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Kerry Barrett Reporting For more than four months we have followed two Air Force families through the course of their deployment to Iraq.
The family of pilot Chris Vasquez was going through his first combat deployment. And the family of Senior Master Sergeant Joseph Gerling was on their 13th desert deployment.
While Gerling is pretty used to the whole routine, Life at war never gets easy.
Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Gerling/ 388th Fighter Wing: "Anne. You gone, me gone. We survive. So basically separation makes the heart grow fonder. We've been apart so much our hearts shouldn't be able to get any fonder, but they keep doing it."
Anne and Joe are both active military. She works outside of the home full-time too, so Joe knows exactly what it's like on her end.
"She's dealing with the kids day in and day out... there's not much time for herself."
Although right now, there's nothing he'd rather do more.
"What I really want to do is go home and play with my kids."
Instead, he watches Daniel and Becca's messages.
Although they are used to the drill, each time is a little different. Each brings new challenges, but they're doing okay.
"Family's doing well. You can tell when I talk to them on the phone they're happy, kids are doing well. I know they miss me."
Knowing that helps him keep focused on work, managing and maintaining the jets.
"The morale, the welfare of the folks."
Although he could just as easily be talking about his role as a Dad and husband. For example, he sent flowers for Valentines Day. And he's quick to let the kids know what he misses about them.
"The biggest thing I miss with Rebecca is being able to tuck her into bed each night and watch her read or myself to read to her."
"For Daniel, the little wild man, my little mister, my favorite little boy..."
And, why he's gone..
"You go to come over here so your family and kids and grandkids and great grandkids can still live in the United States of America."
Between him and Anne, they know unfortunately this time apart may, heaven forbid, be practice for real life.
"It's not the best thing in the world, but it just goes to show that if one of us should happen to get hurt while we're over here, that the other could survive. I miss you and love and hopefully that never happens. Hopefully we'll die a ripe old age together, holding hands, rocking on the chair on the porch. I love you."
Joe and Anne will be taking the kids to his parents for a few weeks while they reconnect here in Utah and spend a little time getting reaquainted.
Monday morning we'll take a closer look at the Balad Air Base. It used to be the Olympic training camp for Iraqi athletes, and Saddam Hussein used it as his version of the Air Force Academy.
