Capt. Jenny Collins has moved into Iraq with about 60 others from the U.S. Army 86th Combat Support Hospital.

Her mother, Valerie Bernard, had a call from Jenny, a combat nurse, in the middle of the night a couple of weeks ago. Jenny, in a unit connected to the 101st Airborne from Fort Campbell, Ky., told her she would be leaving northern Kuwait to go to Iraq, her mother said. She received an e-mail about a week ago and she stilled hadn’t left Kuwait.

Bernard hasn’t heard from Jenny since, but did hear from a friend of her daughter’s in the same unit that Jenny shipped out with dozens of others to Iraq.

Bernard said she is looking forward to the day her 26-year-old daughter comes home. Jenny has received letters, cards and other items from local people and really appreciates them, her mother said.

Students of Bernard’s niece, a teacher in New Hampshire, sent cards and letters to Jenny, and Jenny decorated a wall of the northern Kuwait hospital with the communications.

“It’s nice to know that they’re not forgotten,” Bernard said.

– Donna M. Perry
Farmington:

Student in Guard less ‘jumpy’

Kelly Martin guesses her chances for deployment are down to 20 percent. That’s better than the 50 percent chance she figured two weeks ago, and the 75 percent chance a month back.

The 19-year-old University of Maine at Farmington freshman from Madawaska is an automated logistical supply specialist with the 152nd Maintenance Company of the Army National Guard. She has been on alert, the step before mobilization, since Feb. 14.

“The word now is that if we do have to go it will be as part of the cleanup crew,” she said.

Her four olive-green duffle bags are packed, and waiting in a locker at the armory in Bangor. “I am really hoping to unpack those bags for good,” she said.

Now that war seems to be wrapping up in Iraq, Martin said she “isn’t as jumpy. My stress levels are lowered a lot.” Her big concern now is where the United States will look to go after Iraq. Martin said the United States may go to war with Syria or North Korea and that they will need “fresh troops which may mean me.” More than 15 friends from her hometown are stationed in Iraq. Over April vacation, she tried to get word on those friends. “The families don’t know much, but they know their kids are there, they are doing OK and they are hoping to come home soon.”

Despite the worry, the nightmares and the waiting, Martin is happy she signed up. “I’ll never regret it,” she said frankly. “It’s been stressful these past few months, but it could have been worse. I could have been over there.”

– Samantha C. DePoy