This afternoon I received an email from my husband’s battalion regarding a fallen angel. My eyes welled up with tears and I had to immediately get off the phone with a co-worker. I realize this is a reality of war, but nothing hits home more than someone from Mike’s battalion losing their life for our country with only a little more than a month into the deployment. I immediately began thinking of his family that I will continue to keep in my thoughts and payers.

I was totally taken by surprise because I didn’t realize the Marine Corps would make announcements like this over the mass communication tool – the battalion’s way of disseminating information to the families.

Until the new family readiness process was put in place – which was about a year or so ago – we basically received information from “key volunteers” who were suppose to disseminate the information from the lead volunteer who communicated directly with the battalion command. It is possible that prior to the new family readiness program – which included the mass communication tool – the Marine Corps didn’t have a protocol for announcing this information besides to the immediately family.

Or it could be that we never had to deal with this news from past deployments. Either way, it puts a pit in my stomach and makes the deployment road seem very long and winding.

It made me quickly realize that the casualty and wounded numbers you read in media stories are more than just numbers. They are men and women who were counting down the days until deployment was over and making plans for their careers and families. These are real men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

We will never forget their sacrifice, especially one of our very own.