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Living day to day |
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Tuesday, 29 July 2008 |
Local soldier counts blessings while on leave from Iraq
A young Benton man has been enjoying the summer being with his wife and visiting with friends and family.
Not an extraordinary description, but these aren’t ordinary times with many of the nation’s men and women serving the country’s interests in Iraq. Brian Snow is one of the fortunate servicemen who has received some leave to come home and be with his loved ones. He will only be here another week before he returns to his duties in Iraq.
A nearly four-year officer with the Benton Police Department, Snow has been home since last Sunday. And he said he’s never enjoyed the simple things as much as now.
“It feels good to be able to clean and fix things around the house and drive to Walmart,” he said.
Snow, 26, joined the Army National Guard in summer 2006 to fulfill his desire to serve the country and also gain more experience and training as an officer of the police department.
His current deployment in Iraq is his first. He left in January with the Charlie Co. 1-153rd Infantry Battalion of the 39th Brigade. Their first stop was Camp Shelby in Mississippi. They landed in Kuwait in late February and arrived at Camp Victory in Baghdad in March.
At Camp Victory, which is surrounded by two man-made bodies of water and plush palaces erected during Saddam Hussein’s reign, Snow works at the Joint Visitors Bureau. The bureau is like a hotel for members of foreign governments, Snow said.
Some men provide security, but Snow’s job entails maintenance of the bureau. Specifically, he escorts outside workers to the task they’re called to do.
“I’ve met Gen. Petraeus and the assistant secretary of defense. It’s neat meeting people from different countries, too,” he said, noting he’s met people from Poland, Georgia, Italy, Australia, Britain and Uganda. “I’ve met people from all over the world.”
Also interesting to note, Snow said, is meeting soldiers from different countries. “It’s neat to talk to them because even though we’re from different places, we’re going through the same thing. We all have families back home that we miss.”
Although Snow’s job keeps him indoors for the most part, he’s no stranger to the hot, dry heat. When he left Baghdad, Snow said temperatures were up to 120 degrees. “We drink lots of water, about two to three liters a day, and try to stay in the air-conditioning,” he said.
Snow suspects that when he heads back to Iraq he’ll be there for about four more months. Other police officers now serving in the Middle East include Derek Hamilton, Chris Goss and Walter Kinoshita. Goss has been leading an effort in Iraq to help in the local fundraiser of 7-year-old Baley Shell. Baley is collecting cans to recycle and in return receive money to help buy reflective and cooling vests for the police department’s police dogs.
This time off has been a nice getaway, Snow said. But leading up to the leave, he felt some anxiety. “You don’t know how people are gonna react. People get in patterns, things have changed. You have get used to them and they you.”
Overall, however, “it’s better being home,” he said. In addition to spending time with his wife, Tiffany, of five years, Snow has enjoyed visiting with his brother, who has a new house and baby on the way, and his parents and grandparents.
In Iraq, Snow keeps up with family and friends through e-mail and a call home once or twice a week. He even hears from people he’s never met. “I get letters from people. The most touching came from an elementary school in East End with photos they drew.”
Snow said he also keeps up with current events at home by visiting MySaline.com and the Courier Web site.
To relieve stress and relax, Snow likes to fish in the man-made lake outside his station in Iraq and working out in the gym. “You just have to live day to day,” he said. “The guys your with are your family. You can’t dwell on the what ifs or your time will be miserable. You just have to go about your day and do what you need to do and find things to do in your free time.”
Snow said his unit has been fortunate in that there have been no casualties.
He was home-schooled in southwest Little Rock. In 2004, he earned a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree in political science with a minor in criminal justice from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Snow said he looks forward to returning to work as normal for the Benton Police Department.
Lt. Monte Hodge, Snow’s patrol lieutenant, said it’s been nice visiting with Snow during his leave and the department looks forward to his return.
“We’re glad that he got to have a vacation to come home and let us know he was all right,” Hodge said. “He’s a good, dependable and hard worker. There will be a lot of changes for him when he comes back, but basically we have the same department.”
“It looks like he’ll be home in December,” Hodge said. “We hope he stays safe until then.”
