Three Way Calling

(My three on the phone)

I didn't actually have a photo of Reuben on his phone up in Alaska, but when I saw this guy hanging out in a bag of dusty brown and green men I knew I had to have him. Look at this; he's on the phone while he's shooting someone! That is SOOOOO my son. He's on the phone talking to his sisters, telling them to stop fighting but he's about to kill someone - - this is NOT our father's Army.

I have been so bad in the past year or so calling Reuben up just because he has a phone and I can get a hold of him. He'll be in formation, on a mission, at bivouac or just climbing over a wall when his phone rings. Everyone in the unit just laughs at him...."STRINGFELLOW, you're phone's ringing!" Bet it's his mom, they say under their breath. They used to say it out loud hoping to get rise out of him, but it was me, and they'd get all upset because their moms never called. I call just to see if he's taking his vitamins, if he's remembering to turn off his coffee pot before he goes out to the field for the day, or just to make him burp for me. He's really one of the best damn belchers in the universe, and it makes me happy to hear him. I know he's OK if I can get a burp from my son. (Worked 21 years ago, and I just haven't stopped listening for it. I don't bounce that much with him anymore though.)

The girls were actually both talking to him in this picture. One on my home line, the other on her cell, and he'd have to switch back and forth on his cell to listen to the other sister bitching after he'd had enough of the first one. I couldn't stop laughing. I was in the kitchen making something and heard every word. Finally, when one of them hung up I got a call from Reuben telling me that he had to go park his Stryker, it was going to require both hands, but he couldn't get his sister off the phone because she was crying. He's needed.

Sometimes I think he went to the Army to get away, and sometimes I think he went to the Army to protect them. (Us) He'll call me at 11:45 his time to be sure the doors are locked, the dogs are in, the girls are in bed, and all the candles are blown out. The only problem with his 11:45 (2345 military time) calls is that it's 2:45 a.m. (0245 MT) my time. If the doors weren't locked by that time, I'm probably in some sort of trouble, but at least he's still the man of the house - more than 2000 miles away, but he's got it covered. HOOAH!