Date Published: December 23, 2004

Author: RAIN SMITH

Allison Peace has seen a change in her 7-year-old son.

"Matthew is a very laid-back, funny, outgoing child," she said. "But I've seen a little bit of anger in him, and I'm really not used to that. That's hard for me to handle."

His personality is only one of the subtle changes Allison has come to terms with since the Army Reserve's 844th Engineering Battalion, based in Gray, was deployed to Iraq in October. Allison's husband, 1st Sgt. Tony Peace, is one of the nearly 100 soldiers deployed with the unit. They expect to be gone a year and a half.

Allison said her son's anger is understandable. When asked by schoolmates where his father is, he answers with a simple "at war."

But at this time of year, Allison has struggled herself.

"I feel very overwhelmed, especially with the holidays," she said.

Allison has time off from work over the holidays, allowing her to spend time with her son and 11-year-old daughter. But with her husband in harm's way a world away, even such family time is difficult.

"It creeps into your thoughts all through the day," she said. "Until we get through the holidays, the kids back to school and in a regular routine, it's going to be hard. But it will get easier as time passes and we get used to things running different. It's just getting to that point."

They have been married 19 years, and this is the second deployment the Peace family has endured. Tony was in the Middle East for Desert Storm in 1991.

But Allison knows this tour in Iraq is vastly different, from both a personal and political perspective.

"We didn't have children then, and with us having children now it's a lot different," she said. "And of course it's a different place over there this time. It's a lot more dangerous."

Jennifer Snow relates to her plight. Her husband, Spc. Jason Snow, was deployed to Iraq with Kingsport's 2/278th Regimental Combat Team, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop. They have been married three years, and this is the Snows' first Christmas apart. Compounding the heartache is that Jason will miss Christmas with Trista, his 13-month-old daughter.

"It's hard to be in the Christmas spirit. Things just aren't the same," Jennifer said. "I know it's something we have to do, and our everyday life must go on, but it's a big change."

Jennifer was angry when she learned of the 278th's deployment. But Jason put things in perspective and eased her mind.

"I was just like, ‘you can't do this, she's so little and you're going to miss everything,'" Jennifer recalls. "He told me there were other families who had been without its members, and if he goes and does this it will give them a time to be families. And he's right."

Jennifer is already anxiously anticipating Jason's expected return.

"Hopefully a year or so from now he'll be back," she said. "The countdown is on."

Jennifer said one of the hardest adjustments has been carrying a full load at home. She has family to help with Trista, but they can't be there all the time. What's worse, Jennifer said, Jason isn't there for the little things.

"I can't say, ‘Jason, watch her while I do laundry,'" she said. "I've got to take her everywhere I go. It's all on me"

Jennifer said when she answers the phone and Jason is at the other end, "there's no better feeling in the world than hearing his voice."

It's a sentiment Jason surely shares. Especially when his daughter is feeling lively.

"I'll hold her to the phone, and sometimes she'll jabber back, sometimes she won't," Jennifer said. "But it means a lot to him when she does."

While the coming year will be filled with worry and heartache, Jennifer knows absence makes the heart grow fonder.

"The little things mean more now, and we're going to grow as a couple from this experience," Jennifer said. "It will make us stronger."

Story Copyright to Kingsport Times