Soldier Shows Appreciation for Spouse's Support
(May 7, 2010) |
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With Military Spouse Appreciation Day approaching,
Army Sgt. 1st Class Helen Foster reflects on her husband's efforts
back home during her deployment to Contingency Operating Base
Speicher, Iraq. |
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CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq, May 5, 2010 When soldiers are deployed, their spouses can be challenged
to face new tasks they haven't handled in the past, such as
taking care of children and the household alone.
Since President Ronald Reagan designated the Friday before
Mother's Day as Military Spouse Appreciation Day in 1984,
the nation has acknowledged the value of what often can seem
to be a thankless role.
The importance of her husband's support isn't lost on Army
Sgt. 1st Class Helen Foster, human resources noncommissioned
officer in charge for the 3rd Infantry Division's Special
Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort
Stewart, Ga. |
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Now deployed here, Foster reflected on her family back home
in Apple Valley, Minn., as this year's May 7 observance of
Military Spouse Appreciation Day approaches.
Her husband of 20 years, David Foster, has taken on many new
responsibilities, Foster said, and she makes a conscious
effort to communicate with him whenever possible to thank
him for his hard work.
“He always wants me to call, e-mail or Skype with him,” she
said. “At the beginning part of the deployment, I was having
a hard time doing that, only because I was wrapped up in
work. I am getting a little bit better at [communicating],
and I always thank him for what a great job he has been
doing. I talk to him about three times a week on the phone,
[on] Skype two times a week, and I am trying to e-mail him
every day [to show my appreciation].”
Showing appreciation almost certainly helps spouses as they
take on all the daily household tasks on their own.
David Foster is keeping things in order back home with the
couple's daughters -- Kayla, 11, and Elisabeth, 18 -- while
his wife is deployed to Iraq. This is the first time she has
been away from her family for an extended period of time,
the sergeant said, and her husband has had to learn some new
techniques to manage the increased reasonability.
David Foster described the key to success in one word:
“Priorities.”
“I have to manage it all alone,” he said, and I keep it all
smooth [by] setting priorities.”
Neighbors Becky and Marty Bonnell have helped to alleviate
some of the stress of dealing with the responsibilities
alone, he added, by occasionally taking the girls to the
movies or doing “mother-daughter” types of activities with
them in Sergeant Foster's absence.
Balancing children, maintaining a full-time job as a
warehouse supervisor, cooking dinner, and making time for
his wife already consumed him on a normal day, David Foster
said. Now, he must accomplish all his wife's duties, as
well.
“There are a lot of role reversals after having been married
for almost 20 years,” Sergeant Foster noted. “He's relied on
me to do a lot of this stuff. He's always let me handle the
grocery shopping, or he does the outside housework while I
did the inside housework.”
In preparation for her deployment, Sergeant Foster taught
her husband the basic skills needed to do her share of the
chores. Online bill paying was one of a few important tasks
transferred between the two of them. She said the experience
has given her a new appreciation for her husband's support
and willingness to care for their family.
“I would like to let my husband know that he is doing a
terrific job taking care of everything,” she said.
He returned the compliment. “I appreciate her support,” he
said. “I do everything I can to keep things running smooth
so she can focus on her mission.”
Sergeant Foster said she believes all spouses of deployed
servicemembers are doing an “amazing job” in their partners'
absence by taking care of children, pets, bills and keeping
up with the house.
“They are just doing a terrific job taking on all of this -
the extra stuff that their spouses normally handle when they
are there,” she said. | |
Article and photo by Army Spc. Jessica Rohr,
135th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2010
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