Warleavesemptinessinheartsandhomes

GAIL KATHERINE ZIEGLER STAFF WRITER GKZ722@CABRINI.ED

This was not the first time that Janet and Scott had been apart for a length of time. When they were engaged he was deployed to South Korea for 13 months. But this time was different. When Scott' was at Camp Shelby preparing for Iraq, Janet was pregnant.

When Janet went into labor, Austin refused to wait. He was born at 8:51 PM. on Feb. 16, 2005 and Scott arrived home at 2 AM. the next day. Scott was allowed four days home for the birth of his son.

Austin didn't see his dad again until June 5, 2005 when Scott had a 10-day leave before being sent to Kuwait on the way to Iraq. Recently, the family was able to spend almost three weeks together over Austin's first birthday.

This is not one family's story but the story of deployed parents, husbands and wives. About 3-9 percent, more than 469,999, of the children of deployed parents are age 1 or under, according to www.research.vt.edu. The site also pointed out that today "military service includes higher operation tempo, increased deployments, relocations and family separations."

A life in the military is more than just numbers. Janet said, "Scott missed his first steps, his first words, all the major changes a baby goes through in the first year." Scott is still present in Austin's life. When Scott was last home, be picked out a shirt for his son that read, "My dad rocks," which Austin wears to school.

Armyfrg.org has a handbook for deployment that states the stages of separation as denial, anger, guilt, depression and acceptance. The site said, "Knowing these feelings are normal can help families cope."

The holidays are particularly challenging. Janet said, I usually want to just be alone, qut my family always wants to 'cheer me up,' plus I always have to remember that Austin still needs the experiences."

Janet gets support mostly from her family but also from the Family Readiness Group. She said, "It helps [Austin] a lot to be around family and usually it helps me also." The Family Readiness Group is an organization that provides "an avenue of mutual support and assistance," according to myarmylifetoo.com. She said, "We organize activities and events to help keep the families busy to keep their minds off