Seth Rice touches the TV screen that shows his father, Staff Sgt. Jeff Rice, reading him a book from Afghanistan.
March 8th, 2011
10:27 AM ET
Growing up while mom and dad are off fighting a war
Seth Rice is a 2-year-old boy full of energy, curiosity and emotions. Watching him play with his toys, you don't notice any of the emotional toll that having a parent deploy can take on a little boy.
Let alone having both parents deploy, for nearly seven months simultaneously.
But that's what Seth's parents did, choosing to deploy to Afghanistan together, rather than have one stay home with Seth while the other deployed.
That decision may be hard for some parents to fathom, but for the Rices it was the best option.
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my great great grandaddy was in world war 1
OORAH Staff Sergeant! It's commitment like that, which separates selfless individuals, over the self-absorbed.
To the privileged posters above; do you think war is fair?
Semper Fi, Pfc! I'm a USMC Wife and although my husband and I currently do not have children, my father was a Marine and my grandfather as well. Leaving your children behind is difficult and trying, but it did make me and my 3 sisters appreciate each moment with our father when he was home. And while others on this blog want to say that what my husband and you do for a living is "a cancer" or "evil." Americans understand the necessity for the separation.
Ooh-Rah!
If you're not happy in the great USof A, then leave, quit b---n about what this country is doing, when so many of our young men have died in order to give women, and girls the freedoms to not be exploited, beaten, and disfigured, then tossed aside like so much garbage. Quite simply, if you don't like it, leave, the border's open!!
lorna – the problem is that we are too fine in the US . We want the US military stay in US, so they do not stress us abroad.
I turned out just fine from my parents deploying. In fact, because my parents deployed, I believe I appreciated them far more when they were home. I did not take them for granted. I did not whine about silly things like not having $100 for a pair of jeans or sneakers and throw tantrums. I did not scream at them that I hated them because they would not let me go to the movies on a date because I was not old enough, or because I had not done my chores. I cherished our time together. I cherished my time with my Grandparents as well, and loved and respected them for the time they gave our family so that my parents could do their jobs. I was blessed that for most of their deployed time (Nam), I was too young to understand the danger they were in, as I was pre-K for most of that time. My father was in Infantry, and my mom was a nurse. I am proud of my parents, and grateful to my grandparents. I feel truly blessed that I (and my brother) had the advantages of 6 very loving adults raising us – as both my Mom and my Dad's folks were there for us. I am now an extremely successful executive in a Global firm. I make a small fortune, for which I donate over 20 percent of what I make to the Wounded Warriors, the USO, the Semper Fi fund, and several other charities. My brother is the President and part owner of a regional hospital system. He makes more than 3 times what I do, and contributes about 20 percent of his earnings to many charities as well. We both have children serving our Country now in the military, and have fostered others. We learned from our early upbringing to not take life, and our good fortune for granted. We also learned to give back to the military families that we have grown to love – even if we do not know them individually. We are not the only ones like this – we know many children that grew up in the military communities of two parents deployed. We are a family together, and bond for life. Now – does that sound like child abuse to someone?
It's not an easy decison, and reading moronic posts like those above must make it an even more difficult decision for a deploying parent. You cowards should thank your god that the Rice family has the cojones you all clearly lack.
Lubin -Cowards are those claiming to fight for me killing children for money. Nobody has the right to do so.
Please...spare me !!!
When will people see that war is bad for everyone??....We are sticking our noses where they dont belong !!....I have a friend in the FBI who was over there and also one in the special forces....I've seen footage that the news doesn't cover... it's all sick and there is no need for it!!... Where's the courage in that??
Kellie – I appreciated your post. You may have seen something very bad in your footage. I saw horrible things from Wikileaks, Emergency aid workers, and I know soldiers are killing teenage kids . I am shocked too. I was threatened by US military, and even by their mothers. Strenght is in the technology, no more in the human qualities. We are prisoners in our countries.
