European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 24, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Busto a military Job and husband Karen lid some Aron and i Are new to this whole experience called marriage. After All we be been married Only four months. But we have taken our marriage and put it Quot through the ultimate test. We Are both Only Are we taken to places where we can be shot apart from South Philadelphia we also have the Comfort of having All our worldly goods smashed in pieces every three years by movers who Are proud of their butt cracks and show them off proudly with specially designed pants presented to them upon graduation of movers school with the proviso that they Wear these pants until death. Not Only Are we military but we Are also e-3s, airmen first class arc basically Plankton in the air Force food Chain. Between certain cos who done to remember where they came from and certain officers who done to know where they Are in the first place life can get pretty difficult. We As most married couples have a tendency to take these frustrations out on each other. Hence we meaningful dialogues involving flying cutlery. Also our career Fields Are at opposite ends of the universe. Aaron is a firefighter i work in the base Chapel. He drags people out of burning air planes. I do the filing. This is basically How our dinner conversations go Aaron today was a Bear not Only did i have to Field Calls for two in flight emergencies but some Bonehead in the dorms Feil asleep with a cigarette in his hand. His bed caught on fire and the Rescue team had to treat Burns All Over his body. Then a tech sergeant crashed into the Gate Shack with his truck and broke the legs of the on duty cop who also went into convulsions. Thanks for listening to me ramble. How was your Day. Me Well. Us ,., i made the Coffee today for the staff and no one had convulsions. Although father had caffeine fits during staff laugh about so b\6. Yew found for Hiss it Witkas Twe it Jive sox a the greatest Challenge to a military marriage is trying to find time to be with each other. 4 . A Aaron and i Are nestled in bed. The alarm goes off. 4 07-4 14 a the alarm goes off. 4 21-4 28. A 4 35-4 42 a 1 \. V a a 4 49-4 56 5 . A i turn Over and kiss Aaron he a still asleep hut he does acknowledge my Greet ing by breathing All Over my face with a Budweiser morning breath that sends me toppling.6 30 a kiss Aaron goodbye with Gas mask on. He responds romantically by drooling on the pillows. 7 . A i arrive at work and jump into the vigorous task of checking my email 7 30 . A Aaron wakes up and finds his favorite Tolkien Book. He disappears into the bathroom to commence male toilet bonding. 2 . He emerges from the bathroom and wonders Why his Back butt and legs Are stiff 2 30 . A Aaron leaves for his swing shift in the alarm room and ends up Fielding Calls from base housing residents whose children did evil things involving live electricity and neighbourhood pets. 5 . A i arrive Home and ask the House plants that in a systematically killing How their Day was. 6 . A i prepare a nutritious dinner for one Frabot loops and Beer. 7 . A bored out of my mind i stare vacantly at the to and watch Sta trek ii for the 25th time. 9 . A better go to bed. Lots to do the next Day. 11 30 . A Aaron arrives Home to find the. Human Lump who once again hogged the covers Midnight a after brushing his Teeth and changing. Clothes Aaron finds his new David Eddings Book and makes the nightly pilgrimage to St. John of the Armitage Shanks. A 2 . A he finally leaves the bathroom after disinfecting it and comes to bed. But the military Isnit totally bad for a marriage. Both of us can empathize with each other because we have just about the same experience of being a five duty. Both of us were yelled at by Guys with enormous foreheads and Cretin haircuts. Both of us became experts at using a floor Buffer at one Point or another. Both of us know what its like to paint the grass Green All because it was under a a direct that empathy can Lead to a better understanding when things like a deployment come along. Here a what will happen if the military member is married to a civilian and the troop has to deploy military member Honey next month in a deploying. I can to Tell you where in a going but i should be Back in three months civilian spouse what you can to go what about me and the kids does it have to be you Call your commander maybe you can get out of it meanwhile this is the same scenario when the. Couple is military. Military member Honey next month in a deploying i can to Tell you where in a going but i should be Back in three months. Military spouse this does no to Surprise me. I know wih Cre you re going anyway even though the location is the stars and stripes has started publishing weather reports in that area. I Don t want you to go but chances Are i Wili probably be meeting you there when they slate me for mobility. Just done to get shot. Speaking of deployment my turn is coming very shortly. As i write this i will be embarking on add ploy ment to a location about which the stars and stripes has been printing weather reports for months san Vito Italy. Aaron will be in charge of the household. That basically Means he will save his laundry till i get Back and live on canned Ravioli and chocolate covered cherries. \. A a. A a a. I will be sitting around a compound and eating pasta till my thighs can barely fit in a c-17 cargo compartment. Yet another trial yet another tribulation yet another Way to bring us closer. Because when the deployment is Over i have the love of my life at Home to Welcome me. When the deployment is Over we know what really counts. Airman 1st class Karon Ledsome is stationed at Raf Mildenhall eng Lano. A. Contents from the cover. 4-5 the car fix. Sidelights. 6-7 the joke in t on Simpson. Clarence Page on . Coverage. Odds amp ends. G Erma Bombeck on tour. In tune. 9 Jamie Lee Curtis gets a leg up on stardom. This week s films. 10-11 military circuit listings. Chuck Vinch on television listings. 12-15 local Cable and satellite schedules. Home entertainment .16 Jafar returns. Voices. 18 Joe Bob Briggs takes on pc crowd. Words amp wit. 19 Tony Hoheiser on the Popes prose. Books. 20-21 Blacks in nazi concentration Camps. A smaller Forrest Gump. On Parade. 23 where Kelly Mcgill is stands. Last laugh. 24 booking Dave Barry. Sunday is a weekly supplement a of the stars and stripes editor Bucky cover Story design Susan Harris production Bernard Jensen editorial assistance Louis d. Pierce Page 2 sunday july 24, 1994
