PAGE: LOCAL NEWS
Douty family waits
By (February 21, 2007)
By Tonia Goertz
Bob Douty and his wife Mieko have three sons in Iraq, and yet the hardest part so far about having children deployed for Bob has been, “The extension. We knew that they would be home in March, and it has been physically and mentally hard for us to put our plans on hold.”
Bob is a veteran who served 8.5 years in the active duty Army and retired after 22 years in the National Guard. He said that he and his wife, a veteran also, “felt mentally prepared to handle the deployment” said, “We are thankful that the boys are relatively safe, and we don’t question our leaders, but this has been really hard.”
Of the Douty boys, Jeff the oldest, Joe is the middle son, and Brian is the youngest. Jeff and Joe are stationed together with a civilian affairs unit, and Brian is the Executive Officer of an artillery unit providing security in a different area. Jeff and Joe are both married and have two children each. Jeff has a six-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter, Joe’s children are both girls ages five and two.
Bob and his family are trying to cope with the change in the return date by “getting back into the routines we have had. Once March comes and goes, it will be easier, a fresh start with four more months to wait,” he said.
Bob is also waiting for that time because Joe is involved with the family business and he explained, “There is a hole in the staff where he should be. A lot of employers are holding jobs for those deployed”
Joe’s wife Alison explained, “The hardest part about the deployment is being a single parent and trying to be both mom and dad to the girls.” Continuing she said, “Trying to explain to the four year old why dad isn’t home and why he can’t be here is hard. She just doesn’t understand.”
Alison feels fortunate though because, “We talk almost daily through the computer. It makes it some better for the girls, and we are fortunate because not every family is as lucky as we are to have this access.”
Even with the daily access, it has been hard. As a couple, Alison and Joe used to spend time at the end of the day “sharing our day with each other. You don’t realize how much you miss it until it’s not there,” she said.
Alison recommends to all the family members of deployed troops that if you haven’t yet, “find a support system. Even with the almost daily contact, I still rely heavily on family and friends to get me through.”
As the Douty family waits for the return of Jeff, Joe, and Brian, Bob explains that they are all “very grateful that the community is constantly thinking about and asking about the boys. We know we are not alone in this, and we know it won’t be long and we will once again be getting ready for their return. We hope that all of the members return home safely to their families as soon as possible.”
Bob Douty and his wife Mieko have three sons in Iraq, and yet the hardest part so far about having children deployed for Bob has been, “The extension. We knew that they would be home in March, and it has been physically and mentally hard for us to put our plans on hold.”
Bob is a veteran who served 8.5 years in the active duty Army and retired after 22 years in the National Guard. He said that he and his wife, a veteran also, “felt mentally prepared to handle the deployment” said, “We are thankful that the boys are relatively safe, and we don’t question our leaders, but this has been really hard.”
Of the Douty boys, Jeff the oldest, Joe is the middle son, and Brian is the youngest. Jeff and Joe are stationed together with a civilian affairs unit, and Brian is the Executive Officer of an artillery unit providing security in a different area. Jeff and Joe are both married and have two children each. Jeff has a six-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter, Joe’s children are both girls ages five and two.
Bob and his family are trying to cope with the change in the return date by “getting back into the routines we have had. Once March comes and goes, it will be easier, a fresh start with four more months to wait,” he said.
Bob is also waiting for that time because Joe is involved with the family business and he explained, “There is a hole in the staff where he should be. A lot of employers are holding jobs for those deployed”
Joe’s wife Alison explained, “The hardest part about the deployment is being a single parent and trying to be both mom and dad to the girls.” Continuing she said, “Trying to explain to the four year old why dad isn’t home and why he can’t be here is hard. She just doesn’t understand.”
Alison feels fortunate though because, “We talk almost daily through the computer. It makes it some better for the girls, and we are fortunate because not every family is as lucky as we are to have this access.”
Even with the daily access, it has been hard. As a couple, Alison and Joe used to spend time at the end of the day “sharing our day with each other. You don’t realize how much you miss it until it’s not there,” she said.
Alison recommends to all the family members of deployed troops that if you haven’t yet, “find a support system. Even with the almost daily contact, I still rely heavily on family and friends to get me through.”
As the Douty family waits for the return of Jeff, Joe, and Brian, Bob explains that they are all “very grateful that the community is constantly thinking about and asking about the boys. We know we are not alone in this, and we know it won’t be long and we will once again be getting ready for their return. We hope that all of the members return home safely to their families as soon as possible.”