I've been glued to my computer off and on all day...and my hands shake as I write this. As Meteor Blades said- when will we ever learn. Only when it becomes personal. This is so personal to me.
I don't feel it's appropriate to describe any specifics other than to say someone close is serving there. Another family member is closer than I am and I am significant support to them for this year long deployment from the Lewis-McChord base.
I will say I never have supported these wars. I've never been connected with the army or army life so this has been a real learning experience for me. I was support for my family member during a previous deployment to Iraq. That was a cake walk compared to the strain of this one. Everyone knew that one was coming for a year. Not so this one. Many of the soldiers that left for this one have new babies - new from the return of the soldiers from Iraq. (I've been watching one of those new babies growing without one of her parents during this second year of her life and I feel that absence keenly)
Today (and even as I write this) we have been talking about how this could happen. The things we know that are just not right about it. The fears we have and the sickening feeling we have had all day. I saw the diary that the military wife wrote earlier and was glad that she spoke up. I read Meteor Blades and was glad he wrote it and shared the Independent piece.
But it's been a strange day because I know this is a disaster for so many people and I think about the terrible pain the Afghans are feeling. I think about this soldier and his family- seems to me worse than if he had died. I think about all the families that have no contact with their soldier. If they have been fortunate to have fairly regular contact, they are now blacked out- it has been a day in darkness.
Disasters happen every day but this feels so different. This is a tragedy that has continued for a decade. So much suffering. But it seems that so many people are numbed to this- I recognize that state. I know it too well. Seeing it all from this side...it's so different.