Free Loving An Airborne Ranger by Susan Leigh Carlton

Chapter 1
    The morning sun was shining through the gaps between slats in the drawn blinds.  Lisa could see the dust floating in the air around the room.  There was plenty of dust since construction had started on the property in back of Lisa and Matt Turner’s home just outside Fort Campbell, Kentucky.  The only sounds came from her eighteen month old boy playing with his puppy.
    Keeping the dust in check was an ongoing task for Lisa.  She had to dust every day.  If she didn’t, Kyle would be constantly sneezing.  The pert and perky Lisa was only 5’ 4”, a height her now deployed husband, Matt called vertically challenged.  Part jokingly and part practicality, he had purchased a small three step stepladder to enable her to reach those things normally beyond her grasp.
    She was now standing on the top step trying to dust the ceiling fan with her Swiffer dusting tool.  Kyle was on the floor happily playing with their golden retriever puppy, Gunner.  The puppy had been named by Kyle’s Night Stalker father.
    The TV was on and she didn’t hear the car stop in front of her home.  The doorbell chimed; as she went to answer it, she removed the scarf she was using to keep the dust out of her long, blond hair and tossed it on the chair.
    When she opened the door, she saw the olive drab Army staff car in front of her home.  At the door was Emily Laughner, the wife of Matt’s squadron commander, a chaplain and an Army captain, both in uniform.  It was an Army notification team.
    “No, no, no, oh God no, not Matt!   Not Matt!  It can’t be Matt.  His tour is over in three weeks.  He promised he would come home.  Her face turned pale and it appeared she might faint.”  Mrs. Laughner moved quickly to her side, with one arm across her shoulder and the other on her elbow, she guided Lisa toward the floral print sofa.  Sensing his mother was upset, Kyle began to cry.  Lisa leaned over and picked Kyle up and let herself be led to the sofa.  Sitting down, and holding him close, she began humming a lullaby to console Kyle. 
    The army captain began to speak.  “Mrs. Turner, there was an incident in Kabul yesterday.  Matt’s Cobra was shot down with an RPG.  There were no survivors.  His body along with that of his co-pilot was retrieved.  I’m very sorry for your loss.”
    The chaplain spoke trying to find the words that would help soothe the pain of this young woman’s loss.  As usual, at such a time, the words were ineffective.  Lisa was inconsolable.  Rocking back and forth, continuing to hold on tightly to Kyle, she kept saying, “There’s some mistake, he can’t be dead.  He promised to come back.  He can’t be dead.”
    Mrs. Laughner said, “The RPG completely destroyed the helicopter.  He died heroically, trying to protect his Little Bird and the soldiers on the ground.  Your husband was a brave man.  He’s gone and now you have to think of the little one.  He needs you now more than ever. 
    “Chaplain, Captain, I’ll stay with Lisa for a while.  Why don’t you return to the squadron?”
    * * *
    Lisa and Matt grew up together.  Neither dated anyone else during high school and college. They were from a small community called Dime Box just near College Station, Texas.  Both graduated from Texas A&M in College Station, where Matt had been in the Corps of Cadets.  It is a natural progression from the Corps of Cadets to the Army with a commission as 2 nd Lieutenant.  They were married after graduation.  Matt was assigned to helicopter training at Fort Rucker, where Lisa joined him.
    After successfully completing basic flight training, and advanced combat training, Matt was assigned to the 101 st Airborne Cavalry at Fort Campbell, Kentucky where Lisa joined him.  His unit was deployed to Afghanistan, with the deployment tour scheduled to be completed in just two weeks.  Now Lisa would have the heart wrenching task of telling their families Matt wouldn’t be coming home, not in