National Guard family separated again, but this time it's easier
4:23 p.m. Tuesday, September 2, 2008
"I know that he's going to be safe, safer, than being in a war zone," Angela Smith says as she was talking about her husband leaving for Louisiana with the 2nd Battalion 137th Infantry Division.
Smith is used to deployment, but is relieved that this time, the orders her husband, Shaun, received will keep him here in the United States, and not off to Iraq.
"It's kind of the call of duty when you're in the National Guard, you go anywhere at anytime," she said.
She said with a smile, that's she's proud he serves his country. "Just very proud that he does what he does and can help other people."
Whether it's in Iraq or Louisiana, she's knows the troops will make a difference.
"If having soldiers from all over the United States will help them to feel safer, than I'm for that. I think it's a good thing," Smith said.
But the hard part: "Having him gone, and being here, and having the other half of raising the kids," Smith said.
She says watching video of Gustav reminded her of Hurricane Katrina.
"I got kind of scared for them, that they we're going to have to go through this again."
She knows the demands of her husband's job, but this time the orders were a little different.
There's a disadvantage to getting this assignment, not much notice. Usually when Shaun gets deployed he has a few weeks, or months to prepare, but this time he only had one day.
"They went down last night, and then after that they came back at midnight and then had to be back at 6 in the morning," she said. "The kids were sleeping this morning when he left, so he told me to tell them he loved them and he'd call."
Smith isn't sure how long her husband will be gone, but she is worried that two tropical storms, Hanna and Ike, might prolong their orders down South.
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