OT- Sgt Dau back from the 'Stan'

Got a call last nite.....youngest dau, buck sgt, got back from Afghanistan, thru Germany, Newfoundland, to Ft. Bragg, NC, ending her deployment that started last Sept. She"s a Stanford U double major, Psychology and Sociology, enlisted 47 months ago as a PFC, extended 2 years to make this deployment with her battle buddies cuz her ETS would be late May. She went to the E6 board in AFG, passed it, waiting to get a slot for Staff Sgt.

Married 19 months- they have had 3 months together....he did a tour in Qatar, Sept "11....he leaves again for AFG in May. Would fly into Bagram, where Jen is, but he could not see her..even for a day...his company deploys troops to their duty station....immediately. So both PsyOps companies talked....it"s not right......we can work this out for some time together- we"ll send Jen back early, and they can have 2 weeks together, state side!

Both are in PsyOps at Bragg, JFK Special Warfare Center, where I did the SF stuff in "65. They went thru jump school together at Benning- same towers that my brother trained on in "62, me in "65, my brother"s two sons later, Jen and Jon in "10, so she is the fifth paratrooper in our family, her hubby is #6. Dau and hubby also did Arabic language course together.

When Jen deployed last Sept.....I posted a msg about that, along with jump shots from C130s, other aircraft- typical jump shots....and so many YTMagers responded so well..........I printed out all of your pages of wonderful responses, support msgs, etc.....and sent them to her in AFG. She was so grateful of the support you showed her, and all others that are serving us and US! TU from my better half and I- Jim

Jim, something to be really proud of, very interesting accomplishments going back to your days in. As mentioned in previous posts if you recall going back some time yourself and my father have some similar army background.

Hi Jim,
I sure do appreciate people like you, and many of your family members, serving to protect and serve our country. You and your wife have every reason to be proud! Please tell your daughter and son-in-law "Thank You for serving" from me and my family.

Wonderful story Jim, especially your family history in the service is admirable!
My best wishes to your Daughter and SIL.
Thanks for sharing

JMS,
Glad they get a little bit of time together.

You should be very proud. Please thank your daughter and her husband for serving our country.

Also, thank you (and your brothers) for serving our country. Freedom is not free and I am thankful to all who have sacrificied for our freedom.

glad to hear she is OK, tell them both thanks for service to our great country

Thaanks for the update Jim,

Please give our regards to Sgt. Dau and to Mr. Dau. Our nation's future is dependent on men and women like them who are willing to sacrifice for the rest of us.

May the Lord richly bless them for their service.

Tom in TN
U.S. Navy 1962-1966

God Bless her and thank her for her service to our Country.

John T Father of a Marine who served in Iraq

Thank her and her husband from me for their service!!

I know that i was so glad when my son made it back!!

Tell your daughter Thanks!!! We need good people to protect us around the world. This deal in Boston should bring home to people that we are no way near safe in this world. There are many that would love for us to fall.

Also it is a good thing that your daughter and her husband got to spend some time together. I think the service is worse about that today than years ago. There are fewer soldiers so they get rotated back faster for longer tours.

I was in Vietnam for three and half years. I usually got 4-6 weeks each year to be home with the family. I could usually plan when I would get home too. Today it seems that the service is all top down driven. Those that lead do not listen very well to those that serve.

I will say this. Current leaders ruined any chance of success in Afghanistan by announcing we where leaving in X amount of time.

This "War/battle" with the nnalert is going to last a long time. It has its roots in the Crusades that started in 1095. So we are close to being at this for a thousand years. So some egg head in the White house is not going to solve this with a few speeches and some "royal" dictates. We have wasted anything good that might have come out of Afghanistan.

So I say just bring everyone home today. Let them fight it out among themselves. Then tell them that if even one hair of a US citizen is hurt we will level the whole country and MEAN IT!!! The peace that we had ,here in the USA, in the past was because of a knowledge of what would happen if we where harmed.

I remember being in Japan in the late 1960s. There looks of hate still but you could just about walk anywhere in uniform because the locals knew it they messed with one of us the MPs would destroy the whole neighborhood. Was it the PC correct way?? Heck NO, but it is the only way that will work.

So you tell that SIL to be safe and give that daughter a hug from this old man.

Thanks so much for the update on your daughter, you have to be very proud of her and rightfully so. And also thankyou for your familys service to our country, that is a awesome record of service.

Todays military is so underpaid for what we ask them to do, tour after tour with no end in sight. Takes a strong marriage to withstand that type of life in defense of our country. We all owe them a huge amount of thanks.

If any of you want to get an idea of going airborne there is a song/video "Blood On The Risers" look it up on google, neat video and song. Again thanks for your familys service to our country. Seper Fi.

Your comment about the current "leader" burns me to no end. What kind of commander tells the enemy when we are leaving? Just like Nam Christmas truces when you"re fighting heathens.

As a Ft Benning graduate myself (1971), I have an unspoken bond with all who have earned their jump wings there. In 1972, they first allowed women to take the 3 week course, too. They didn't water the trainng down at all, they probably thought the gals couldn't take the physical stress and would quit. Therefore I have extreme admiration for any woman who could complete that course. I have never met your daughter, but I already know a whole lot about her, and I bet you are extremely proud of her grit and perseverance. Thank her for her service.

Congrats. Sounds like all your hard work raising her and her own hard work has paid off.

Rick

My advice to her was what got me through in "65: They can kick me out for not passing the training, but I will never quit. She was one of 15 females in a class of 420.

I'm glad they got to spend some time together. Seems only right.
My thanks to her and all of your family.
Not just the ones who served, but those who held the home front too.

US Navy, Special Boats