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Gerilyn Yoder knows all about military life...
I was in the Navy for just over 6 years and that's how me and my husband met, here in
San Diego.
That was 11 years ago...she now calls Ramona in San Diego's east county home. Yoder
remembers Sept 11th...10 years ago clearly. Pregnant with twins...her husband Nigel a navy officer
had deployed the day before.
I saw everything on the news. The planes crashing into the twin towers, people in tears, the
firefighters and the tickers scrolling across the screen. I just froze. Being in the
navy I immediately thought this is going to change lots of things and I probably won't
hear from my husband for quite some time.
I got lots and lots of phone calls from my husbands siblings and his parents being concerned
for him and me being pregnant...but again I had not heard anything from my husband and
didn't know when I would hear from him.
Yoder eventually heard from him...but feared he wouldn't be home for the birth of their
sons...Kaleb and Adon who are now 9.
I ended up having my boys six weeks early, but he still made it home.
That's kind of like a miracle too, you were early and yet he was able to make it home.
Yes it was.
Yoder says before 9/11 the average navy deployment was about four to five months. Today it’s
seven months or longer...
Because of 9/11 our military deployments no matter what branch of service are longer and
more frequent. Meaning our sailors are coming home and maybe home for only two or
three months and they turn right back around and deploy again...
How does that relate to your family?
My husband has deployed lots...my boys turned 9 this year and my husband has deployed five
times since their birth, meaning most of their life he's been gone. He’s been attached
to a ship, a deployable command their entire life. He’s gone from ship, to ship, to ship
the needs of the Navy, because of 9/11, have changed, dramatically.
You guys have been doing great since I’ve been gone.
And so too has the life of military families like the Yoders. This is how the family stays
in touch today. Nigel records a private video message onto a DVD and mails it to the boys
and Gerilyn.
I want you to know that even though I’m not there I love you with all my heart and
I don't have to worry about how long it takes for a letter or card to get home. Its on DVD
so we can play it when ever they want and when ever they're missing their father the
most.
She says the short in and out training cycles are the toughest on the family because you
can't plan anything in advance. She also fears how the long separation between deployments
will affect the boys...
They're getting to the age now where they definitely need that male role model and in
their life and they're becoming more active in sports and those types of things. So yes,
as they continue to grow it is my concern that the needs of the military will continue
to be as demanding as they are now.
But Yoder remains hopeful the family's military sacrifice will make us all safer...
As we always say my family bleeds blue and gold, Navy blue and gold. I know that especially
with the capture of Osama Bin Laden and the progress our military continues to make that
things will get better.
[Navy Blue and Gold Song]