Letter to Lauren Boyd from Lynne Healy (March 7, 2003):

Mike left on 27 FEB for Camp NJ in Kuwait. His platoon, 2^nd PLT of Delta Battery of the 2-44 Air Defense Artillery of Fort Campbell, KY will be helping protect the 159^th Aviation of the 101^st Airborne. He has been told he will be deployed from six to fourteen months. Please keep him and his soldiers in your thoughts and prayers. Mike was sent ahead of his battery with one of his Platoon Sergeants. He went ahead of his battalion, battery and platoon with one of his sergeants to get things ready for his men who left the following day. I was fortunate to get to spend the entire day with my husband while he got ready to deploy. Our Battery Commander was very generous with myself and the SGT's wife since our husbands had less than 12 hours notification of deployment. Unfortunately she and I were not "offically" told about their safe arrival until five days later. That was when all of the battalion arrived. The Battalion Leaders promised the families that they would be notified as soon as their soldier was safely in Southwest Asia. Not the case. I hope this is not the view of things to come!

The soldiers sleep in tents, have shower facilities and hot meals. Meanwhile they continue to train in the seasonal sandstorms waiting for their equipment to arrive via the local sea port. The CBS news shows quite a bit of camp NJ. I keep hoping to catch a glimpse of Mike or one of his men. I just wish they would get on with whatever it is they are going to be a part of!

So far the soldiers have access to a not very well stocked PX. The mailing restrictions were lifted today. So packages are now being accepted at the post office for Mike's APO AE address...thank goodness. Camp NJ is in short supply of toliet paper. It was being rationed out! Imagine that the next time you are in your "library!" It was so bad that it made the national news! The phones are outrageously expensive. The calling cards that the soldiers are using do not last long. The minutes are being eaten like food at a family reunion. The email for the soldiers is a myth for most. The communications are limited. So thank goodness for good old snail mail. There is a website: www.amazingmail.com that allows free, lengthly postcards to be sent to service members free of charge if addressed to APO AE. So that was a blessing. There is no free postage for families of service members via the USPS. So things are going to be interesting. The soldiers are allowed free postage...thank goodness. Here is Mike's address:

2LT Healy, Micheal
Operation Enduring Freedom
2PLT/D/2-44 ADA
UNIT # 96189
APO AE 09325-6189

Currently I am helping other Family Readiness Groups that should have been in place get up and running with no soldiers to assist. That ought to be a real challenge. But the families left behind of those units need some support. Plus I am currently taking care of our Delta Battery. So it is keeping me busy. My phone is always ringing and my email is never empty. I am even on the cell phone in the tanning bed which used to be my quiet time. Plus I have started a program of adopt a soldier for correspondence and/or care packages. That is slow moving but is is coming along gradually.

I am also sending an attachment of a photo [below] I took the afternoon he was deployed. He shaved his head to get ready for the trip:

Thank you all for your prayers, love and support!

Lynne

Lynne is the head of the Delta Battery Family Readiness Group.
She will be providing soldier information and support for those families left behind and those families of our battery’s single soldiers.

Letter to Lauren Boyd from Lynne Healy (May 19, 2003):

I thought i would write you a quick "Mike Update." Currently Mike's group is on the way back to Kuwait very slowly. They are presently at Mosel guarding an ammo dump. Later this week Mike will be moving out to his new destination, unknown at the moment. The army is moving them closer to Kuwait through their assignments.

The mail has been hot and cold. The packages have all finally arrived. The order of the postmarks were quite comical. Mike said after 1 June not to send any more packages. Due to the fact that they are on the move every week or so the packages will not catch up with them until he redeploy to home.

At present the redeployment date is the last week in August to first week in September. It would really be nice to have Mike home on my birthday in August for a change! But I will take what I can get. Mike will probably be in Kuwait around the first week in August. That way the equipment can go through it's three week loading preparation period. I do not know when or if Mike will get leave right away since the entire 101 DIV is coming home around the same time give or take a couple of weeks. So we will have to hurry up and wait on the army...again! We are going to go to the Carolinas and Virginia for about two weeks when Mike gets home to visit relatives and relax at my parent's house in Myrtle Beach, SC. Later in the fall we would like to try to get to College Station, Houston, and/or Michigan for a long weekend.

[Below] is a photo Mike took before he left. You all will appreciate it. He has worn that hat all over Iraq. Talk to you soon with any more updates.

Always,
Lynne

Mike Healy in Iraq

Letter to Lauren Boyd from Lynne Healy (August 23, 2003):

I hope this finds you having a relaxing weekend. Mine is always busy and just never long enought before the work week starts up again...well, at least the laundry and the house are in order for the upcoming week!

