It has been a rough several months being married to Capt. Hoffman.
While the Army veterinarian supported coalition forces in Afghanistan, there was plenty of work to be done at home.
There were baths to give.
Bedtimes to enforce.
Laundry, dishes and cooking to do.
?I definitely have a new respect for stay-at-home moms,? said Jon Hoffman, husband of Capt. Diana Hoffman and stay-at-home dad to Sebastian, 2, and Theodore, 1.
Diana Hoffman was among 50 Fort Carson soldiers who returned home Thursday evening after nine months in Afghanistan.
See a slideshow of the homecoming here.
The soldiers, with the 438th Medical Detachment Veterinary Services, deployed in June. They spent their time providing services such as food inspection and preventative veterinary medicine throughout the southwestern portion of the country.
Although Diana Hoffman has been in the Army for most of the couple?s seven-year marriage, the deployment was the couple?s first.
?And hopefully our last,? said a weary-looking Jon Hoffman as he kept a watchful eye on each toddler before the ceremony. ?I missed my spouse on multiple levels. It?s the little things. She wasn?t here for bath time, breaks for me.?
?Nap time is fun,? he added with a grin.
The returning unit inspected food for personnel at 130 forward operating bases and combat outposts and serviced 700 contract and military working dogs during 2,100 appointments, said Col. James Andrews, commander of the 10th Combat Support Hospital.
The soldiers also supported the medevacs of 35 working dogs, he said.
?The list keeps going on and on, and I can?t tell you how proud of you I am,? Andrews told the soldiers.
Waiting for his wife at Thursday?s ceremony was another Mr. Mom: Staff Sgt. Spencer Anderson II, an Army flight medic and father of two.
He held a bouquet of pale pink roses as he waited for his wife, Staff Sgt. Lorena Anderson.
Spencer Anderson has experienced both sides of deployment: at home waiting for his wife and a 15-month deployment to Iraq.
Those waiting at home have the tougher job, he said.
?When you?re there, you don?t have a lot of time to think,? he said. ?When you?re here, you?re home doing laundry, paying bills. You have time to think.
?The house has been really lonely without her,? he added. ?I?m looking forward to having a lively home.?
After the call of ?dismissed,? Jon and Diana Hoffman spent their first few reunited moments playing with their children and fighting back tears.
Sebastian handed his soldier mom a bouquet of bright orange flowers.
They sniffed them together.
She kissed his ear.
Then she sobbed.
Leaving her boys was ?the hardest thing I?ve ever had to do in my life,? she said.
?I?m done being a soldier for a while,? she said. ?It?s time to be a mom.?
Source: http://www.gazette.com/articles/home-152567-afghanistan-cooking.html
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