Anxious families grin and bear it

Next month, Marie Deleon Guerrero Pangelinan will give birth to her second child. She will have to do it alone, her husband being one of the U.S. Army reservists from Saipan who were called to serve in Iraq.

So it comes as no surprise that Marie still has not quite recovered from the shock she experienced when she first learned of the U.S. Defense Department’s call for immediate activation of reserve forces in all states and territories.

Her husband, Dwight Palacios Pangelinan, said he heard about the Pentagon’s call at the weekend after July 4.

“I had mixed emotions when I first heard the news. I felt fear, worry. I didn’t know how I was going to explain Dwight’s leaving to my [two-year old] daughter. And of course, I was worried about my pregnancy,” she told the Saipan Tribune. “I think you can never be ready for a thing like this, especially if it’s your first time. It’s very shocking, it’s terrifying.”

Still, Marie expressed her full support for Dwight, her high school sweetheart whom she married in 2000. To begin with, they were already married when Dwight joined the U.S. Army Reserve.

“He wanted to be a soldier and I support him in that. I’m just thankful that there is a lot of family support available here on Saipan. The Family Readiness Group is like an extended family; you know that everybody’s there for you. The idea that you’re not going through it all alone really helps,” Marie said.

For his part, Dwight expressed regret that he would not be around when his and Marie’s second baby—which he hopes will be a boy—is born. But he noted that when duty calls, there’s nothing one can do but respond.

“We were trained to always be ready, and we will be much more than ready,” he said.

Yesterday, the couple joined about a hundred others in a briefing on the rights and responsibilities of soldiers and their families.

Among the topics discussed were the mobilization cycle, employer support for guards and reservists, ways families can communicate with soldiers on assignment, dealing with the media, spiritual guidance and support, emotional issues associated with military separation, and safety and security.

The families also had a chance to interact with Lt. Col. Allan Ostermiller, the battalion commander who will take about 650 soldiers to combat in Iraq, including the reservists from Saipan.

In an interview, Ostermiller said he came to Saipan because he wanted to meet the soldiers’ families—and vice versa, let them know about his values, and hopefully, bring them confidence and more ease of mind.

“As battalion commander, it is my job to bring their sons, husbands, brothers, and loved ones all back home. I take this responsibility very dearly and it is the dedication of my life at this point,” Ostermiller said. “I think it’s God’s purpose for my life. But I can’t make guarantees, because I am not God.”

He added that he does not believe in statistics, which say that an average of four people are killed and 23 wounded in a group of soldiers about the size of his battalion. A unit currently deployed from Hawaii, he said, has already beaten the statistics after posting only one injury for the entire group.

Further, Ostermiller expressed full confidence that soldiers from the islands would do well in Iraq, after they gave a good performance at the recently concluded training in Hawaii. “They have a reputation for excellence,” he said.

Howard T. Sugai, for his part, thanked Gov. Juan N. Babauta and the CNMI government for the support they are giving the soldiers.

“We know that the CNMI will lose a great chunk of workforce with the departure of the soldiers. Despite that, the government has been very supportive. We greatly appreciate that,’ Sugai said.