In the nick of time

Courtesy Photo | Kayleigh Ann Miller is pictured in Shreveport La. on, May 20, wearing her father's Army combat uniform. Her father, Sgt. 1st Class David Miller of Pineville, La., left for Iraq a few days later. He is currently serving a 400-day combat tour with the 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade in support of Multi-National Division – Baghdad. (Photo/Sgt. 1st Class David Miller)  

TAJI, IRAQ

05.29.2008

Courtesy Story

1st Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade

By Sgt. Aaron LeBlanc
1st Sustainment Brigade

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Although deployed more than 7,000 miles from their homes in Louisiana, Staff Sgt. Tatsi McKissick of Anacoco, La. and Sgt. 1st Class David Miller of Pineville, La., were nevertheless present at the births of their daughters, born on, May 6 and March 17, respectively.

Both Soldiers are assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, in support of Multi-National Division – Baghdad.

As luck would have it, Miller's wife Kandice gave birth to their 7 lb. 8 oz. baby girl, Kayleigh, less than a week before his unit deployed to Iraq. During this time, the 165th CSSB was conducting mobilization training at Camp Shelby, Miss., and Miller was able to attend the birth of his youngest child during a pass scheduled in the nick of time.

"The first thing that went through my head was 'Thank God I made it home.' The next thing was to wonder what I had done to deserve such a blessing," said Miller

It's hard to discount the influence of providence; Miller's imminent deployment turned out to be the least of the hardships to overcome by his family during the birth.

"I very nearly lost both the baby and Kandice due to complications during labor. Leaving them and deploying to Iraq shortly after making sure they were OK was very hard."

A couple of months later, Staff Sgt. Tatsi McKissick's presence was made possible during the birth of his child in spite of his current assignment in Iraq through the Army's R-and-R program which affords Soldiers deployed to combat zones two weeks leave during their tour.

"I was worried that I wasn't going to make it back in time especially since the original due date moved from the 11th to the 6th of May, my command and I had already scheduled my leave around the later time. But I made it," said McKissick, with a touch of pride.

"There was no way that I could have made it home any faster than I did," he continued. "And it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did. One of the airlines carrying me went bankrupt a few days before I was scheduled to leave. In every terminal I went through, I constantly had to explain and re-explain my situation to airline agents... But I left no stone unturned."

McKissick's arrival wasn't a moment too soon; within hours of his return, his wife Cheryl gave birth to their 7 lb. 9.8 oz. healthy baby girl, Emma Marie Baileigh McKissick.

"You can't really describe what goes through your head the first time you hold your newborn child," he said. "It's an inexplicable combination of emotions. It's something a parent never forgets."

• Date Taken: 05.29.2008
• Date Posted: 05.29.2008 11:15
• Story ID: 19912
• Location: TAJI, IQ