While serving in Afghanistan, Chaney appreciates Family more

During a school visit in Afghanistan, Sgt. 1st Class Christine Chaney (right) hands out hair ties to the first grade girls. Chaney is on a year-long mission with the Missouri Army National Guard in Shindand with the 548th Transportation Company out of Trenton. (Submitted Photo)

By Jennifer Archdekin
ngmo.pao@us.army.mil

SHINDAND, Afghanistan - Since early spring about 170 Citizen-Soldiers with the Trenton-based 548th Transportation Company have been serving on a year-long mission in western Afghanistan. Most of these Citizen-Soldiers will spend the holidays away from Family and friends halfway around the world.

Sgt.1st Class Christine Chaney, of Brimson, is one such Soldier. She is serving as truckmaster and operations noncommissioned officer while in Afghanistan and has served in the National Guard for 23 years.

Chaney is one of the few that will spend Christmas with her Family while home on leave, though she has missed all other holidays and special events while deployed. Before leaving Afghanistan, Chaney made sure her troops had as much holiday spirit as she could muster.

"I am the one in charge of putting up the tree and I will get some of the younger guys to help me put it up and decorate the tactical operations center area," said Chaney. "We have two big totes of decorations that were left by the other company. Christmas is my favorite holiday, so I plan to enjoy decorating for it. Even though I will not be here, I want it to be very nice for everyone else."

Chaney said the USO is good about planning special events. There will be activities planned at "Scooters," which is a recreation room set aside for troops where they can watch movies, socialize with others and have some down time.

"The USO provides a chance for Soldiers to record themselves reading a book and send it to their children," said Chaney. "If you ever get a chance to help out the USO please do. The USOs have been a Godsend on this deployment. They are wonderful for the Soldiers."

Chaney's Christmas wish this year is for her Soldiers, and is simple. She hopes each of them can communicate with their Families on Christmas day for one hour and have a good video connection.

"Seeing your Family is such a morale booster," said Chaney. "It carries you through a lot. I also want everyone with our company to be able to go home together in one piece, at one time."

Though her unit has been living in tents for the greater part of a year and showering in 8 feet by 20 feet stalls, Chaney said her living conditions are better than when she served in Iraq eight years ago. There's no complaining from Chaney because she said it is actually better than she expected.

While in Afghanistan, Chaney said it has been a reality check. It didn't take long for her to realize how blessed she is once she saw how others live.

"Little kids as young as four and five are picking up livestock dung and putting it into large bags, larger than them, and carrying it for miles so that they can have heat for the winter," said Chaney. "Being here opens your eyes to how good we have things. Our kids go to school in a safe neighborhood; these kids have paramilitary on their roofs with AK-47s and RPGs protecting them."

On a brighter side, Chaney and a few other Soldiers had the opportunity to visit a local school and hand out school supplies and stuffed animals to the kids. She said the kids are poor, but overall healthy, normal children. They are made to work early in life and only go to school up to the age of 15.

"I gave the little girls colorful hair bands and at first they were really bashful, but by the time we left the school they were peeking over their scarves and giving me a little wave with their hands," said Chaney. "We went again to visit the school a month and a half later to deliver more school supplies and the little girls remembered me. This time they were friendly and trusting me from the start."

These experiences, and the time and distance from home, have taught Chaney to appreciate her Family even more.

"You learn to appreciate your time with your Family and your time alone with yourself much more than you ever did before," said Chaney. "You are reminded of how precious the moments spent with loved ones can be. Don't ever take anything for granted."

In her opinion, Chaney thinks the biggest misconception people have about being deployed is that it is easy or like the TV show, "MASH."

"Not a day goes by that you don't think about all the things you are missing out on in your Families' lives," said Chaney. "You want nothing more than your Family to be happy, but you are afraid that they will get too used to you being gone and you won't have a place to fit in upon your return. Things change while you are gone, people change. Nothing can ever be the same when you get back, you just have to adjust and go with the changes."

Serving overseas, or in the military in general, does not come without sacrifice. That is something Chaney and her Family knows all too well, but that doesn't discount the passion she has to continue serving.

"I serve because I think it is the right thing to do," said Chaney. "I believe in our country and what it was founded on. I believe in patriotism. It is really hard to explain unless you have served yourself. It is like a sickness, my husband says, that just doesn't let you go. It gets its claws in you and you can't turn your back away from it and get out."

When Chaney redeploys in the spring she wants to take a month off and spend time with her husband and kids.

"It won't make up for the last year that I missed with them, but maybe we can make some memories that will help cover up some of the memories of me being gone from this year," said Chaney.

Chaney works fulltime as the readiness noncommissioned officer at the Trenton armory. She is supported by her husband, Rex, and children, David and Shelby.

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While walking in a first grade classroom of boys and girls in Afghanistan, Sgt. 1st Class Christine Chaney (behind) visits with the children and hands out school supplies and small gifts to the students. Chaney is on a year-long mission with the Missouri Army National Guard in Shindand with the 548th Transportation Company out of Trenton. (Submitted Photo)

Sgt. 1st Class Christine Chaney (Submitted Photo)