Photo By Staff Sgt. Scott Saldukas | Staff Sgt. Sascha Hollingsworth visits his wife, Staff Sgt. Rasheeda Hollingsworth,...... read more read more
Subscribe
For service members that are deployed coping with change is a part of the job. Adjusting to the separation from family members may be the toughest part.
Staff Sgt. Rasheeda Hollingsworth is one of many service members dealing with that situation along with her is her husband Staff Sgt. Sascha Hollingsworth who is also deployed.
The Hollingsworths are deployed from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., and Rasheeda is deployed to Ali Base, Iraq and her husband Sascha is deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
Sergeant Rasheeda Hollingsworth is the Supply NCOIC for the Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit with the 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here and her husband is a Vehicle and Vehicular Equipment Maintenance Journeyman with the 586th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron in Arifjan, Kuwait.
Like many others, understanding the situation may be a little easier for the two service members; however they have two young children back home that may not see it the same.
"We have a four-year-old son and a daughter who just turned one," said Rasheeda.
"During this deployment rotation we were unable to celebrate any of our birthdays together and we missed our daughters first birthday."
Although being physically separated from each other is a challenge, the staff sergeants understood what the job would entail before beginning their careers in the Air Force.
"Well of course the distance from our children is an extreme challenge for me but as an NCO I knew what I signed up for and knew this day would come," said Rasheeda. "I am focused on the mission and what I am here to accomplish, but as a mother, the moment that I had to leave my children was the moment my heart broke. No one can take that bond of a mother and her child away. Though it may be temporary, leaving them is probably one of the hardest things I have had to do."
Even though there is distance separating the family they take advantage of every opportunity available to keep in contact with each other.
"Due to my husbands job he is only able to hear about all the updates from me. As for me, I call them every Saturday because I am blessed to have that luxury," said Rasheeda.
Despite the fact that the staff sergeants are stationed in different locations the occasional surprise visits from her husband is still a possibility.
Sergeant Sascha Hollingsworths convoy team periodically stops at Ali Base to rest before pushing on to their final destination somewhere in Iraq. Their last encounter at Ali Base leads to a successful family communication mission.
"We were able to speak to our children together along with watching a video from a family member of our daughter taking her first steps when she was 11 months old," said Rasheeda.
Breaking up the time between family conversations with work and other goals that were set is how the Hollingsworths get through there deployment.
"I look forward to the time I have on going to the gym and losing weight," said Rasheeda. "When I was at home station I worked all day and then I came home and took care of the family. Here I can focus on fitness and my weight loss goals."
Though being able to focus on other goals may add a sense of accomplishment in the end having the comfort of being home with laughs and music filling the air is greatly missed.
"Well I miss the fun we have together and the time we have with the kids," said Sascha. "Also, I miss playing music in the house and the kids and us dance cracking up and laughing at each other."
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 08.28.2009 09:36 |
| Story ID: | 38055 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Web Views: | 342 |
| Downloads: | 266 |
This work, Stopping by to have some family time, by SSgt Scott Saldukas, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
