WEBVTT

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Joanne Gibbs is one of about 100,000

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civilians who work in Iraq . How she

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got there . There was a little bit

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unusual . She went with her son , a

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sergeant in the army , faced his second

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deployment to the Middle East . So Iran

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decided she'd go to , she got a job

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with the Army Corps of Engineers in

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Baghdad and here's the thing . Her son

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ended up being deployed to Kuwait .

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Well now as the holidays approach

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family that was a part is still a part ,

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Joanne Gibbs joins us this morning .

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She is in Baghdad and I used to see

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Joanne , Thanks for talking with us ,

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explain to me . I mean literally you

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moved to Baghdad in order to be close

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to your son and during his second

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deployment , is that right ?

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Excuse me ? Yes , I did

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After my son was first support in

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Baghdad back in 2000 and four , he came

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home , got back in school and I saw the

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growth in him that the experience and

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being in Baghdad had with him and at

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that time I decided that I really

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wanted to do something in support of

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the soldiers here in Baghdad and in

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state hands it I got started looking

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for a position here in Baghdad and the

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faith has it . He was called up for a

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second deployment during the exact time

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that I got my assignment here in

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Baghdad but visual you assumed he'd be

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in Baghdad and you would be in Baghdad

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and at least you'd be sort of close

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together . It didn't turn out that way

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before we talk about his his deployment

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to kuwait . Tell me a little bit about

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what you do in the green zone in

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Baghdad now . Okay . I am the database

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Manager for the core of engineers who's

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working in agreement with the United

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States Agency of International

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Development which is part of an agency

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within Department of State's on the

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database manager for their their

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responsible for infrastructure

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contracts . And I'm keeping up with all

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the data as it pertains to the contract .

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Uh That's being magnificent . So you

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basically manage a lot of the I'm sorry

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for interrupting , you basically manage

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a lot of the flow of information and

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you work in the in the pretty secure

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green zone . So your son is in is in

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great . How disappointed were you when

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you realized oh my gosh I'm going to

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Baghdad to be with him and he's going

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to you know , actually I found out

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several months before I was deployed to

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Baghdad that he was going to kuwait and

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even though he was going to kuwait , I

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still wanted to come over so I could do

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something in support of the soldiers

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here in Baghdad . Got it . So do you

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feel that you've really fulfilled what

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you set out to do that you're really

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helping out and supporting the U . S .

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Troops were there and our nation as

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well from where you are . Oh yes indeed .

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It's so fulfilling and it's so

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rewarding . I feel as though that I

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have really did a lot . Um and this

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effort And supported the soldiers ? So

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yes , it has really been in a rewarding

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and fulfilling experience . I'm so glad

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to hear that now . I know at the same

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time it's on Darren , it's been waiting

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is just 22 years old , you know ? Do

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you have a sort of a holiday bridge ,

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something you wish for for not just

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your family but for ever everybody ?

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Yes , it's I'm really

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enjoying being here in Baghdad . But

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naturally it's difficult being away

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from my daughter back in the States and

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it's difficult being away from Darren

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and I wish that all families could be

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together this holidays and I know that

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not possible . So I'm just

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praying that peace will come and that

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through modern technology at least down

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this can stay in touch with each other

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during the holiday season . Has a nice

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question . You're right . You know what

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though ? How about this ? Let's reveal

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our surprise . Come on in Aaron ,

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take a look around , we widen

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out our camera .

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Where is that young

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man ? Don't believe me ?

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You do not believe me . Uh this is

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why you didn't answer my email .

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I emailed him , I emailed

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him on yesterday . And what's your

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email in what you're saying ? Why he

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didn't ask . Well I always email them

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and say hello , my one and only son ,

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How are you doing this morning ? So

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every day I sent him an email in this

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higher started off from now and he just ,

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he just didn't answer at all . Did you .

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Are you totally surprised ? He looked

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so calm . Are you totally start ? Oh ,

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because uh

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oh ,

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Darren , your mother . She's speechless

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but laughing . So they'll take a take a

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moment and I'll talk to Darren for a

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second hearing . Were you disappointed

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that you didn't get to be near your mom ?

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Are you worried about your mom ? I mean

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now she's in Baghdad and you're in

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kuwait ? I don't worry about my mother

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all the time . She's in Baghdad . I was

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deployed there once before in 2040

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2005 and I know how it is . And so

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every day I pray for my mother and all

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my fellow soldiers that are here in

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Baghdad and I threw out . All right .

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All right . There's a lot of people

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joining you on those prayers as I'm

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sure you're well aware . Was it weird

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to have your mom want to move to

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Baghdad ? You'll be near you . I mean

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you're 22 years old . It's not like

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they're 10 . Yes . I was quite

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surprised . And she mentioned to me

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that she was interested in volunteering .

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So work in All right , because like in

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the present danger that exists here .

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She has the

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biggest smile on her face and she has

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literally been laughing through . It's

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gonna be the last three minutes . He

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has not stopped giggling . Uh What what

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a nice , wonderful thank you for you

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now . During what happened ? You you

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know , I gotta tell you , I can take .

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I would love to take all the credit I

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can take . None is all the doing of

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your son by the way . Uh , what happens

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next ? How long are you posted in quick

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for Windsor family going to eventually

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get back together ? Hopefully by the

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time october 2007 we'll all be back

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together in the states to celebrate and

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have a great time there . All right ,

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well that's not . Deployment ends in

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september I think and nine ends in

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october of next year . So it's Lawrence .

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Well , we all will be back together

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celebrating thanksgiving and christmas

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together back in the States next year .

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But I wouldn't take this deployment

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when take this deployment for anything .

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And I think about the soldiers out

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putting themselves in harm's way . The

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least I can do is come over and there's

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something in support of them . So I

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would not exchange this experience for

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anything . It has been wonderful .

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Great and very , very , very fulfilling

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to and Gib and Karen give Sergeant

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Darren gives the U . S . Army . You

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know what I'm done . You got to go a

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little time with your mom . A my place .

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Look at that smile . That is a million

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watt smile . They used to see you guys

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and happy holidays to you . Thank you .

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Goodbye . Oh my God , you're both so

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cute . Thank you . Your mom is

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okay . Bye

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bye