Deploying together to fight may be best for the parents but what will be the affect on the child in later years? He is in effect, an orphan. He will grow up knowing that he was NOT his parents first consideration. That can be devastating for any child. One of them has to be there, this solution is unconciousable. I appreciate what they are sacrificing for our freed om but I am very uncomfortable with one of their sacrifices being their son. It's not right. Thhis is not what women's lib was about.
Carol – I think we should love ALL the children, not just ours. This blog is military propaganda. Soldiers are killing children in Afghanistan as they did in Iraq. Nobody has the right to tell that they are doing that for my freedom.
You have to look at history in the broad scope. Not only do we keep repeating it, we keep repeating our mistakes. Of course it's wrong to kill children but it has happened for thousands of years. Look what we did to the Indians who were here first and to the blacks we brought over to work as slaves. Also not right But on the back of those mistakes we built this mighty country. We can't give it back, we have to move forward, correcting our mistakes as we go. As an aside, we kill millions of unwanted dogs and cats in this country every year – it's horrible but we keep doing it because we don't want to face WHY we abandon not only them but the children, the elderly. There is an emptiness in the heart of this country now. No standards, no morals, no trust or acknowledgement of error. Some individuals have it but not the country as a whole. When we can solves such problems among ourselves, we will stop what is being done overseas. This is how Rome went down and I never thought I would live to see it. My father spent 34 years in an Army uniform, but not for this. I saw hope and faith die in him after Viet Nam. Now what do we rattle on about? Charlie Sheen, Lohan, you name it. I just want to cry. Does anyone remember Doctor Tom Dooley? That was my America.
Carol – When I was a child and my father told me we were going to USA I was afraid as our country was at war against US, and my mother told me about US bombing, but on the contrary we had a great welcome. After the Soviet implosion the country worsened as you said. I don't remember the names you quoted, but please bond togheter for a change toward peace.
I saw horrible things even the Nazi never did.
OK...this is sick !!! get home ...both parents leaving their child is just short of child abuse....NO CAUSE is worth that !! It's not even our war.... we shouldn't be there in the first place.....what if they both die??? Apparently you dont know the feeling of losing a child.... when after that nothing else in the world is worth being seperated from you kids !!! Especially a false war... !!! It will effect the child ...even though he's only 2 !!...DUH.... I pray for you and that you outgrow this stupidty that you are fighting for our "freedom" !!!
Kellie – do you agree that this blog is part of a military campaign to persuade women that they can joint the military and leave the babe alone ? Is this a new model for women ? little children can be seriously disturbed by this situation.
We need to work for peace.
I agree... we should be a ntion of peace... NOT WAR !!! It's soooo absurd that we are even over there...the government has brainwashed the pop. to believe that we need this war for peace and security!!! What o load of BS....I respect the soldier that is doing thier job....my father was in Vietnam...so I know all to well..... The only terrorists we should fear are the gang members and the government !!! Unfortunately this country is going down the toilet and the government has the thier hand on the flusher !!!.... We should bring our troops home and put that money back into our country...where people are starving and homeless !!!! Not to mention all the budget cuts!!! Gheez...could go on for hours....Keep it up america !!!
Oh and btw... the government shouldn't even allow both parents of a baby to be deployed......Just shows how sick they are !!! (ie:govn't)
Salerno you see what Kellie is saying. If he is American and is part of 64% public opinion against the baby killing in Afghanistan and Pakistan then it is encouraging and we here can say that all Americans are not baby killers. You see how shamelessly these parents have ignored their prime responsibility of taking care of this cute 2 years old baby and killing Afghan babies, mostly for dollars, they receive out of proportion, with highest ratio in comparative jobs in America. For these dollars they are putting the future of this infant at risk and sowing the hate which then this cute baby will reap.
Sangaryar – It is true, there is some little hope. Anyway many americans still do not know what really their army are doing. They think it is a problem of some bad apples in the army, but on the contrary the soldiers are receiving criminal orders and it is difficoult for them to object. They are trained to obey, like the Nazi and to remove any sense of guily and compassion.
There are many wonderfull americans like kellie, but they have not the power to change anything sadly.