By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
The Howell family will have two Christmases. Not by choice, but it’s a way for Bill Howell, who is stationed in Kuwait, to celebrate with his family during the holidays.
Staff Sgt. Bill Howell, 40, has been deployed to Kuwait since May.
A mechanic working in the motor pool, Bill is a 23-year soldier who is currently on his second deployment to Kuwait and Iraq with the U.S. Army Reserve.
Ann Howell, Bill’s wife of 20 years, deals with his absence, but admits it’s hard.
“Well, I’ve done it before. It’s something you have to do,” she said.
Ann keeps busy, as do the couple’s two children, Robert, 18, and Beth, 14.
Bill’s mother, Carolyn Howell, who lives next door to the family’s Mount Hope Church Road home, also tries to keep her mind off her son’s deployment.
It’s the third time Ann has spent Christmas without Bill and the second time the children have not had their father with them.
“I know he’ll call tomorrow. Soon after, we’ll open presents,” Ann said.
Bill spent a year in Korea on one tour of duty years ago and 18 months in Kuwait and Iraq beginning in 2002.
Bill told his wife he wanted the children to go ahead and open their gifts on Christmas.
The family will have already opened some of their gifts but have reserved a few for Bill’s arrival.
Bill is expected home Jan. 3 for two weeks of leave.
“He needs it,” Ann said. “Right now, I can tell he’s depressed.”
Ann said her husband passes the time working, sometimes on his day off so he doesn’t have to be occupied with thoughts of home.
Bill repairs military vehicles being used in Iraq.
“He takes the trucks and items into Iraq. He keeps them in running order,” Ann said.
Bill missed his son’s high school graduation. “That really hurt him,” Ann said of her husband.
Bill joined the Army Reserve in 1985 during his last year of high school, his mother said.
He graduated from West Rowan High. Two days after graduation, Bill began training. In 1987, he went active duty.
He spent time in Germany, where Robert was born, doing guard duty.
Ann recalls Bill being in Germany when the Berlin Wall came down.
Carolyn remembers her husband, the late Jim “Big Jim” Howell, being in Germany when the wall was erected.
“I try not to worry about him. I stay busy,” Carolyn said.
She misses her son and “will be glad when he gets to come home for good,” she said.
Carolyn has sent Bill care packages, some that include homemade fudge.
“Bill said he had to go to Iraq to get fudge,” Ann said, laughing.
Carolyn also looks forward to her son’s monthly letters.
Bill e-mails other family members, but they say he doesn’t check it often.
The family also looks forward to Bill’s weekly phone calls.
He calls home, using phone cards, on Sundays after the family returns from church.
“He’s usually off on Sunday,” Ann said.
The family typically talks to Bill for 30 minutes. After that, Ann said, he can get back in line and make another 30-minute phone call.
“It’s better because you can hear his voice,” Ann said.
Beth, who is enrolled in the Rowan County Early College Program on the campus of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, spends the bulk of her time doing homework.
“That takes up my time,” she said.
Ann said her daughter gets excited when her father comes home. Beth admits she is a daddy’s girl.
“You still sit on your daddy’s lap,” Ann tells Beth.
Robert said he keeps busy with school work, also at RCCC. He’s studying computer information technology.
Ann rests a little easier with this deployment, she said, since the last time Bill was in Iraq, there was much more activity.
“It’s not as dangerous in Kuwait,” she said.
Ann’s days are busy, but it keeps her mind off Bill’s absence.
She is enrolled at Catawba College, where she is getting a birth-to-kindergarten education certification.
She has a degree in early childhood education. She spends her days working at Lash Head Start from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., then goes to class from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Bill was supposed to retire from the Army Reserve Oct. 19, but his deployment was involuntarily extended.
However, Bill’s extended term is expected to be complete in April.
“When he comes back home … that’s it,” Ann said.
Bill is employed with Freightliner.
He has not been affected by the company’s layoffs. Ann calls the company supportive.
“They have been very good to us,” she said.
When the family gathers together today, Bill will most likely be assembled with his military family for Christmas dinner.
No doubt, all will be anticipating the time they can be in the same room.