Marines eager to get home; Some more than others

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- One of the hardest things Marines face, aside from earning their title is the deployed environment. The initial challenge separates you from everything you know - it is a new atmosphere.

When Marines deploy, it is a similar situation. They aren't sure of their surroundings, they're filthy and exhausted, but after a period of time, through correspondences with family and familiarity with the schedule, the focus turns to the training.

For Marines participating in Combined Arms Exercise 10-02, the feeling is all too familiar. Imagine combining those feelings with leaving a child behind, coming to the Mojave Desert and knowing that you would miss many of his first experiences.

"It's hard being away. I miss her a lot, especially when she does things for the first time," Sgt. Lisa Marie Bauer, an ordnance technician, explained the difficulties of being away from her daughter, Kali. "I try to call as much as I can and that helps. She cheers me up when I talk to her."

Bauer, a single mother participating in CAX 10 with VMA-542, said being away is tough, but it helps knowing her daughter, who will be 3 years old in October, is in good hands.

"Kali is staying with her dad's mom in Dubois, Pa., where she always stays while I'm deployed," the Spring Hill, Fla., native said. "It's going to be very hard getting back into a normal routine, especially with grandma spoiling her."

Bauer keeps her daughter's photo beside her cot. She said Kali is always on her mind, but her Marines say she doesn't let that interfere with her job.

"I have three children of my own," Lance Cpl. Davon G. Dailey said. "I'm sure she misses her daughter, but she never brings it to work."

The Albany, Ga., ordnance technician said Bauer is motivated and that motivates him.

Staying motivated is one of the hardest things about being deployed.

Lance Cpl. Amber M. Bumgarner, another single mother with the squadron, said knowing that she is providing for her 10-month-old son, Junior, is what motivates her. The Jacksonville, N.C., aviation operator said putting food on the table is what keeps her sane. 

"The worst part about being out here is that I missed his first step," Bumgarner said. "That was kind of depressing, but you do what you have to."

Bumgarner said knowing that she'll see Junior soon helps pass the time. She said the time she and her son spend apart makes the time they are together more special.

These VMA-542 single mothers are counting down the days. They will be able to see and hold their children very soon. They and the rest of the Marine Air Ground Task Force- 2 "desert warriors" will return home to the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-area next week.