A MilFam Thanksgiving Story: Military Family Reconnects Overseas

Every military family story I write is different. Some are about young families. Some are about veterans. And some are about families that still manage to be families thousands of miles away from eachother.

This, my readers, is one of the last type of stories.

Enter Reginald and Emmanuel Wright. Both men hail from the same household, and right now, are stationed hundreds of miles away from each other in the U.S.

But, as chance (and the Army) would have it, fate has reunited the two together again... in Bagram, Afghanistan.

I had the chance to Skype with the two men about their serendipitous deployments, thier realationship, and thier connection with the USO and was able to write up this awesome story.

Here's snippet:

Remember when you were a kid, and your parents wanted to show you off? Your report cards, your new clothes, your questionable singing abilities, all on display on command for the neighbors and their friends. 

Now imagine you’re a soldier in the most advanced Army on Earth and walking into a USO center in Afghanistan. And then you hear this: “There he is. Emmanuel, come over here and meet ...”

Aw man, Dad.

Like any proud father, Staff Sgt. Reginald Wright enjoys introducing his son to his acquaintances. But unlike most parents, the elder Wright gets to do it in a war zone. 

“You know, people here that come to visit, I get to like them, I get to talk to them, get to know them, and I say, ‘Hey, I want you to meet someone.’ I introduce my son to them. And they all stare,” Reginald Wright said. “They give that little look. And then they look at him, and they look at me, and I say, ‘This is my son.’ And they say, ‘Really?’” 

- See more at: http://www.uso.org/overseas-family-reunion/#sthash.MO8wANy6.dpuf

Remember when you were a kid, and your parents wanted to show you off? Your report cards, your new clothes, your questionable singing abilities, all on display on command for the neighbors and their friends. 

Now imagine you’re a soldier in the most advanced Army on Earth and walking into a USO center in Afghanistan. And then you hear this: “There he is. Emmanuel, come over here and meet ...”

Aw man, Dad.

Like any proud father, Staff Sgt. Reginald Wright enjoys introducing his son to his acquaintances. But unlike most parents, the elder Wright gets to do it in a war zone. 

“You know, people here that come to visit, I get to like them, I get to talk to them, get to know them, and I say, ‘Hey, I want you to meet someone.’ I introduce my son to them. And they all stare,” Reginald Wright said. “They give that little look. And then they look at him, and they look at me, and I say, ‘This is my son.’ And they say, ‘Really?’” 

Remember when you were a kid, and your parents wanted to show you off? Your report cards, your new clothes, your questionable singing abilities, all on display on command for the neighbors and their friends. 

Now imagine you’re a soldier in the most advanced Army on Earth and walking into a USO center in Afghanistan. And then you hear this: “There he is. Emmanuel, come over here and meet ...”

Aw man, Dad.

Like any proud father, Staff Sgt. Reginald Wright enjoys introducing his son to his acquaintances. But unlike most parents, the elder Wright gets to do it in a war zone. 

“You know, people here that come to visit, I get to like them, I get to talk to them, get to know them, and I say, ‘Hey, I want you to meet someone.’ I introduce my son to them. And they all stare,” Reginald Wright said. “They give that little look. And then they look at him, and they look at me, and I say, ‘This is my son.’ And they say, ‘Really?’” 

- See more at: http://www.uso.org/overseas-family-reunion/#sthash.MO8wANy6.dpuf

Click here for the whole story!