View Full Version : Friends Returing from Iraq: Nicest Things We Can Do?
Polly
02-17-2008, 06:36 AM
CJ's college friend, Will, will be returning from his first deployment to Iraq in June. (Praying very hard that he makes it home, safe and whole.) Will has already done two tours on GITMO.
We'd ask his wife but she does not speak English well. Should we give him a party? Just go over to Harrisionburg, VA for the weekend to hang out? Do we ask him about it? What are the nicest things we can do?
Polly
Danielle
02-17-2008, 07:23 AM
Honestly, I would wait and ask him. I think it would be a very personal decision and not one that anyone could make for him. He may want to see everyone ASAP or he might want to spend some time with his wife (and kids if they have any) and decide for himself when to see everyone else.
Kristi
02-17-2008, 08:45 AM
I would ask him. He might want to spend some alone time with his wife first. I know even after a regular deployment Tim wasn't ready to see everybody all at once. We pretty much kept to ourselves for the first couple weeks. I would just ask him when he will feel ready for company
I agree with Danielle, my sisters bestfriend (right from childhood) has been in the military since he was 16, they're in their 30s now and he's done many, many tours where he's been front line. Each time he comes home we're really grateful he's home in one piece and everyone wants to see him but we wait for him to go visit my parents to announce he's back before we do that (his dad still lives across the road from my parents)
Some tours hit him alot harder than others and sometimes he's ready to be mr fun and party again, others he wants to ease back into homelife for a few days without much attention. He doesn't have any family aside from his dad though, i imagine his need for space would be even greater if he did have a wife he as coming home to.
*Hopefully* my sisters bestfriend will be able to join us in Orlando for her wedding in the summer which will be pretty cool, some time to catch up and some company for David on the bucks night :giggle
ArmyDad
02-17-2008, 04:29 PM
Wait and see get ahold of him and tell him welcome back. Make it known you would like to get together. maybe go to dinner or somthing, when he is back and settled down. Depending on where he has been it could take a bit to readjust. I know I drove in the middle of the road, and loud noises made me cringe.