thedrifter
10-04-08, 04:35 AM
Military spouses find network of support
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Family, Jane Wayne Day held by 6th Marine Regiment
October 4, 2008 - 12:49AM
JENNIFER HLAD
Tabitha Peterson and her family recently moved to Jacksonville. Now, her husband is getting ready to deploy to Iraq for a year with 6th Marine Regiment, and the stay-at-home mom doesn't know anyone in town.
Friday, she had a chance to get out of the house and meet some of the other spouses in her husband's unit at the 6th Marines combined Family and Jane Wayne Day.
Peterson said she was hoping to meet some of the Key Volunteers and other spouses, because during her husband's last deployment she did not get much information from her KV.
"He's going to be gone for a year," Peterson said, holding her daughter, who will turn 2 next month. "She's just now able to tell me she misses daddy."
But the longest she has been away from him that she can remember is three days.
The family day and Jane Wayne Day offered spouses a way to get to know each other and get a glimpse of what their husbands do, said Col. Matthew Lopez, the unit's commanding officer.
"This will be the building block for the Key Volunteer network," Lopez told the families, referring to the network of volunteers that passes information to spouses during a deployment. "We asked you to come out here today not only to have fun and see what your husbands do on a daily basis ... but also to start building the camaraderie."
The event was held across the street from the unit's headquarters building and included a moon bounce, "sumo wrestling" and food.
Amanda Booth and her husband, Staff Sgt. Marcus Booth, also moved to Jacksonville earlier this year. The Booths previously lived in Cincinnati, where Staff Sgt. Booth served on inspector/instructor duty for the Marine Corps Reserve.
When Booth deployed from there, it was difficult because it was not a military community so no one really understood what Amanda Booth was going through, she said.
"I don't want a pity party," she said.
But she does want to know people who understand, so Amanda Booth was also hoping to meet other spouses in the unit Friday.
"Everybody's going through the same thing," she said. "Everybody understands."
Dana Gustin and her husband, Lance Cpl. Jare Gustin, are also new to 6th Marines. Dana Gustin said she does know a few people, but not as many as she'd like.
The first time Gustin deployed, Dana said she didn't know anything about the KV network or the support available. This time she knows there are many people available to ask questions, she said, although that "doesn't make it any easier."
The deployment will be the first for Stephanie Ragusa's husband, Lance Cpl. Matthew Ragusa, and Stephanie said she doesn't think she is prepared. But the event was a chance to at least meet some new people, she said.
6th Marine Regiment will leave early next year for a year-long deployment to Iraq's Anbar province. About 35 percent of the Marines will be doing their second Iraq deployment with the unit, but about 80 percent of the Marines have deployed to Iraq before, Lopez said.
Ellie
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Family, Jane Wayne Day held by 6th Marine Regiment
October 4, 2008 - 12:49AM
JENNIFER HLAD
Tabitha Peterson and her family recently moved to Jacksonville. Now, her husband is getting ready to deploy to Iraq for a year with 6th Marine Regiment, and the stay-at-home mom doesn't know anyone in town.
Friday, she had a chance to get out of the house and meet some of the other spouses in her husband's unit at the 6th Marines combined Family and Jane Wayne Day.
Peterson said she was hoping to meet some of the Key Volunteers and other spouses, because during her husband's last deployment she did not get much information from her KV.
"He's going to be gone for a year," Peterson said, holding her daughter, who will turn 2 next month. "She's just now able to tell me she misses daddy."
But the longest she has been away from him that she can remember is three days.
The family day and Jane Wayne Day offered spouses a way to get to know each other and get a glimpse of what their husbands do, said Col. Matthew Lopez, the unit's commanding officer.
"This will be the building block for the Key Volunteer network," Lopez told the families, referring to the network of volunteers that passes information to spouses during a deployment. "We asked you to come out here today not only to have fun and see what your husbands do on a daily basis ... but also to start building the camaraderie."
The event was held across the street from the unit's headquarters building and included a moon bounce, "sumo wrestling" and food.
Amanda Booth and her husband, Staff Sgt. Marcus Booth, also moved to Jacksonville earlier this year. The Booths previously lived in Cincinnati, where Staff Sgt. Booth served on inspector/instructor duty for the Marine Corps Reserve.
When Booth deployed from there, it was difficult because it was not a military community so no one really understood what Amanda Booth was going through, she said.
"I don't want a pity party," she said.
But she does want to know people who understand, so Amanda Booth was also hoping to meet other spouses in the unit Friday.
"Everybody's going through the same thing," she said. "Everybody understands."
Dana Gustin and her husband, Lance Cpl. Jare Gustin, are also new to 6th Marines. Dana Gustin said she does know a few people, but not as many as she'd like.
The first time Gustin deployed, Dana said she didn't know anything about the KV network or the support available. This time she knows there are many people available to ask questions, she said, although that "doesn't make it any easier."
The deployment will be the first for Stephanie Ragusa's husband, Lance Cpl. Matthew Ragusa, and Stephanie said she doesn't think she is prepared. But the event was a chance to at least meet some new people, she said.
6th Marine Regiment will leave early next year for a year-long deployment to Iraq's Anbar province. About 35 percent of the Marines will be doing their second Iraq deployment with the unit, but about 80 percent of the Marines have deployed to Iraq before, Lopez said.
Ellie