Dear, Field Problems:

My boyfriend and I just received a frantic call from his mother. She was told that a young woman (an Army spouse) from her church asked for thoughts and prayers for her husband and his National Guard unit [deployed to Iraq]. According to the wife, her husband said the commander told them there is a high risk of casualties in an upcoming mission, and everyone should call home prior to rolling out. Mom asked us, “Can’t they just ‘not go’”? I never heard of this happening and I didn’t know what to say. What should we tell her?

Julie; Lansing, MI; National Guard girlfriend

Dear, Field Problems:

My husband and I were just married. This is our first deployment. I don’t really know what to expect. There is tons of information and a lot that I don’t understand. My biggest question is how are you able to talk to them when they are deployed? How long do you go without hearing from your service  member?

Amber; Fort Bragg, NC; Army spouse

Dear, Field Problems:

I am hoping that someone in your organization can help me. My son is part of a Boy Scout pack in San Jose, California. Our next pack meeting is going to be centered on learning about America, patriotism, and supporting the service members who fight for our freedoms. We wanted to do something to help out some of the active duty troops. I looked at some websites, but they are kind of confusing. I can’t find the information that I need. Basically, we want the boys to write letters to the troops and bring donations for care packages that we will send to active duty troops. I was hoping that someone could point me in the right direction.  Any guidance you can provide would be so very appreciated.

Arlen, Boy Scout pack parent, non-military