No place like home: Farmington vet looks forward to holiday with family after duty overseas
Like many others this Independence Day, Eric Hughes will be spending time with his wife and two children. Just a year ago, though, Eric spent the patriotic holiday more than 6,000 miles away while stationed in Jordan.
Last year, his now 9-year-old daughter was sending him letters from her summer camp while his now 5-year-old son Taylor helped his mother, Rebecca, with their countdown calendar in the kitchen.
A Sergeant First Class E-7 in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Eric, 32, served as a driver’s trainer to assist the Jordanian Army.
This wasn’t Eric’s first deployment overseas. He spent 2005 and 2006 stationed during the Iraq War with the same unit.
“This was my first time with the family though. It was challenging, but we got to keep in touch a lot,” Eric said.
His wife added that technology made communication much easier through features like Facetime and Snapchat.
“We didn’t have that the first time he was deployed,” Rebecca said. “That was huge this time around.”
“It was different because he wasn’t actually here. He was on a screen. We couldn’t have the hugs,” Madelynn added.
Eric returned to their Farmington home on March 31 of this year and was met with surprised, happy faces from his children who weren’t expecting him until the next day. Banners and decorations adorned their home thanks to his cousin Amanda Hanabeck who Eric calls their biggest supporter.
“I was crying, happy,” Madelynn said. Taylor said he gave his dad a hug and a kiss when he was finally home.
The first thing they did as a reunited family unit was have dinner together.
Rebecca said it was the little things that meant the most.
Temporary Home
For Eric, the hot, sandy landscapes of Jordan were home for nine months. Several months prior were spent in Texas for training exercises.
“There were a lot of historical aspects that we got to see and visit. It was good,” Eric said.
He and members of his unit visited the ancient ruins of Petra and the Hercules Temple and the ridged landscape of Mount Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land in the Bible. The Dead Sea and the coastal city Aqaba were also visited.
Members of the Jordanian army were courteous and often treated the military units to cultural food, including the tomato-and-rice dish, Galayet, and a lamb-based dish called Mansaf.
“Hummus is really big over there. It was really good,” Eric said, adding with a laugh that he won’t try eating store-bought hummus now after having it authentically prepared.
“The food was good,” he said.
In working with the Jordanian army, there was a bit of a language barrier. They worked with linguists, who translated the training techniques to others.
“It could be challenging, but it was good. It was different,” he said.
Eric spoke highly of his time in the service so far, adding that while it can be difficult at times, it was worth it in the end.
“Everything I have is from the United States Army. A lot of people did a lot more than what I did, but I’m happy and proud to be in the army,” Eric said.
“I give to them, and they give back,” he added.
His wife agreed, adding that his time overseas has been a chance to explore other cultures and meet new people, while gaining new perspectives.
With 15 years of service under his belt, Eric said he’s looking forward to making it to 20, and then some.
“It’s good to be home, catching up on things around the house,” Eric said. “I enjoyed my time away, but I missed my kids and my wife.”