The trouble with any vacation is that for all the build up, for all the anticipation, for all the excitement, it is over almost as soon as it begins.For service members, this reality is even more apparent and, in most cases, even more difficult. In fact, going on environmental morale leave presents one of the biggest contradictions deployed troops can face.
On the one hand, troops have the joy of going home to see their loved ones; and on the other hand, they have the sad day that comes 15 to 18 days later with their departure.
Two wonderful constants for the troops transitioning back home on leave or returning to the Middle East are the smiling faces and warm hugs of Connie and Linda, who are there to greet the traveling Soldiers as they pass through the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Thanks to their unbridled enthusiasm, the trip back to the desert isn't completely cheerless.
"Linda and I try to have fun with them at send-off as they just left their loved ones and need some cheering up," said Constance "Connie" Carman, a native of Bedford, Texas. "We listen to their problems as some go back with heavy hearts," she added.
Carman and her friend, Linda Tinnerman, a native of Grand Prairie, Texas, have been welcoming and saying goodbye to troops passing through the DFW International Airport for the past three and a half years.
"We call ourselves the 'Official Huggin' and Kissin' Grandmas,'" Tinnerman said.
"This is because the troops have a tendency to call us grandma, and I love each and every one of them like my very own grandchildren," Carman added.
The two got involved at the airport after watching a video on the leave program and after the terminal's director informed them about the "Welcome Home Our Heroes Program." Since that time, and nearly every day for the last four years, the ladies have volunteered their time, their devotion and their hearts to the serving men and women they have encountered. They leave an indelible mark on most, if not all of them.
"I met them on my EML last deployment," said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Miles, a native of Belleville, Ill., who serves as plans and operations noncommissioned officer, division chaplain's office, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad. "You can see it on the faces of the Soldiers as they go in and out of the airport either going on leave or to return to their battle space," he added, speaking on the positive impact the ladies have on troops.
Initially, the ladies were only allowed to greet the troops as they arrived on the "Freedom" flights. Our Soldiers quickly came to expect an amazing reception of thanks and gratitude that the "grannies" spearheaded.
"Linda and I are the geriatric cheerleaders, greeting them with pom poms," Carman said.
Receiving the troops as they came in on leave, however, was not completely satisfying for the two. As a result, Carman and Tinnerman made the choice to join the United Service Organizations and are now able to not only welcome the troops home, but are also able to be with them in the secure departure terminal while they wait to return to the Middle East.
"We joined the USO, and this enables us to be with them on the secure side prior to their leaving," said Carman. "We are assigned to load our carts with goodies, such as food stuffs, water, toiletries, books, pillows, cell phones, and we get a chance to really visit and take our pictures," she added.
As the War on Terrorism has gone on, the "grannies" have remained steadfast and loyal in their support of all the troops and have remained in constant contact with a lot of them.
"I have been in touch with them for over three years, and they always meet me at the airport," said Master Sgt. Billy Arnold, a native of Turlock, Calif., who serves as the noncommissioned officer in charge, division chaplain's office, 4th Inf. Div. "They are very loving and caring ladies," he added.
The love that these ladies show keeps Soldiers smiling and helps them cope with their return to their missions.
"Whether you are for the war or against the war, Democrat or Republican, whatever, it doesn't make any difference as these young men are there sacrificing their lives for us. They are giving up more than people realize," Carman said.
"One doesn't have to support the war to support our troops. They are doing their job, and we need to show our support to them and thank them every day of our lives for what they do for us," Tinnerman added.
This constant show of support and thanks is something that neither of the two ladies seem intent on stopping anytime in the foreseeable future.
"I will do it until the last one comes home or I am no longer physically able to," Carman said.
"I will support these troops and keep thanking them forever for their service and sacrifice. I am very proud of them and appreciate what they do, and there has not been a time when I thought about giving up on them," added Tinnerman.
While some people may come and visit troops seeking notoriety or other means of popularity, the benefit these two ladies get from serving is purely from the heart.
"So many of my 'adopted' grandkids tell me they feel like movie stars or very special because of the wonderful treatment they have gotten here. It is almost unbelievable to them that a total stranger could come up to them and give them a hug and tell them that they are loved," said Carman.
"I just love being around the troops. I love to talk and joke with them and laugh. Laughter is good medicine, and I like to send them off with a smile on their faces," Tinnerman added.
The connection the ladies share with the troops is apparent and impossible to fake. Both of them come from military backgrounds and both of their deceased husbands served in the Army. It is likely that this connection continues to draw them to serve.
"I have had so many memorable experiences, and I look through my pictures periodically and go down memory lane. Just being with them is a memorable experience," said Carman.
"I wish that I could have touched more troops as I know that there are plenty out there that don't have family support, and I want them to know that they are loved and appreciated," Tinnerman added.
Their commitment and dedication will continue to be appreciated by the servicemembers, and their efforts will definitely not fall on deaf hearts or blind minds.
"I want to thank (Carman and Tinnerman) for (their) love and dedication in supporting us. (They) touch the heart of many men and women who flow in and out of Dallas International Airport. I know. I was one of them," Miles said.
Though returning from leave can be taxing on the emotions of troops, the ladies are making it at the very least more bearable. Their message to the service members they have met, and even those they haven't, is poignant in its degree of sincerity.
"I will never forget how much we owe our troops - so many lives lost, so many lives interrupted, never to be the same again," Tinnerman said. "I do love them with all my heart. I will continue to support them in all their efforts wherever they are, and I am proud of their dedication and commitment," she added.
"I hope you will soon be home in the arms of your loved ones, and I am sending you a great big bunch of hugs," Carman added. "Do you feel them?"
It is certain that they do, and it is certain that the grannies' dedication to the Soldiers' welfare makes their environment, their morale and their leave easier to embrace.
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