Relatives support deployments together

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Josh Moshier
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  Servicemembers often cite missing family as one of the main hardships of deployments.

For at least three sets of family members at Balad Air Base, missing family might not be quite as difficult for the duration of this Air Expeditionary Force rotation.

Staff Sgt. Coy Hixson, 732nd Expeditionary Mission Support Group postal worker, deployed here in October from Royal Air Force Alconbury, England. That meant he would reunite with his mother, Angella Smith, a Kellogg Brown & Root tool-room attendant, who's been deployed here since September 2004.

"I was very excited," Sergeant Hixson said. "I volunteered for this assignment to be close to my mother. It had been five or six months since I'd last seen her. I got here on a Thursday, and we met up that Sunday."

Despite some initial apprehension, Ms. Smith was equally excited.

"It's been motivational for me," she said. "When he was about to come, I was scared for him. But when I saw him, I was happy he was here. Now we watch out for each other."

Having his mother close by means having someone to share the Iraq experience with, Sergeant Hixson said.

"It doesn't matter if I have a bad day or a good day at work," he said. "I have a shoulder to lean on or someone to be happy with me."

According to both Sergeant Hixson and Ms. Smith, the best part of each day is when they get together for lunch and talk about family. Spending Thanksgiving together was an extra special treat for the two.

"This is the first Thanksgiving we've spent together in six years," Ms. Smith said. "Not too many mommas get to have Thanksgiving with their son in a war zone. I wouldn't miss it."

Lieutenant Col. Russ Limke, 332nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron operations officer, and his son, Senior Airman Andrew Limke, 332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, are not only deployed together as Air National Guardsmen from Joe Foss Field, Sioux Falls, S.D., but they also work together. Airman Limke is responsible for the take-off and recovery of F-16s, which means he occasionally has the privilege of getting his father off the ground or taxiing him in from a completed mission.

"I can't be more proud of my son for enlisting," said Colonel Limke. "He turned out to be a damn fine F-16 crew chief. I'll take his jet into combat any day."

According to Colonel Limke, because of the busy schedules their squadrons operate under, time spent together is limited.

"We've only seen each other a few times," he said. "It's mostly at work for a few minutes. We did get to go to lunch one time. However, we have planned a meeting time and place so maybe we can share a meal on Thanksgiving."

In some ways, this deployment has made Balad an extension of South Dakota for the Limkes.

"We talk about whatever comes to mind," Colonel Limke said. "The conversations aren't unlike home; the scenery is just a little different here."

The Sisson family of South Dakota has taken family service to Balad one step further. Senior Master Sgt. Dain Sisson, 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group quality assurance inspector; Staff Sgt. Justin Sisson, 332nd EAMXS crew chief; and Senior Airman Jill Sisson, 332nd EAMXS weapons loader; are all currently deployed here from Joe Foss Field. Senior Master Sergeant Sisson is Staff Sergeant and Airman Sisson's father.

"I think we're pretty lucky being here with two family members," Airman Sisson said.
Her brother agreed.

"It has to be a lot tougher being here without family than it is with us being here together," he said.

Unfortunately, although they work within yards of one another, there isn't much time to spend together.

"They have their own schedules," the senior Sisson said. "The time we do get to see each other are five or 10 minutes here and there or occasionally to have lunch together."

Despite having one another to spend the holiday season with, the family doesn't hesitate to remember relatives from home.

"Mom doesn't show much emotion, but she worries," Staff Sergeant Sisson said. "She likes to hear from us a lot."

These three families are a sampling of several deployed to Balad. They all share a bond of service to country, and because of that service, they'll have the opportunity to spend this holiday season with not only their Air Force family, but loved ones as well.