LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
In one of his first messages since arriving at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, during the final months of the U.S. military drawdown, Tech. Sgt. Collin Jones asked his wife, Staff Sgt. Aundrea Jones for one thing.
Send soap.
Looking back, both Airmen, who work for the 1st Operations Support Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va., laugh at the request. When Tech. Sgt. Jones arrived in country, he discovered the shop on base was sold out of soap - a useful commodity when dealing with the environmental conditions of Iraq. But, he said his problems paled in comparison to the challenges his wife was facing back home.
"This deployment was a little more difficult," Staff Sgt. Jones said. "We had just had a baby."
The transition was also initially difficult for their other children.
"In the beginning they were really upset," she said. "But they are military kids - so they got used to it after a while."
Staff Sgt. Jones attributed some of the adjustment to a program her children utilize at their school. During lunch, children of deployed Service members will gather together with a teacher or counselor and discuss how they are coping with the deployment. They will also find support in the program, as well as with other students who are experiencing a similar situation in their lives. However, even though the children were able to adapt to the deployment, Tech. Sgt. Jones said he still felt the weight of the distance from his family, during every significant life event.
"It was frustrating," he said. "Not being able to see all the firsts from my new baby."
The Jones' both said they had to set a routine in order to ensure both they and their children maintained stability during such an unstable time.
"I had to set a schedule, because every day was hectic," said Staff. Sgt. Jones. "Every day I would set aside time to talk to my kids, and see how they were coping."
She said her husband made sure to call at the same time every week. Those calls always came Sunday evening, which led to the Jones' implementing a family dinner - which is still in effect. And while Tech. Sgt. Jones did have to leave his family for six months, he is the first to admit that his wife had the more difficult job.
"I had a job to do over there," he said. "But, afterwards I had time to myself. I didn't have accountability to my family over there."
Tech. Sgt. Jones said while he could wake up, go to work, eat, study and go to the gym like clockwork, every day, his wife had to do all of those things in addition to being a full-time mother. However, he also said he would trade all the nights he got a full eight hours of sleep, for time back with his family.
"Losing sleep is a small price to pay when you're with your family again," he said.
Staff Sgt. Jones smiled and agreed with her husband.
"Since the deployment he has spent a lot more time with the family," she said. "I think being so far away actually brought him closer to us."
The Jones' have both deployed twice during their careers in the U.S. Air Force, so even though the experience was nothing new, the challenges kept both parents on their toes.
"The hardest thing for me was the questions from my kids," Staff Sgt. Jones said. "They would see a story on the news about dangerous things happening in Iraq and wonder if he was safe."
Thankfully, Staff Sgt. Jones was able to devote the time to addressing those questions because of the planning she and her husband did prior to his deployment. They made sure the power of attorney letter was complete, their finances were in order, and their work centers and first sergeant knew how to contact them. These steps helped bring the "worry factor" to a minimum. The Jones' both encourage Airmen tasked for a deployment to take the time to ensure their family situation is covered; it helps avoid the dread some families feel when a deployment order is generated.
"I don't dread deployments," Staff Sgt. Jones said. "I'm military - it's my duty to deploy. I know it happens. When a deployment comes down, I automatically know I have to get everything set up, both for myself and my family."
With the preparations made and the home front in good hands, Tech. Sgt. Jones was able to deploy with confidence that his family was taken care of. He discovered he didn't miss the creature comforts of America. He didn't need television, ice cream, video games or movies.
"When I was over there the only thing I needed was my wife and family," he said, with a smile and a pause. "And soap."