My Daddy wears combat boots

Michael left on September 11th for 3 1/2 weeks of combat skills training (CST). He's been staying very busy...but has been able to call most days.

All suited up - the gear weighs an extra ~40 lbs!

Busy day at the range

Seeing him in all of his gear reallly puts things into perspective.  He truly is going into harms way -- but I know that God will protect him.  After CST he'll head to Washington DC to learn Dari (one of the Afghan languages), then in late March he'll actually leave for Afghanistan.  I know that this separation can only make our family stronger, forcing better communication and appreciation for one another.