Father, Son Deploy Together to Afghanistan
(March 9, 2011) |
|
|
Army Staff Sgt. Steven Kemper and Spc. James Kemper, father and son, meet up at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan for a little family time. Steven, a multi-channel transmission systems operator-maintainer with Alpha Company, 151st Expeditionary Signal Battalion, which falls under the 307th ESB's command, is stationed in northern Afghanistan. James, a parachute rigger with the 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, is located at Bagram Air Field in central Afghanistan. Courtesy Photo -
10/17/2010 |
|
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (3/7/2011) - As
thousands of soldiers deploy to Afghanistan,
thousands of family members are left in the
states to bear the burden of that freedom.
Whether their deploying soldier is a spouse,
child or sibling, the demand on the family can
be stressful. When both the husband and the son
deploy together, the weight on that family is a
lot higher, and more personal.
However,
for the father and son who are deploying
together, it is a completely opposite feeling of
excitement and relief, said Coleman, Fla.,
resident Army Staff Sgt. Steven Kemper, a
multi-channel transmission systems
operator-maintainer with Alpha Company, 151st
Expeditionary Signal Battalion, which falls
under the 307th ESB's command in northern
Afghanistan. “Knowing where [my son] is at is
better than hearing things on the news.”
For the Orlando, Fla., resident son, Army
Spc. James Kemper, a parachute rigger with the
3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, which
is located at Bagram Air Field in central
Afghanistan, having his dad around on deployment
is a huge plus. “It is a great time to spend
with just dad,” said James. “It will make for
good stories to tell the kids, and I kind of get
to keep an eye on him.”
Though Steven
and James, who are both part of the Florida
National Guard, are not located at the same base
in Afghanistan, they have found time to visit
with each other when passing through each
other's location on missions. In those short
visits they got to know each other's jobs and
comrades more, said Steven. “I like seeing where
he is at, and most of the guys he is with.”
When the deployment first appeared on the
radar for the family, the father and son tried
to deploy with the same unit. “I wanted him to
come with us so I could protect him,” said the
Special Forces son. And, with a big smile and
glance over at dad, he added, “You can always
learn something from the old guys too.” |
|
Age doesn't stop a good soldier from serving, said Steven.
“I am as old as my equipment, and we are both going out.”
However, he admitted that he was ready to hang up the boots,
but wanted to deploy with his son James. He's the reason I
am still here, he said. “I would have retired already.”
Knowing that her husband, Steven, could have been home
enjoying retirement instead of living in the rough terrain
of northern Afghanistan, has given Kimberly Kemper mixed
feelings, she said. “I worry a bit... but, it's always nicer
when my husband is with one of the boys. I feel that way,
they are not so alone.”
Kimberly's calm comes from
experience. This is not the first time she has been through
this situation. In 2008, Steven's first deployment crossed
paths with his other son's deployment as well. It may have
been a different scene, Iraq, and a different son, Randy,
but the benefits were all the same for the men.
Nevertheless, experience does not make the fact that both
husband and son are both in a combat zone. “I really believe
that the hardest job is truly the wife at home, but it goes
by quickly and soon everyone will be home safely,” said
Kimberly.
James' wife, Kameron Kemper, agrees that
being at home, on the waiting end, is not an easy task. “It
gets really hard being both mom and dad, and being
responsible for every choice made, but I know that he'd give
anything to be home and help, so that's what keeps me
going.” With both husband and father-in-law's absence taking
a toll on the family, there are still some good outcomes,
said Kameron. “Even though I know they are not near each
other, I feel like James having his father there, keeps him
safe.” The comfort the men are able to provide for each
other makes having them both gone a bit easier to handle,
said Kameron. “It makes it a little easier on him to be able
to have someone so close to him who is going through the
same things.”
And with both of their husbands gone,
the two women have had to rely on each other for support as
well, said Kameron. “Kim is the one person close to me who
actually gets what I'm going through.”
With two
completely different roles in the war, the father and son
have had a chance to learn a little more about what the
other does, and just how it all fits into the progress in
Afghanistan. “I don't know too much about signal,” said
James, the parachute rigger. “But, our guys are sure glad
they can talk to us. So, I'm sure glad I have my dad. He
knows what he is doing.”
As part of the signal task
force that provides communication networks across the entire
country, Steven knows how critical his mission is. “Without
signal, no one goes anywhere.”
Of course, the
Special Forces Soldier has to give his dad a hard time once
and a while, said Steven. “He still calls me a leg.”
As a rigger, James is actually at the base more now than
in his 2006 deployment; and he said he is okay with that. “I
wanted to be a Fobbit [Forward Operating Base resident] now.
I did all my cool guy stuff in Iraq.”
Embracing his
new-found Fobbit role is just fine for the Special Forces
soldier since he knows his job of rigging shipments of
everything from food to tanks, is keeping his comrades in
the fight. “If they are asking for it, then they NEED it,”
said James. His experienced father nodded and agreed, “If
you can't get the stuff, you can't fight.”
And if
there were no communication assets, we wouldn't even know
what our soldiers out there need, said James. “All and all,
we are all in the same fight.”
Kameron only hopes
that the fight her family is so much a part of will not
carry over to her and James' 4-year-old son, Tate, who they
describe as a “future soldier.” “Having my husband gone is
nearly unbearable. I couldn't imagine my baby being
deployed... but if it happens, I think I would feel better
about his father being deployed with him,” just like Steven
is there for James. |
By Army Capt. Michelle Lunato
359th Signal Brigade
Copyright 2011 | |
Provided
through DVIDS
Comment on this article |
|
