VICTORY BASE COMPLEX, Baghdad - Photographs of varying sizes adorn the ceramic walls of the office. While each is worth at least a thousand words and helps to bridge the gap between "here and there," each fails to provide the sounds and feel of the focus of each image - a child, and oftentimes, a newborn child.
This is the life of a deployed Soldier.
And for the deployed Soldiers of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Arkansas Army National Guard, images will have to suffice as they celebrate this Father's Day from various locations around Iraq.
These images are static; however, thanks to technology many of those 1,000 words are able to come to life on the Internet as "Webcams" are a popular form of communication for the 3,000-plus Soldiers in the brigade.
On Sunday, the "Bowie Brigade" fathers will take time to speak to their children, both young and old.
However, there are more than a handful that won't hear a word back from their children. The reason is simple"”Ashley, Abigail, Jordyn, John, Memory, Natalie Sky, Jackson Daniel, Maycee Michele, Sarah Emily, Ryleigh, Ethan Matthew and Embrey Madeline haven't learned how to talk yet.
And while these newborn "Bowie Brigade" babies won't speak, their moans, cries and other baby noises will be enough to make the toughest of Soldiers grow weak.
For Sgt. 1st Class John Reed, this will be his first Father's Day as the "subject" of the celebration. His induction into fatherhood is less than one month old, yet a memory forever branded in his mind for two reasons.
"One of the most memorable moments of my life," said Reed, referring to the recent birth of his daughter that he was fortunate enough to see in person. "The birth was even more special since it happened on my dad's birthday, May 20. Having a child is something I've waited a long time for and planned for, but I wish it didn't happen while I was deployed. I'd love to be home with my wife and daughter."
Almost six months into the federal mobilization, Reed was allowed to take leave and return home for two weeks in order to be with his wife Rebecca for the birth. But little 8 pound, 3 ounce Ryleigh Alexis wanted to keep her dad around as long as she could, so she wasn't in any hurry to be introduced to the outside world.
Originally scheduled to return back to Iraq at 12:30 p.m., on May 20, Reed was able to get a three-day extension, because Ryleigh Alexis was born at the White County Medical Center in Searcy, Ark., at 2:15 p.m., on that day.
After three days of experiencing the wonders of fatherhood, Reed was back on a plane to finish his second tour in Iraq with the 39th. His daughter will be 7 months old before he gets to hold her again; however, he will watch her grow via Webcam until that time.
As Reed was returning as an "Army Dad," two of his fellow Soldiers from the Headquarters Company, 39th IBCT were in route to experience births of their own.
Sgt. 1st Class Tim Anderson boasts a healthy 7-pound, 10-ounce baby boy named Ethan Matthew. And Sgt. First Class Jon Jeu's wife gave birth to a baby girl named Abigail.
Like Reed, both Soldiers will spend their Father's Day in Baghdad as they are currently traveling back to duty. Each will have fresh and very fond memories on this Father's Day while others will have to dig a bit deeper into their memory banks to recall that special day when they became a dad.
Gardner Andreas can vividly recall the cries of his newborn daughter that he heard for the first time on Feb. 20 at Willow Creek Hospital in Johnson, Ark. And just four days later, along with his body armor, a multitude of military gear and clothing, this young Army captain would pack those memories into his duffle bags, kiss his wife Leah goodbye and head back to Mississippi for training at Camp Shelby.
Included in those memories was the fact that his new-born daughter, Embrey Madeline, weighed 8 pounds, 13 ounces and looked a lot like his eldest daughter Addison Marie, who is 3 years old. Andreas has been able to watch the growth of both of his daughters through Internet Webcams as well.
"Addison asks me a lot, "˜Daddy, when are you coming home?'" said Andreas. "I talked to her one time after some storms in Arkansas had destroyed her swingset, and she asked me to come home and fix it for her, so I'm missing a lot. She just started gymnastics, so she wants me there for that too. And then you have Addison, she just rolled over by herself for the first time, so I've missed that.
"Nonetheless, as a father you want to be there for those moments, and at that same time, as a Soldier - an American - you want to be there for your country," he said.
And while he'll be in Iraq for Father's Day, both of daughters will have a "stand-in" during his absence on this special day - grandpa.
"They are going to my wife's fathers for Father's Day," he said. "They've got a barbeque and a fishing trip planned, so grandpa will be my stand in this time."
Andreas won't have to spend his Father's Day alone as his roommate definitely understands the significance of this special day. The two have a lot in common.
Instead of nervously pacing in a hospital waiting room, Cpt. David Grant is doing his pacing with combat boots in the desert sands of the Middle East. His wife, 2nd Lt. Michelle Grant, was originally scheduled to deliver their first child on July 2; however, the doctor is warning her that she'll never make it to that date.
Michelle is also a member of the 39th Brigade and is employed full-time at the Professional Education Center at Camp Joseph T. Robinson in North Little Rock.
The sand gets a little deeper for Grant as he continues to pace; yet, he's prepared to gamble on when the baby will be born. "There's a good chance I'll miss it, but I've just had to ask myself, "˜Do I want to go home early and then she not deliver until the original date and not get to spend the time with her and the baby?' Â I don't want to jump the gun," said Grant. "We decided that we'd rather gamble on missing the birth and actually be there to help her adjust afterwards. If she goes into labor right now, I can take emergency leave and be on a plane in 48 hours, so we're gambling."
Regardless of when his wife delivers, Grant laughs that, "I'll be there." Once his laughter subsides, he tells the story of how he's been there for all the baby showers and birthing classes.
His presence was made available by Flatdaddy.com, a company that makes life-sized cardboard cutouts from photographs. "Hey, I'm a good husband. I've been with her the whole time," he says with a smile. "She sent me pictures of her baby shower, and there I was sitting in the chair beside her, of course, my head is a little oversized, but I was there."
The couple decided to insert the bit of humor into their life for the sake of their four children. Each have two from previous marriages. David has two boys and Michelle has two daughters ranging in ages from 5 to 15.
They found out about this pregnancy in October, the same month that the brigade began training for the federal mobilization that occurred Jan. 1.
"The hardest part has been leaving her to go through the pregnancy without me being there. I've only seen her for four days since January, but we communicate through Webcams and instant messaging," he said. "Bottom line: She's had a healthy pregnancy and that's all that matters. We're just hoping for a healthy baby and gambling that I'll be there for the birth."
After the birth of his daughter Raleigh Elise, 2nd Lt. Lang Doster was proud he was able to witness the miracle of birth for the second time. But this time was drastically different than the first, because he witnessed the miracle through a seemingly other miracle - a web cam.
Some 7,000 miles away at 4:14 p.m. in Tallil, Iraq, Doster watched his wife Marianne give birth to their second child at Magnolia Hospital in Magnolia, Ark. She weighed in at a whopping nine pounds, 12 ounces. And while she was not able to see her husband, Marianne was able to type her lieutenant husband messages.
The web-cam birthing experience was a first for both the Dosters as well as the hospital.
Every Soldier has a story, and each of these Soldiers has a very unique story that will forever allow them to remember their time deployed with the 39th Brigade.
"As leaders, it's important to take every opportunity to praise Soldiers when they do a great job serving their country. And, as leaders, it's equally important to take time to recognize their sacrifices to their families, truly recognize their sacrifices and this definitely qualifies," said Col. Kendall Penn, commander of the 39th IBCT.