Letters from Ben

1LT Ben Summers and his mom

Dear Friends and Family,

As I'm sure most of you know, I'll be deploying on Thursday [December 11, 2008] to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of the support I've received over the past few months, whether it was an encouraging note, a phone call, an email, or a hug goodbye I'm proud and honored to be serving the country with such a selfless, competent, and well-trained unit, and I know we can make some meaningful contributions while we're in Afghanistan.

Deploying is certainly an intimidating experience, but it's also a great opportunity for personal growth. One thing that I really wanted to try to do was write some sort of weekly letter that highlights my experiences so that I can reflect on my deployment for years to come. I figured that you might find my letters (I guess you can call them "memoirs") interesting and comforting, as they'll give you an idea of what I'm thinking, doing, and seeing in Afghanistan. I attached the first letter, which highlights some of my experiences/thoughts over the past month.

Please understand that, more than anything, I'm writing these memoirs for myself They might seem inconsistent, overconfident, funny, dry, arrogant or humiliating. Just know that I'm writing them for my own sanity, and I'm sure you'll appreciate my attempts to "write through" some of my emotions/thoughts/concerns during the deployment.

The best way for me to correspond is through email. If you'd like to send a letter or anything else, my address is as follows:

1st Lt. Ben Summers
Operation Enduring Freedom
A. Co, 4-101 AVN., Task Force Wings
FOB Shank
APO, AE 09364

Here is a link to Ben's blog       http://bentsummers.blogspot.com/

The best way you can support me while I'm gone is to support those that are closest to me. Please keep my family in your prayers, especially during this holiday season. I can't wait to return next year and share my experience with you all! Until then, my emails, letters, pictures and occasional phone call will have to suffice.

Happy Holidays and much love!

Ben