 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Helping Soldiers' Homecomings
Watch This Video
| Windows Media |
  |
| QuickTime | |
| MPEG |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||
|
Record numbers of troops have been deployed to Iraq, often putting their careers and family lives on hold. But what happens when they leave the battlefield and return to a world of kids and carpools? A military chaplain is trying to make the transition smoother—but as Reed Galin reports, coming home is not always easy. |
|||
 |
|||
 |
New Items | Additional Stories | Archives | ||
SCRIPT:
(Locator: Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Capt. Colin Fleming, Minnesota Army National Guard: “From the moment I stepped off the plane in New Jersey and looked at grass and trees, I’ve been floored by little things.”
Returning from the war and way of life in Iraq… to adjusting to his wife and daughter’s daily routine is a challenge for Army National Guard captain Colin Fleming.
Capt. Colin Fleming, Minnesota Army National Guard: “I had very definite expectations about, and, and still do, about what the schedule should be, what our activities should be.”
Ann Fleming, Soldier’s Wife: “He’s a different person than he was two years ago. And our daughter is different, I’m different.”
During Colin’s deployment, Ann Fleming became a single parent, caring for the couple’s 10-year-old, Morgan.
Morgan Fleming, 10-year-old: “It was weird when he came back, because there were three of us walking around the house.”
United Methodist chaplain John Morris of the Minnesota Army National Guard helps returning troops re-integrate with their families. He asks community leaders and churches to help, with a program called “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon.”
Chaplain John Morris, Minnesota Army National Guard: “This is like having your house burn down when you send somebody to war. This is a long-term engagement for people who are dealing literally with a form of trauma.”
Morris organizes classes to deal with marriage, parenting, depression, plus the new dynamics at home.
Chaplain John Morris, Minnesota Army National Guard: “The sad fact is, if your marriage survived combat, it’s because your spouse learned to live without you. As harsh as this may sound, they don’t need you.”
Morris hopes “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” will help soldiers feel appreciated at home, and in their hometowns.
Chaplain John Morris, Minnesota Army National Guard: “We’re not asking for support of the foreign policy, that’s not our issue. We’re asking for support of your fellow citizens, who we all want to come home and become very productive citizens.”
TAG:
Beyond the Yellow Ribbon has become a national model for helping Iraqi vets reintegrate with their families and their communities.
For more information on the “Beyond the Yellow
Ribbon” program, visit:
http://www.minnesotanationalguard.org/returning_troops/btyr_overview.php
or call
Chaplain John Morris at 651-282-4085.