Dingo is my roommate and a close friend. Back in December we took a break from training to spend a few weeks of leave with our families. During this short break Dingo's wife Wendy gave birth to their first child, a little boy they named Joey after Wendy's older brother. Dingo was only able to spend ten days with his new son before boarding a plane that would eventually take him to Iraq for a twelve-month tour.

Now, thousands of miles from home, Dingo waits patiently each month for new pictures of his son. Over five months have passed since his birth and Joey seems to get bigger every day. His wife Wendy, as often as she is able, sends digital videos of their son which Dingo watches for hours on his laptop in the small space he shares with three other soldiers. I have the pleasure of watching as he sits with his headphones on, hanging on every sound and movement that Joey makes. You can see the pride in Dingo's face as his son tries to roll over or every time he flashes a quick smile while playing with his toys. I know that Dingo wants more than anything to be home with his new family, but at least for now he must be content with photographs, videos, and the stories his wife tells him as a way of getting to know his son.

There are several soldiers in my unit who have situations similar to Dingo. A few who have recently married and those whose wives have had children since we've been away. Though I miss my friends and family terribly, I cannot imagine the hardship these men endure. They do their jobs well, with integrity and without complaint, but it must be extremely difficult for them to be away while their lives back home change so dramatically. I thank Dingo (and the others like him) for making such large sacrifices to be here. I feel honored to fight beside him, and am proud to call him a friend.