I’ve heard the horror stories – the woeful tales of soldiers en route back home, only to be diverted and redirected to another deployment. I’ve heard of those who were nearing the end of their deployment, only to learn that their time was extended w/o a break to come home.

As bad as those scenarios sound, those stories always sounded far-off to me. Today, it hit too close to home. Today, the far-fetched doesn’t seem so unlikely.

When my husband first told me of the rumors that some folks were going home early from Iraq, we knew better than to get our hopes up – and especially not to tell the kids. I know of friends and friends of friends who’ve had soldiers return home early as part of the big “draw down” effort in Iraq, but until we knew something more concrete, we didn’t want to get our hopes up.

Well, apparently, even concrete shifts.

Part of me says that there’s nothing I can do about it, so it’s pointless to be mad, but another part of me is #)($&#* irritated that I dared to get my hopes up. I’m sad that we got the kids’ hopes up, too, and I’m going to have to be the one to let them down. I’m frustrated that we made reservations for a family vacation before school starts, and they are excited about going.

Sigh.

Why even tell the soldiers that they’re coming home, if the Army is going to tell them two days before they go to the airfield (he’s already been packing and has probably already sent some belongings home in the mail that he said wouldn’t fit in his bag) that they are being delayed indefinitely?

Oh, by the way – we were kidding about the going home early thing. Not only is your flight canceled this week, but you might not be going home early at all. Come to think of it, you might not even get to take your leave time that was originally scheduled for late August, anyway, because you are most likely (he says “high 90s” percentage chance) being relocated to Afghanistan for the remainder of your tour.

And people wonder why soldiers come home with PTSD, among myriad other behavioral health issues?!

Explain that one to me, Mr. Commander in Chief – is that how you plan to “draw down” forces in Iraq … by relocating them to #)($&@^%* Afghanistan?!?!?!?!?! What the heck is that all about?

*deep breath*

I could tell something was wrong in his voice. I actually thought someone had died, the way he spoke so solemnly. I don’t have the heart to tell the kids yet. I guess I’ll wait for another chunk of concrete to break off.