Family Spends Last Hours Together Before Deployment
By: Sophie Nielsen-Kolding WMBD/WYZZ-TV
Updated: January 24, 2013
NORMAL- Members of a Peoria Army Aviation unit are spending their last moments at home with their families. The Heuers are one of those families.
Michael Heuer and his team have their deployment ceremony Friday, and they leave early Saturday morning.
Michael spent Thursday night helping out with homework. He won't be here to do it for the next 11 months.
"For the last month or so I've just been kind of trying not to think about it and knew it was going to come anyway, but you know I've put off packing until the last minute so I've still got things to pack upstairs," Michael said.
He will first train at Fort Hood in Texas, then ship off to Afghanistan.
"That whole leading up to it moment that, you know, you don't want to say goodbye to anyone. I hate saying goodbye to people especially someone you love so much," said Michael's wife, Kara Heuer.
Kara said she's going to miss the little things, like having her husband here to read bedtime stories.
"I mean it's a huge sacrifice that you know, we all make but for him to leave for nine months or a year or whatever it may be, you know, he misses out on a lot of things at home, and I'm very proud of him," she said.
Michael said these familiar faces are what he'll miss most. After homework the Heuers tested out the technology that will allow them to see each others smiles, even though they'll be oceans apart.
"Using Skype and text messaging and sending pics back and forth of what's going on," Michael said.
After work and school, this army family is cherishing little precious time together.
"You know the hours that we do have at home at night are pretty special," Kara said.
He isn't quite gone yet, but Michael said he's already looking forward to coming home.
"Seeing my family, being back together, hopefully taking a trip together or something. Just spending time together," he said.
The deployment ceremony is Friday at 1:00 at the Army Aviation Support Facility #3, 2323 S. Airport Road in Peoria.
Michael Heuer and his team have their deployment ceremony Friday, and they leave early Saturday morning.
Michael spent Thursday night helping out with homework. He won't be here to do it for the next 11 months.
"For the last month or so I've just been kind of trying not to think about it and knew it was going to come anyway, but you know I've put off packing until the last minute so I've still got things to pack upstairs," Michael said.
He will first train at Fort Hood in Texas, then ship off to Afghanistan.
"That whole leading up to it moment that, you know, you don't want to say goodbye to anyone. I hate saying goodbye to people especially someone you love so much," said Michael's wife, Kara Heuer.
Kara said she's going to miss the little things, like having her husband here to read bedtime stories.
"I mean it's a huge sacrifice that you know, we all make but for him to leave for nine months or a year or whatever it may be, you know, he misses out on a lot of things at home, and I'm very proud of him," she said.
Michael said these familiar faces are what he'll miss most. After homework the Heuers tested out the technology that will allow them to see each others smiles, even though they'll be oceans apart.
"Using Skype and text messaging and sending pics back and forth of what's going on," Michael said.
After work and school, this army family is cherishing little precious time together.
"You know the hours that we do have at home at night are pretty special," Kara said.
He isn't quite gone yet, but Michael said he's already looking forward to coming home.
"Seeing my family, being back together, hopefully taking a trip together or something. Just spending time together," he said.
The deployment ceremony is Friday at 1:00 at the Army Aviation Support Facility #3, 2323 S. Airport Road in Peoria.
