REGULATORS MOUNT UP: Let the Coming Home Countdown Begin!

Hard to believe, one week ago today I was in Twentynine Palms, CA seeing off the Marines of 3/7. It was definitely a bittersweet goodbye – sad to see Chris go, but happy because the sooner he got on that bus, the sooner it meant he would be coming home!

As with their tour to Iraq last year, 3/7 will be in Afghanistan for approximately 7 months. A week ago today, the coming home countdown began as they left CA and flew to Maine then on to Kyrgyzstan where they waited on standby for a flight to Afghanistan. They left sometime on Thursday for Afghanistan.

This was my first “going away” experience - last year when Chris left I was not there to see him get on the bus (last year we said our goodbyes after he left visiting me in DC). So the battalion going away experience was a new experience for me, but one that I feel privileged and thankful to have been a part of!

Last Sunday was an early morning as we got to base for 3/7s formation at 7:30am PST. Organizing (I honestly don’t know how many) a couple hundred Marines and their gear was quite the site to see, but actually and not surprisingly a fairly smooth process (from where I was standing anyway, hahaha). Once we dropped off Chris’ three HUGE and HEAVY bags of gear, we went to the armory so he could check out his weapons. NOTE: Yes, I do have a military id now, but no, sadly, that does not grant me access to the armory – hahahaha – I know, I was disappointed too – hahaha). Once Chris got his pistol and his M4, he checked them in with the rest of his gear because, “Marines were not to hang out with their families and their weapons” hahahahaha – I can’t imagine WHY!

NOTE: I find it quite hysterical – once they get their rifles they become the Marines responsibility and naturally they take their weapons just about everywhere, including on the plane (unloaded of course). I can just imagine the flight attendant, “gentleman please make sure your automatic weapons are secured either in the overhead bins or securely underneath the seat in front of you.” HAHAHA

At about 11:30am it was time to say goodbye =(. Normally, (from what I am told anyway) you say goodbye, but then have another opportunity to say goodbye as they get on the bus. Sadly, this goodbye was, goodbye – after that we could only watch from afar because they would be getting their immunization shots and would not be allowed to have contact again – they could possibly be contagious with whatever the heck they were immunized for (small pox, anthrax, etc etc etc).

So for a good hour – hour and half I watched with other friends and family members of the Marines, from a far. Of course it was sad, but it was also pretty cool. To see a couple hundred Marines all gathered in formation, as they get ready to go off to war is a pretty bad ass sight (excuse my language, but in my opinion no other way to say it). All I could think, (for those of you familiar with the rapper Warren G) was, “REGULATORS – MOUNT UP!” Hahaha.

Now, here I sit, one week later still not quite sure it’s all-sunken in yet – within one week, I became a Marine Corps wife and my husband and his fellow Marines went off to war... pretty hardy stuff, but  yet, I would not have it any other way.

Chris and the Marines of 3/7, there are no words to describe how proud I am that I got to be there to see you all off and I can’t wait to be there again to see you all come home. October will be here before we know it! I know you hear it often, but I don’t think it can be said too much, thank you for what you do. You truly are The Few, The Proud.

Tick tock on down coming home clock!