The other day, I posted a video of a tour of the FOB that my son, David was serving at during this deployment. He is no longer at FOB Grizzly. He's in Germany, in the hospital. I am glad that he's going to be okay. 

There are many joys in parenting.  Watching the first step.  Hearing the first word.  The first day of school,  graduation, and many others. One of the joys that is left out is finding out that your adult child has been injured in a combat zone.

My youngest son, David, enlisted in the Army shortly after 9/11. He is with the Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Ft. Lewis, Washington and has been in Iraq three times. In fact, until yesterday, he was on  his third tour, counting down the days to his mid-deployment leave.  Then, yesterday,  he was in a Stryker that rolled.

Now, Strykers are notoriously top heavy, but they are a very good, very efficient vehicle. They carry a 12 man Infantry team for rapid ground deployment. They are designed to work well in urban warfare situations, but they roll over very easily.

David broke his left femur in the roll over, so he’s no longer in Iraq, he’s in Germany, where he was airlifted to an Army hospital. He’s doing fine. I chatted with him for a few minutes online earlier today. He’s going to have to have his femur pinned, as it is a spiral fracture, but he will eventuall y heal completely.

I am very proud of David for his service to this country, even though I have never quite adapted to him being in harm’s way.  I wouldn’t have him go back in time and make any other choice. Watching him grow into the man that he is today has been truly rewarding, and very full of joy.  But the true joy of parenting is not finding out that your son is injured, it’s hearing him say that he’s doing well, and that he will be fine. He’s bruised. He’s a little broken, but his spirits are high, his smile (when he remembers how) is still there and he’s coming home as soon as the hospital lets him.