And I’ll Stand Up! Next to You

(Originally Published Sunday, October 21, 2012 – Blogger: One Daughter’s Point of View)

A few weeks ago, I was reading the Daughters Newsletter and noticed that the Project Patriot Committee was suggesting that DAR members forward snacks to Camp Atterbury, IN. Camp Atterbury is a 1A Mobilization Training Center for deploying service members from the Army and Air National Guard, Active and Reserve Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. I didn’t know DAR had added needs at Camp Atterbury as one of the projects under the DAR Project Patriot Committee, but was excited to have a place to direct the leftover snacks from the recent trip to DC with my nephew.

Yesterday I attended the “Farewell Ceremony” for Bravo Battery, 5-113th Field Artillery in Winston-Salem, NC. These soldiers will leave for a deployment in Egypt after spending a month at Camp Atterbury. My brother is among these heroes.

This is my baby brother’s third deployment, but it was the first time I’d attended the deployment ceremony. It began with the entrance of the official party, followed by the soldiers. A soloist sang Toby Keith’s American Soldier – and of course that started the emotions flowing for the families and friends gathered.

The speakers were brief, allowing the ceremony to be brief and therefore maximized the time the families had to spend together that afternoon. But there is something to be said for tradition. Toward the end of the ceremony, a NC flag was presented to Bravo Battery. It’s tradition for the NC flag to be presented at the Farewell Ceremony for the NC National Guard. When Bravo Battery completes the mission and returns home, the flag will be returned as well to signify the completion of a successful mission.

A final tradition was also exercised before the end of the ceremony. The soloist sang Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” During the first chorus at the line “And I’ll stand up next to you” the soldiers all stood together in perfect (military) precision at the word stand.

I’m grateful that we have American Soldiers like my brother who will stand up. God bless the USA.