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 |  |  |  |  | Just being with family and eating good food is the best part!!- Liz McGee Quantz (Haskell, AR)
The Mabelvale United Methodist Church in Mabelvale, AR will
be hosting a fall carnival on Sunday evening October 26th from 5 to 7pm in the
Fellowship Hall. Kids will love it, parents will too! - Roger Poole (Bryant, AR)
I make an awesome Pina Colda Cake. You buy a boxed yellow
cake mix and mix it and bake it per the instructions on the box. After you bake the
cake allow it to cool for about 15 minutes. Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke
medium size holes all in the cake. Take a can of Eagle Brand Milk and Cream of
Coconut and alternate pouring them into the holes. Place the cake in the fridge for
about one hour, remove and put Cool Whip on top, as much or as little as you like.
The cake is better if you let it sit all night in the fridge before eatting. It is
wonderful!!! - Kelly Chase (Alexander, AK)
My favorite memories of Thanksgiving were when we lived in
Tulsa, Ok. There were always folks that didn't have a place to go for the holiday-
so they wound up at our house along with most of my husband's family from Benton.
The house was packed. The Thanksgiving meal was wonderful. But the celebration
didn't end there. At night, all weekend, there were pallets spread throughout the
house and the good eats seemed to never end. And on Friday morning (after
Thanksgiving) all the females were up before dawn and Christmas shopping by 8:00
a.m. Those are memories that I will cherish forever. - Billie Loe (Texas)
I always get to make the turkey for our Thanksgiving. So
you can add more butter or flour for consistency. Wash your turkey, pat dry, take
another stick of butter and rub all over turkey. Then take with your hands and smear
the batter a little thick, all over the turkey. Once all of the turkey has the
batter on it, I will melt the another bar of butter and put it in the bottom of the
pan of my turkey. It will make a wonderful gravy to use on your turkey when done.
So, then get enough aluminum foil to make a "tent" over your turkey. Put in oven and
bake @ 375 all night. It will be so moist, the crispies are great and the gravy
makes it better. Now the flip side to this is, it will be so tender it will fall apart.
So, I do not serve as a whole turkey. I go ahead and slice up, pour some grave
over some of the sliced up turkey for those who like it and then slice up some
turkey without gravy. You will have many compliments on this. Happy Thanksgiving
and Enjoy! - Liz Johnson (Benton) We prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that morning.
Then we pack it all up and travel to deer camp in South Arkansas. We serve dinner to
all those who don't have family with which to share. We'll spend the afternoon
playin' dominos, pitchin' horseshoes and just visitin'. It's a wonderful time. - Pat Stuckey (Bismarck) We invite all the family in and cook the traditional feast.
Everyone gets silly when they get full. That is entertaining. - Jim Perry (Benton) Frozen pizza - Greg Marsh (Medicine Hat) The whole family gets together and we have dinner and noon
visit for a while then go home to take naps and get ready for black friday sales! - Terrie Schulz (Benton)
My childhood memories are of the sumptuous dinners my
grandfather, Byron Yarbrough, Sr. would prepare. Family members came from all over
Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas to our home of South East Street. It was a wondeful
time I really didn't learn to appreciate until he and my grandmother passed away.
Later, my cousin Eleen Murray brought the tradition back and family members gathered
at their home near Lake Norrell. Today, it's the memories of
Thanksgivings past that I treasure. It was because of these gatherings that I came
to realize the importance of family. - David Hughes (Herndon, VA)
My favorite time of remembering Thanksgiving is when all of
my family would get together and enjoy the most wonderful feast I have ever tasted.
My mom would make at least 2 to 3 different stuffings, actually her and my sister
Tammy Parker(Schultz) would make everything. I am not quite the chef my mom and
sister are. I live now and have lived for most of my life away from home in
different states so I have tasted many other dishes. None can compare to my
mom's(Pat Brumley). But most of all it is the family being altogether and just
laughing and having fun. My husband experienced this tradition for the first time in
1999 and still to this day can not stop talking about it. His traditions were not
the same. He couldn't believe the amount of food, fun, and family we had for the
holidays. I didn't understand it because I am used to it always being that way. I am
very lucky to have the family I have. My ex-step dad (David Hughes) still treats me
and my sister like his own so I have extended family to share the holidays with too. Even if it
is just a phone call, prayer, or written. I sure so miss Benton. I was raised
there and even though I am in Hoosier state since 2001 I let everybody know I am
proud to be a Razorback. I will never be anything else. God bless everyone in
Benton and someday I hope to see you soon. - Debbie Brooks (Schultz) (Columbus, IN) |
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Razorbacks
