Photo By Capt. Isra Pananon | Spc. Lydia Boll (left) and Capt. Andrea Boll receive Army Commendation Medals for...... read more read more
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CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - Many of us have heard U.S. soldiers calling their comrades family, but few soldiers have actually served overseas with a member of their immediate family.
In November 2013, Spc. Lydia Boll and Capt. Andrea Boll of the 452nd Combat Support Hospital were mobilized to prepare for their deployment to Kuwait.
This mother and daughter duo has served in the same Army Reserve medical unit since April 2010 when Andrea joined the military. Andrea would never expect her kids to do something she would not do, so she joined the Army Nurse Corps as a medical surgical nurse to give back to her country.
“She followed me into the military, and I followed her into the medical field,” remarks Lydia. Lydia joined the military in 2009, after being inspired by her grandfather who also served in the Army as a saxophonist in the Army Band.
Back home Lydia resides in Wisconsin with her mother and father and Lydia’s four younger siblings. Being deployed with her oldest daughter, Andrea says that although the experience has forced her two youngest children to grow up fast, her husband, Jim Boll, has embraced this experience with open arms, and is bonding with their other kids at home.
Emerson, Jim and Andrea’s middle child is also in the Army, and will be in Afghanistan when Andrea and Lydia return home. When the mission to Kuwait first came known to the Bolls, they wanted all three to deploy together and get Emerson on the roster as a combat medic. Emerson is currently serving in Afghanistan on a forward surgical team despite not making the roster with his mother and sister.
The mother and daughter duo are referred to as “the Bolls” by those they work with because of their close relationship. Both work at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin back home. Andrea works in the cardiac intensive care unit as a critical care nurse, while Lydia works as a care partner in the Surgical/Medical ICU.
Working together at home was good preparation for their current deployment. Although many soldiers could not imagine having their parent or child overseas with them, the Bolls cannot imagine not having each other at Camp Arifjan. Being together is the only way they know.
Both work in the United States Military Hospital-Kuwait where Andrea is a registered nurse and works in the ICU/intensive care ward, and Lydia works in the medical regulating office.
At the end of the day Lydia likes to be able to see her mom. The bond that soldiers experience while deployed together is something unexplainable, but theirs is unique: they share this experience by exercising, shopping and sitting and enjoying coffee together.
Being deployed together also comes with a fault. According to Lydia, the only difficult thing about being deployed together is the fact that Andrea is still “mom.”
Most of the 452nd Combat Support Hospital refers to Andrea as “Mama Boll.” However, Lydia does not get jealous because she is used to having siblings. She also feels lucky to be here with her mom, and does not mind sharing knowing that other soldiers do not have the opportunity to serve with their parents.
As with any deployment, their experience has had its ups and downs. Andrea’s sister passed away in April, and although it was nice to have Lydia present to mourn with, it was difficult for Lydia to stay overseas while her mom traveled back home for the funeral service. On the other hand, Lydia was excited to have her mother here to tell in person when she became engaged during the deployment.
With their tour coming to an end, the rest of 452nd Combat Support Hospital family will miss the dynamic these two have brought to Kuwait. Their deployment experience is very unique and has brought a different perspective to serving in the military.
| Date Taken: | 09.08.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2014 08:32 |
| Story ID: | 141521 |
| Location: | CAMP ARIFJAN, KW |
| Web Views: | 610 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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