Active Duty Extended

Dear Friends,

Jason continues his service in New Orleans with the 769th Engineering Battalion of the Louisiana Army National Guard. He has managed to place some phone calls to his family in Baton Rouge and to us, but the cell phone signals are not very good.

He served a brief tour aboard the USS Iwo Jima helping to escort dignitaries who had come to visit the hurricane-ravaged region. After a few days, he rotated back to regular duty with his unit.

Jason asked me to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers, and he asked that you continue to remember him and his fellow soldiers. They have recently been told that their mandatory federal duty may be extended through February of 2006.

Jason is especially grateful to Fr. Mike and Leigh Ann and everyone who has sent treats for the troops! If you would like to send anything - especially a note of encouragement to the 1,200 soldiers at his location - here is the address:

SGT Jason P. Babin
Louisiana Army National Guard
A Co, 769th EN BN
2900 S. Magnolia Street
Baker, LA 70714-3300


Again, thank you for your prayers for our soldiers and especially for our neighbors in the South.


Gratefully,

Chris

Cleaning Up After the Storm

Dear Friends,

We heard from Jason today. He has been assigned to temporary duty aboard the USS Iwo Jima which is currently deployed to New Orleans. His job is to help escort the politicians and other officials who come to Louisiana for a photo-op, I mean, visit.

When the President visits Louisiana, he is escorted by members of the 82nd Airborne, while the members of the Louisiana Army National Guard watch from the sidelines. In my humble opinion, just another direct slap from the federal government against one of the states that has already suffered so much.

If I'm sounding a little bitter, it's probably because I am! I wish that certain politicians - and yes, that means you, Mr. President - would spend their time and energy on actually helping the people affected by Hurricane Katrina, instead of trying to prove to us how much they're finally doing.

But I digress. Jason is holding up well. He is eager to rejoin the troops of the 769th and continue the actual work of cleaning up. I look forward to his eventual return to family and school, but we have no idea when that will happen.

Christopher
chris.tobin@comcast.net

A Tragic Storm

Dear Friends,

Jason reported today for active duty with the 769th Engineering Battalion of the Army National Guard. Although officially excused from service - he was about to return to classes at Widener University - he chose to voluntarily report so that he could offer assistance to his beloved Louisiana.

He asked me to update his blog while he's away, and I'm honored to share his thoughts with you. We expect to have only sporadic communication with him during the early stages of deployment, especially since the situation in New Orleans is still so volatile, but I will pass along all information as I receive it.

Please pray for Jason's safety and for all the troops and volunteers who are serving in the storm-ravaged region. May we do everything that we can to support their efforts, and may God help us all come to grips with this terrible tragedy.

Christopher