I thought I would send in the lastest on Mike. He and his fellow soldiers are currently just outside of Mosul, Iraq. The conditions of living have improved. Unfortunately these "quality of life" improvements are to be short lived. The battery is moving north to the mountains to help with Civil Affairs of a Kurdish, Christian area in September. Michael and his fellow soldiers are to help improve the "quality of life" for a town located there. This area is much more American friendly...thank goodness. Delta Battery of 2-44 Air Defense Artillery will be at this assignment until they are brought home in FEB/MAR of 2004.

Michael is going to Landstuhl, Germany for his annual cancer check up. The facilities in Iraq where he is located are not equipped for his medical needs. So he will get a little break from the heat and get a beer, maybe. Attached is a resent photo of Mike and his truck named, "Big Booty Judy." She is named after my mother and Mike assured her that "Big Booty" is because his HUMV has a big rear that holds all his gear. She was very happy with his explination. She and my father have been very supportive of Mike and I through out his deployment.

It is unfortunate that the military is starting to be forgotten unless we see a death on the news. Here at Fort Campbell there are many babies being born that will be over half a year old by the time their father's lay eyes on them. Plus there are many wives and children that are here going on with the daily grind that the outside world has forgotten about. There are many in-laws and parents that do not understand the life their sons, daughters, son/daughter-in laws and grandchildren lead and that is a big misfortune. It is times like these that a quick email once in awhile, phone call or a note in the snail mail makes the days brighter for all of us. The best thing is a quick morale phone call or email from your husband or wife saying they love you and send more CDs or Ramen Noodles. The Family Readiness Group of Delta Battery, 2-44 ADA has really been there for it's families here at Fort Campbell and those who are living throughout the U.S. I wanted to take a moment and say thanks from Mike and I to all our Boyd Society Members who have written an email or snail mailed us a note. We appreciate your continued support and placing our story on the web page. Take Care and I will be sending more updates some time next month.

[Below] is a recent photo of Mike and his HUMV, "Big Booty Judy". Behind him is his Platoon's sleeping quaters, part of an old Iraqi military training facility just outside of Mosul.

Aye,

Lynne

Letter to Lauren Boyd from Lynne Healy (September 10, 2003):

Thank you all so much for the "letter drive" at the games! That is wonderful idea! Michael said that he lives for coming home and mail call! He will be stationed at the same location for the remainder of his deployment. It was thought that after all the quality of life improvements that had been made to their camp that the guys would be relocating only a couple feet away from the Iranian border...that fell through...it is an Army thing! Currently Mike is on his way to Germany to get a cist removed from his wrist, his yearly cancer check up and probably some extra TLC to his "collection," as he calls it. Here is an excerpt from his email from Sunday, September 7th, 2003...

"It is 0025 Sunday morning. My two days as the Battery Commander have been interesting. I have had my picture with the Secretary of Defense. Then today I had my right forearm sliced by so Arab idiot. I am ok. I received seventeen stitches. I was very lucky they said (imagine that) the cut scratched but did not cut a major artery and vein, and there was no nerve damage in my arm. I was in downtown Dohuk doing a route recon and coordination for the Battery Commander for Mondays mission when some man grabbed my wrist, asked if I was an officer, then slashed my forearm. Before I had a chance to give chase or get a real good look at him he disappeared in the large crowd. I have to write a statement for Battalion tomorrow. Grooms (one of my soldiers) performed excellent and bandaged my wound. Then he and I drove around the city for a while with no luck before returning to camp to report the incident and for me to receive my medical treatment..."

Of course there is more to the story, but as well all know if we were told more they would probably have to kill us...! Mike was able to call me the following morning before I left for work. It was so nice to hear his voice and know that he was alright. He said that it was a real close call. Last night through the Battery Commander's email to his wife, I was notified that Mike was on his way to Germany for his check ups.

Mike is going to be awarded the Bronze Star when he returns from Germany. The verdict for his Purple Heart is still out. I will keep you all up to date on things I as get the information. Attached are a few photos that I received from Mike in the mail this week. Thanks again for all the letters, emails and calls! Take Care and I will be letting you all in on another secret real soon!

[Below] Pictures:

#1 Mike and some of his soldiers in front of the presidential palace in Baghdad

#2 Mike on the road to Mosul in "Big Booty Judy" his HUMMV

#3 Mike in his bunk area with some comforts of home, photos and a Myrtle Beach hat from his in-laws

#4 Mike on the Tigris River on the way to Mosul from Kuwait gathering equipment

Always,

Lynne