The War at Home

If you’ve ever said goodbye at an airport you might have some appreciation for the feelings sophomore Lindsey Gause and her family had this time last year as they drove to Charlotte-Douglas International. However, unless you’ve sent off someone who might not come back, the empathy probably stops there.

Feb. 20, 2006, Lindsey, had to hug her father Tim knowing he was heading into harm’s way – into Iraq, to the war. The family of five, including mom Sandra and Lindsey’s siblings Travis and Ryan, was allowed to go all the way to the gate together. Tim was the last passenger to board.

After a few minutes, the pilot, having seen the family say goodbye, invited the family onto the plane to speak over the intercom. They readily agreed. Then they went to the back of the plane for one last goodbye and returned to the gate to watch the plane leave.

That was almost a year ago. Now, her father is home. But with President George W. Bush’s recently announced troop increase as part of a new war strategy, that could change at any time, as is the case with a number Rock Hillians in the reserves and guard.

Tim is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard Reserves and was deployed last February to Ramadi, a city just east of Baghdad, last year. There were 17 members of his unit, and they supported an Army National Guard unit from Pennsylvania.

Tim was gone for five months. Ryan’s eighth birthday was only six days after Tim left. He also missed Sandra’s, his own, and Lindsey’s 15th.
While Tim was gone, the Gause family was forced to continue their day-to-day life without him.

Travis, then a junior at Northwestern High School, “didn’t talk about it much,” said Lindsey, “so I wasn’t sure how he felt about it.” Ryan, then a second grader at York Road Elementary School, “was scared, but didn’t really understand,” said Lindsey.
Though Sandra’s husband was in danger, she held the family together. “She stayed strong for us,” said Lindsey, who recalls crying a lot.

But it wasn’t all bad. Tim called about two times a week, and they emailed and wrote letters regularly as well.

Lindsey said the hardest times for her were the first few days her father was gone, and the last few days before he came home.

But Lindsey and her brothers grew up this way, as military kids, which “really isn’t that bad,” said Lindsey. “We get to travel, see a lot of places, and live on base.”

When Travis was younger and before Lindsey was born, Tim was stationed in Alaska and the family got to live on base. Since then, the family has been stationed at Seymour Johnson, the base in Goldsboro, NC, and NAS Pensacola, the base in Pensacola, FL.

When Tim was deployed to Ramadi last year, it was the first time since Lindsey was about two, when he was deployed to the Persian Gulf for about six months.

Tim was in the Air Force for a total of 15 years, up until Lindsey was about seven years old. He took about five years off and worked as an airline pilot for Northwest Airlines. In 2000, he joined the Air National Guard Reserves to finish his 20 years of service. Now, he still maintains his job as an airline pilot as he serves in the reserves

Despite everything she’s been through, Lindsey is a strong supporter of President Bush. She said if Bush’s proposal for over 20,000 more troops is the U.S.’s best option, then America needs to go forward without hesitation.

“I think it’s going to take a lot more time, but whatever it takes to get everything done, then do it,” said Lindsey.

No one is sure whether Tim will have to leave again. The family hasn’t received any information regarding whether he’ll be deployed.

Despite her fears, Lindsey’s facing the idea with strength: “Whatever happens, happens. We got through it once, we can get through it again.”