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Story by: Cpl. Tim Oberle
2nd CAB Public Affairs
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Just a year and a half following the birth of her first child, Spc. Vanesa Noel, a logistics specialist from Headquarters Support Company, 602nd Aviation Support Battalion, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, received word that she was going to be stationed 7,000 miles from home on the opposite side of the world in South Korea.
Unfortunately for Noel, she couldn’t bring her 18-month-old son Jayden with her because her husband was preparing for a deployment and she was ineligible for command sponsorship. After working out an agreement with her mother-in-law for child care during her tour in Korea, Noel reluctantly packed her bags and set sail for the Land of the Morning Calm.
“I was so worried about leaving him for the first time that I couldn’t sleep,” said Noel. “I knew when I enlisted that I would be deployed sooner or later, but until you actually receive your orders you really don’t think about it.”
For Noel, the separation has been harder because Jayden is her first child and he is so young. While it was clear that the separation had a noticeable effect on her.
“It makes it so much harder to be separated from him because he is so young,” said Noel. “You want to be there for all of his firsts and to tuck him in at night, but deployments are a part of being in the Army.”
To get through the heartache of being away from her child, Noel has tried to focus on her job and talks to Jayden frequently on Skype.
“I talk to him almost every night just before he goes to bed,” said Noel. “Being able to stay in touch with him has really helped me get through.”
Also making things easier on Noel is her three-week holiday leave in Arizona with her husband and son.
“I am going home on leave during the holidays and I am so excited,” Noel said. “My husband is also going to make it home so Jayden will have both his parents with him for Christmas.
“I bought him a bike and some other toys like a Nerf gun and I really hope he likes them,” Noel added. “I can’t wait to see his face when I walk through the door.”
“To get the chance to go back and spend the holidays with my son and husband is really special,” Noel said. “I have been waiting for weeks now and I can’t wait to see how much my son has grown. When I get there I probably won’t want to come back, but I only have six months left so it won’t be that bad.”
Despite the emotional roller coaster during her separation from her son, Noel seemed to have a good take on being a mother while serving her country.
“It is definitely hard being a parent in the military, but the Army has been really good to my Family so in the end it is worth it,” said Noel. “Being deployed is always going to be tough to get through, but in the end you are helping your country.
“When I finish my contract I hope to be able to get out and use my tuition assistance to get a degree so I never have to leave my son again.”
| Date Taken: | 12.22.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 01.19.2012 02:51 |
| Story ID: | 82542 |
| Location: | CAMP HUMPHREYS, BUSAN GWANG'YEOGSI [PUSAN-KWANGYOKSHI], KR |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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