Ohio National Guard News

Story by 1LT Aaron Testa

FORT MCCOY, Wis.—Every Soldier who has deployed knows that one of the hardest parts of the deployment is saying goodbye to loved ones for the time they will be away. Several Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Engineer Brigade, have figured out a strategy to get around this challenge. Twelve the brigade’s Soldiers are actually deploying with their spouse.

“You get to bring your family with you and you don’t get homesick as much,” said Sgt. 1st Class Stacey Spellman, a construction operations sergeant for the brigade who is deploying with her husband, Sfc. Richard Spellman, Jr. “There’s also less stress (worrying) about back home.”

She is looking forward to this deployment particularly because, while she has deployed before, her husband has not and she looks forward to being with him for his first deployment.

“I can’t even go to Iraq to get rid of her!” Richard said with a laugh.

While Richard agrees with his wife, he said he will still worry about her.

“She could get into a position where she could be harmed and I wouldn’t be there to protect her,” he said.

However, for some, there are tradeoffs to spending a year deployed with your spouse.

“It’s hard to see him all the time and not have time to actually spend with him,” said Maj. Jennifer Franz, assistant operations officer for the brigade. Jennifer’s husband, 1st Lt. Doug Franz, is also deploying as the general’s aide-de-camp.

Although the Franz’s may have dinner together or work together, they rarely have the opportunity to spend time alone or show affection for each other, Jennifer said.

Most of the couples agree deploying together is a special opportunity. Sgt. Garrison Ball said he is lucky to share this experience with his wife, Spc. Allison Ball.

“A lot of spouses don’t get to understand what it really means to deploy,” Garrison said.

In fact, Garrison and Allison spent their first anniversary together Sept. 13 at Fort McCoy, Wis. - an anniversary they would have spent apart but for the shared deployment.

Command Sgt. Maj. Rebecca George, the senior supply supervisor, is preparing for her second deployment with her husband. This couple, however, deploys to separate locations, which presents unique challenges. They still worry about their spouse also being deployed but without actually spending time together.

The logistics of coordinating schedules to meet up for leaves and passes can be difficult, and with tour start and end dates differing somewhat, they spend much more time apart than the standard twelve months. Rebecca’s husband, Sgt. 1st Class Mark George, is currently deployed with D Company, 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment, to Joint Base Balad in Iraq. During their last deployment in 2004, she went to Kuwait and he to Kosovo.

Pvt. Samuel Craigo, a vehicle driver for the brigade, actually joined the Ohio Army National Guard in order to serve his country and deploy with his wife Staff Sgt. Roberta Craigo, the unit property book NCO.

The engineer brigade headquarters will deploy to Iraq this month for a yearlong tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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