Dear Family and Friends, Monday, 13
February, 2006

Happy Valentines Day! As many of you know, I have been back in country for
about a week and a half. Obviously that means I made it back in time to
watch the Super Bowl with my buddies here on the FOB. It was a good thing I
made it back too because their faith wavered and they needed the chaps to
put on his official United States Army Stole, which just happens to be.Black
and Gold! Clearly the Steelers sensed that spiritual power and pushed
forward for the big win. It was a great morale booster for our Task Force
since most of our units are from Western Pennsylvania. In fact, I had to
laugh the afternoon I arrived back at the FOB because our flag pole, which
normally flies the American Flag with the Pennsylvania Flag beneath it, was
flying Old Glory above a Steelers' flag snapping in the dry Middle Eastern
wind. You also may be interested to know that the game did not air until
two o'clock in the morning our time so almost everyone pulled an all
nighter. Furthermore, the military does not permit civilian commercials to be broadcast here so we missed all the traditionally funny commercials and were forced instead towatch pretty bad military ones until our good friend Dwight began to
entertain us during the commercial breaks. God bless him and Pat, who was
the only other true believer (besides me) to never lose faith during the
game.
I am not sure how to articulate what it was like being home. Words simply
fail me. It was certainly a study in contradictions. Of course, I hated
the reason for my premature return. I can think of few reasons that would
be worse but I loved Mike with all my heart and wanted to keep my promise to
him. It was very difficult doing the funeral and keeping my emotions in
check. I needed to be the rock for a lot of people and yet I also wanted to
simply grieve in my own private way which had to be put on hold. It was
utterly fantastic, however, to see so many friends, to really look them in
the eye, to hug them and to share our favorite Mac stories and pictures. I
must tell you, for all the crying we did, we also did as much, if not more
laughing.
And I guess that would summarize what it was like to be home.crying and
laughing, relief and worry, change and constant, peace and still.the war.
I felt the dichotomy that so many soldiers have described after returning
from leave. We all want to go home. We want to resume our normal lives but
as soon as I was home, I was on the internet searching for even the smallest
crumbs of information about what was going on back here. I hated being
outside the normal information channels. I worried each and every day for
the soldiers from whom I was separated. I wanted to know what was going on
but had no militarily approved secure means of finding out. It killed me
and as I said, I hated it. I don't know how distracted I was with events
back here when I was home, but Jodi was patient and supportive the entire
leave. It takes a very special type of person to be a military spouse and
fortunately God lead me to a terrific one.
Time with the children was magical but far too brief. The older two and I
had a couple of deep serious conversations and little one taught his dad a
thing or two about video games. They had all grown physically but less
actually than I anticipated. I guess the place where I saw their greatest
growth was intellectually and emotionally. I could not be more proud of
them and how well they have handled their father's deployment. All three of
them got straight As this marking period and that, of course, makes a
father's chest swell with pride too.
Seeing you was wonderful but I apologize if I was distracted or not fully
present. The heart and the mind are curious organs. They can be easily
divided. While we are here, we are constantly thinking of home and you. We
long to see you and embrace you. Holding you is never long enough. And
yet, when granted the opportunity to travel home, our minds never leave this
place, our hearts never let go of our fellow soldiers. We are knit together
by an unseen angel and nothing it would seem, can cut or loosen those cords
which bind us one to another.

The same is true for the heart strings which tie us to you.

So for a few more short months, we shall be separated physically. But this
physical separation in no way represents the emotional closeness we feel for
you our cherished friends and families. We must continue to focus on our
mission here but please know, with each and every passing day, as we draw
closer to coming home physically, we also draw closer to you. It is an
invisible bond which we feel and experience but one which we hope to make
perfectly clear to you upon our return.

While I was gone, many of you continued to send us much needed Class Six
items as the Army calls them. Thank you. Without your perseverance we
would enjoy fewer blessings here. So our gratitude is extended to the 128th
FSB, Allegheny County Veterans Affairs, Amy Hawley, Arlene Stout, Saginaw
Armory of B Co 1/125th IN, Walter Barsonek, Bernie and Kathy Hintzke, Mary
Berrier, Bethel Presbyterian Church, Lauri Beyer, David Blue, Bonnie
Phillippi, Jan Bowman, Carol Golosky, Carolyn Muglia, Central Presbyterian
Church, Sharon Collinson, Deborah Gates, Deborah Vogt, Dorothy and John
Tierney, Frank Kelley, the Fardulis family, Marcia Fish, Jo Fox, G. Graney,
Planche Hansen, David Hartsell, Heather McCullough, Peg Hefti, Ilene Zelkin,
Jan McHenry (who seems to be determined to single handedly supply our TF
with lots of goodies), Jack Porter, Jane Sawick, Jennifer Miller, Ms. Post
Office aka Judy Volpatti, Karolle Blackson, Kimberly Kester, Linda Darner,
Donald Logan, Mary Hamfeld
t, Janet Josenhans, LTC Roberta Luba (who incidentally did a great job for
the McLaughlin family as their casualty assistance officer), Bettty L.
McKee, MITAG PAO, Particia Lew, Paula Ehrich, Lynne Plaxton, Jo-Anne Raskin,
Red Hat Society, Lacucina Restaurant, Matthew Rifkin, Rachel Murphy, Rob
James, Hazel Rugh, Karen Rumin, Suzan Hartsell, Scared Heart Women's Guild,
Saint Patrick's Church, Sandy Lackey, Linda Saverino, SFC Smothers, Thelma
Shafer, Denise Snavely, Southeastern Veterans Center, The Saints of the St.
Rachael Parish, Mary Theobald, Thomas Caldwell, Stacey Thompson, Tina
Jent-Fodor, United Methodist Church, Cindy Vanderwall (the best secretary a
preacher could ever have), Bernadette Vanollefen, Pat Waldvogel, Walker
Financial Partners, Letha Weese, David Wood, Woodland Hills Church, Mary
Ellen Wooten, Joseph Worden, World Kitchen and Jack Zeiders.

I am also attaching two pictures for your review. The first is the flagpole
at our FOB and the secondis our fair city back home. Thank you for all you
do for us. May God bless you and our American soldiers, sailors, airmen and
marines. You're in my heart America, and I shall always be,

Faithfully Yours,

Chaplain(MAJ-P)Douglas A. Etter
HHC 1-110 IN, 2/28 BCT
Camp Habbaniyah
APO, AE 09381