Navy Expeditionary Combat Command

EnlistedProgramsIA DevelopmentOne Sailor’s ViewYNCS Ralph H. Hensley III, USNNational VP for Enlisted ProgramsI’m taking this month off to recoverfrom the spring conference and continueworking through A Course in Miracles.Marianne Williams’ A Course in Miraclesis helping me realize my spiritual beingas I venture into my second puberty.The course is free on Oprah’s site:http://www2.oprah.com/xm/mwilliamson/mwilliamson_acim.jhtml?promocode=XMHP.May God continue blessing Sailorsdeployed in harm’s way and their families.This month, AO2 Jason Gaver will tellof his IA deployment in February 2007supporting NAVELSG’s cargo handlingmission. He can be reached atjason.c.gaver@hotmail.com. He servedwith VFA-27 before transitioning to theNavy Reserve. Here’s AO2:On 26 February 2007, Ireceived IA orders.While this was the bestand worst day of myNavy Reserve career, Iwas honored to make acontribution to GWOT and apprehensiveabout what lay ahead.Since transitioning, I had settled into acomfortable civilian life, started college,and met and proposed to my future wife.We settled into our life together.With the looming deployment and aftermuch discussion, my fiancée and I marriedbefore I deployed. We exchanged our vows26 NRA NEWS/APRIL 2008before a small group of family and friends.Marriage added a new stressful element tomy predeployment planning.Reporting for duty in Virginia helpedease the transition back to active duty.Each passing day was an incremental steptoward being fully trained and preparedfor deployment. My days were filled withmedical and dental screenings, securitybriefings, reviewing my legal readiness, andforming relationships with my shipmates.During our processing and trainingperiod, our roles and responsibilitiesbecame clear. I was assigned to the armoryresponsible for training in small armspractices, procedures, and qualifications.However, my wife and I were communicatingevery day which eased the difficultyof being apart. My wife was not accustomedto being a military spouse. Being apartwas disconcerting.Kuwait was unlike anything I had everexperienced. I had been told how hot it is,but I didn’t fully understand until I had tolive in 130 degree heat.In Kuwait, I was a duty armorer. With 12other Sailors, I was responsible for twoarmories. We stood watch 12 hours on, 12hours off. Liberty was every three dutydays, which was useless since we couldn’tleave base unless on official duty. Sincewe were in the desert, the only thing to dowas an MWR shopping trip to Kuwait City.Living conditions were not bad if one issuited to open-bay barracks which wereprefabricated, concrete and steel buildingshousing up to 60 people. The gym facilitieswere outstanding. They had every piece ofequipment one could want.The Army dining facility, aka DFAC,provided good food and plenty of it. All ofour basic needs were met.While in Kuwait, staying in contact withmy wife and family was a chore. Mailingletters was free. The best way to stay intouch with my family was through e-mailand phone calls. All phones were satellitelinked and could lose their connection atany time. The e-mail had a pretty steadyconnection, but it was no substitute forhearing my wife’s voice.As newlyweds, the lack of communicationput a strain on our relationship.Communication is important to anyrelationship, especially newlyweds. I wasalways concerned how my wife was doingat home by herself.The hardest thing about being an IASailor was the lack of support my wifereceived. Prior to departing Norfolk, theFleet and Family Services representativetook our family information and promisedto mail a family survival guide abouthow best to cope with a loved one’sdeployment. My wife received her packetabout two weeks after I landed in Kuwait.Newly married, she had never beforeexperienced a deployment.My deployment was very stressful onboth of us and strained our marriage.Three weeks before I returned, my wifereceived one phone call asking if sheneeded assistance. The Navy should havea better system in place to ensure spousesleft behind have better support systems.After completing my tour, coming homeand readjusting was difficult. NMPSprocessing took four days, and I was backhome. My daily routine for the last nineCont’d. next page