Published: November 19, 2008 12:15 pm         

Soldier is Home for the Holidays

A flag rippled in the breeze outside the brick home of United States Army Cpt. Joshua Ford and balloons and a Welcome Home banner — signed by friends and neighbors — greeted the young man as he returned home for the first time in ninth months.

Ford recently came home from Iraq. The latest stint was his second tour of duty in the Middle East.

Nine months might not seem like a long time to others, but for Joshua, who lives with his wife, Kristy, and children, Matthew, almost three, and Abigail, 15 months, in a home in a quiet Gainesville neighborhood, it’s been nine months without some of the things he loves most.

“He hadn’t had a hug in nine months,” Kristy said, reaching for her husband’s hand as he sat beside her in the couple’s living room.

Ford is a graduate of Thackerville High School, the son of a basketball coach.

He attended the University of Oklahoma where he earned a political science degree.

He was also a member of the National Guard and served in the university’s ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) program during college.

“I’ve been five years active duty and before that four in the National Guard,” he said.

Ford is part of Military Transition Team 0933 attached to the 2nd Brigade 25th Infantry Division.

“My job is training the Iraqi army,” he said.

The job can be difficult at times. Cultural and technological differences sometimes cause problems, he said.

“They don’t use the same logistical systems that we use,” he explained, “They don’t use electronic forms of communication like e-mail. Everything is on paper,” he said.

Ford plans to make military service his career.

The family is set to move to Virginia after his deployment — a period expected to be only about two months.

Ford said life in Iraq requires adjustments. The climate is different, for example.

“It’s a dry heat. At its highest, the temperature was 135º F,” he said. “Right now is the cool season. The high averages about 115º. At night, it dips to about 45º,” he said.

Soldiers in Iraq aren’t deprived of food, he said. Meals are delivered via food service providers with whom the government contracts.

They can also occasionally obtain locally-grown produce, he said.

But things like care packages mean a lot to the troops.

“Even if it’s something we can’t use. We can buy things we need like toothpaste, but it’s always good to get something from home,” he said.

His second deployment was different from the first in some ways, he noted.

“It (the first deployment) was before the surge when there was a lot of interaction with insurgent groups such as Al Qauda,” Ford said.

The surge Ford referred to was a 2007 effort initiated by President George W. Bush to increase security in key regions of Iraq, specifically Baghdad and the Al Anbar Province. The surge sent 20,000 additional troops into the country and increased the deployment times of troops already serving in Iraq.

By many accounts, the move has made Iraq a little more stable and safer for Coalition troops.

Right now, Ford and his family are savoring the precious two weeks of R & R.

He said he appreciates the love and concern his friends, family and neighbors have shown his family.

“The key to a successful deployment is a network of support. We’re so thankful for our friends, family and our church family at First Baptist Church,” Ford said.

“His Sunday school teacher even e-mailed him a Sunday school lesson every week,” Kristy noted.

Another thing that Ford said means a lot to soldiers is being able to speak with veterans from other wars.

“The spirit of why we do what we do is being able to talk to older veterans,” he said.

The Welcome Home banner affixed to the family’s garage door is another reminder how much their neighbors care.

Covered with well-wishes and other messages, the sign is first thing anyone notices when they pass the home.

“Thank you for everything you do for your family and for your country,” one message reads.

Looking at the sign, with his wife beside him, Ford smiles.

“This is amazing,” he said.