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    Together for the holidays

    Together for the holidays

    Photo By Staff Sgt. April Campbell | Montrose, Colo., native, 1st Lt. Francisco Hernandez (left), a rifle platoon leader...... read more read more

    BAGHDAD, IRAQ

    12.24.2007

    Story by Pfc. April Campbell 

    27th Public Affairs Detachment

    By Pfc. April Campbell
    27th Public Affairs Detachment

    CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Iraq might be the last place Soldiers expect to spend quality time with loved ones during the holidays. Two Soldiers here, however, will spend their first Christmas together as a married couple while deployed to Baghdad.

    Making the most of every moment they have together is nothing new to newlyweds, 1st Lt. Tabitha Hernandez, the battalion personnel officer with the 1st Battalion 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and 1st Lt. Francisco Hernandez, a rifle platoon leader with Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Carson, Colo., who said they have spent most of their relationship living in separate cities.

    "This is my first Christmas being married. Being able to spend it with my husband is immensely important to me because it is such a family holiday and both of us are very, very big on family," said Tabitha, a Wellsville, N.Y., native.

    Tabitha and Francisco said they met in Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga., in March of 2006, and they began dating about a year ago when she arrived at Fort Stewart, Ga., after completing Transportation Officer Basic Course at Fort Eustis, Va. At that time, Francisco was scheduled to go to Fort Stewart as well.

    "At the beginning of the year (2007), I found out I was going to Colorado instead of Fort Stewart," said Francisco, a Montrose, Colo., native.

    In May, shortly after Tabitha arrived at Camp Liberty to begin her deployment, Francisco proposed.

    "He proposed over the phone via a care package," said Tabitha.

    The long-distance proposal took some coordination on Francisco's part.

    "I got a box ready and I sent her a letter saying, 'when you get the box, call me and you can open it and I'll tell you about everything inside," Francisco said.

    The two celebrated their wedding with their families at the base of Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs, Colo., during Tabitha's environmental morale leave in November, said Tabitha.

    Although they were married, the challenges of being separated by distance were not over for Tabitha and Francisco.

    Because Francisco's unit was originally expected to be deployed to Camp Liberty, the couple parted in November expecting to see each other in December, Francisco said.

    Shortly before arriving in Baghdad, however, the plans for Francisco's unit changed, and the two found out they might not be located at the same place in Iraq. Francisco's unit will no longer be staying at Camp Liberty, said Tabitha.

    "When he called me, the night he found out his unit was not going to be here," she said, "one of the comments I made was 'Well, when we said 'I do', we knew that it might be this way."

    Tabitha said she knew Francisco would be staying in Camp Liberty at least one night, but she did not know how long she would be able to see him. The night he arrived at Camp Liberty, the two figured out they would have Christmas together.

    "It'll be special just being able to see her for our first Christmas being married," said Francisco. "We've got a little tree that we'll stack up with small Christmas gifts that will be worth more than any other gift you could possibly get during the Christmas holidays, just simply because of where we are and what we're doing here."

    While many Soldiers may look to their comrades for support as part of their Army family, the Hernandez couple seems to be especially blessed this holiday season in Iraq.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 12.24.2007
    Date Posted: 12.24.2007 14:08
    Story ID: 14973
    Location: BAGHDAD, IQ

    Web Views: 596
    Downloads: 553

    PUBLIC DOMAIN