I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. "I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap," I thought.Just before takeoff, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me.

I decided to start a conversation."Where you headed?" I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.“Petawawa.  We'll be there for two weeks for special training and then, we're being deployed to Afghanistan."

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for $5. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. "No. That seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. We don't have a lot of cash with us. I'll wait till we get to base." His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers--none were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. "Take a lunch to all those soldiers." She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. "My son was a soldier in Iraq. It's almost like you are doing it for him."

Picking up 10 sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, "Which do you like best--beef or chicken?"

"Chicken," I replied, wondering why she had asked. She turned and went to the front of plane returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. "This is your thanks."

After we finished eating, I again went to the back of the plane heading for the rest  room.  A man stopped me. "I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here--Take this." He handed me $25.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked. I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, "I want to shake your hand."

Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, "I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot." I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine He left another $25 in my palm.

When we landed, I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned and walked away without saying a word. Another $25!Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base.  I walked over to them and handed them $75.
"It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich.  God Bless You." Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little.A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount of up to and including his life.THAT is honor! And there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

Technology is wonderful! These days, families can communicate with our soldiers through email, text messaging, and Skype. The message is received instantly. With the wide range of cellular service, it's fairly simple to call home--but the cost is often prohibitive. I stumbled on this great site today, and it's a wonderful way to give back to a service member thousands of miles from home!

RoshanRecharge.com allows loved ones to purchase the TopUp, enabling them to add minutes to a service member's cell phone. The purchaser is asked to put in the soldier's phone number and the amount of their purchase. If you want to send a special message to the soldier receiving your donation, you can add your request in the "instructions to seller box" during your PayPal checkout.

The next Servicemember to purchase a TopUp will get the minutes they purchased, as well as the minutes from your donation! Thus giving them more time to communicate with their loved ones.

I've been told that most soldiers purchase an Afghani cell phone (my son did) because it's more cost effective. So be sure and check with the soldier to verify the number to which they want minutes added.


ate to a Servicemember.

My youngest son, Dustin, deployed on January 6, 2010. He left Andrews National Guard Armory headed for Camp Atterbury, Indiana where he would train for six weeks before leaving on a nine-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. Never have I been so unprepared for the range of emotions and the ups and downs that would accompany his departure.

I was determined to support my son and the other soldiers who deployed with him in any way I could. Each National Guard Armory has a Family Readiness Group. The FRG is a support group that helps raise money to improve morale for the troops by sending care packages to them. In addition, the members of the group are encouraged to be a support system for one another during the time their soldiers are away from home.

When I attended my first meeting, I was disappointed that there was only one other mother in the group. The soldiers’ spouses and girlfriends have formed a tight bond and communicate often with one another. But here I am—old enough to be the mother of these young women—with nobody in the group who can really relate to what I am feeling.

The deployment alone is tough to deal with. The entire family of a soldier goes through a whole range of emotions when the soldier leaves the United States and faces unknown situations. It has been hard not to talk to my son regularly and know that I won’t see him for a long time. 

I had no trouble cutting the apron strings when my children moved out on their own. But I will never cut the heart strings—it’s just not possible. For as long as I live, I am a mother first. My children mean everything to me—whether they’re 15 or 50. They are still my children!

So I am in search of various ways, other than the FRG, to surround myself with others who share my feelings. I was thrilled to find out about an upcoming conference called Operation Hope Front. The conference is in Wilmington, NC on May 15, 2010. With a mission to engage, encourage, and equip military wives, girlfriends, and mother's with God’s love and promises, Home Front offers Bible study, practical help during deployment, and fellowship with other women who have loved ones on the battlefield.

This time of deployment should be a time when the soldier’s entire family bonds to support their loved one. While our soldiers are so far away, let’s allow God to renew our strength as we face the challenges of loving a member of the armed services!

For more information, visit www.operationhopefront.org. All branches, ranks, active duty, and reservist wives, fiancées, girlfriends and mothers of military are welcome.