People say that from a personal standpoint, one of the most difficult aspects of a combat deployment is the family separation that must be endured. But in one case the exact opposite occurred.

Cmdr. Courtney Smith, VAQ-142 executive officer, Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 142, was paid a special visit by her stepson during a stopover at her current duty station in the Middle East.

Gunnery Sgt. Bryant Smith, currently assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, spent almost a week on the ground with Cmdr. Smith while he awaited further progression of his unit to their final destination. During his stay, the two were able to meet routinely for dinner and enjoy some quality family time that most troops are unable to achieve while forward deployed.

When asked how she felt about being able to spend some time with her stepson, Smith said, “The opportunity to see my son over here was great. It’s hard to believe we are both in Iraq at the same time, much less at the same base for a few days.”

“It is a pretty unique set of circumstances and I was just glad to be able to spend some time with him before he headed out to his forward operating base,” she added. “There’s no substitute for family.”