked for the military, and when did your son join?
I have worked as an Army civilian since 1984. Robert joined in January 2003 to serve our country in the Army. He is on a Military Training Team, training the Iraqi army to be a qualified modern army. They take new recruits and train them to be an effective fighting force that performs military missions with the Military Training Team now as advisers.
Q. Do you have any free time?
I sleep, eat and watch an occasional DVD. I get packages from all over the U.S. with things for the Marines/soldiers and Iraqi children, which are distributed to the intended people. There are personal hygiene items, twin sheet sets, baby wipes, cards, eye drops, books, CDs, snacks, bandannas, ChapStick, batteries and holiday decorations for those who serve. Beanie Babies, small stuffed animals, small toys, Matchbox cars, girls hair clips, school supplies, toothbrushes and paste, candy and soccer balls go to the children.
Q. How fortunate you and your son can be home together for the holiday. How did that come about?
Robert was assigned this period -- the military assigns individuals to flights and there are only so many per day going to Kuwait from all over Iraq. We both will be on the same flight. We'll meet in Balad and wait for the flight to Kuwait. Once we arrive in Kuwait, we'll store our body armor and Kevlar helmets, make the connecting flight reservations to Daytona Beach and wait for the next flight to Atlanta. From the time we each take a night helicopter flight from our respective forward operating base to Balad, to when we finally reach Daytona is a four- to five-day process. We'll wait in tents and get meals in the dining facilities along the way.
Q. Do you have family here to share the holidays?
My mother, Robert's grandmother is Anne Gerosa Caroe. Betts Caroe, my sister-in-law and Robert's aunt, lives in Flagler Beach, as does Al Caroe, my brother, Robert's uncle, and my niece Ashleigh. My daughter, Shari Anne Caroe Mead, a University of North Florida student, is in Jacksonville.
audrey.parente@news-jrnl.com
Ellie