Soldiers' daughter is on duty at home -

[northofdenali]

HESPERIA, CALIF. — The sun has barely crested over the stark Granite Mountains and Audrey Delgadillo is already scurrying around her house.

The 20-year-old dashes outside to warm the engine of the family's dusty Ford Taurus, stirs her two youngest sisters out of bed, picks up toys in the living room and checks the bedroom of her other two sisters to make sure they've left for school.

It's been Delgadillo's morning routine ever since her mother and stepfather were sent to Iraq, leaving her to look after her four little sisters — Stephanie, 17, Grace, 10, Ashley, 4, and Emily, 3.

Just before summer, Sgt. Claudia Hernandez-Smith and Sgt. Gary Smith were deployed with a Black Hawk helicopter division of the Army's 131st Aviation Regiment stationed at Balad Air Base, about 50 miles north of Baghdad.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-warfamily15feb15,0,4146088.story?coll=la-home-local

I didn't want to put this in LBN, as it's more human interest, but can you imagine the stress this girl must be under? FUCK YOU GEORGE W. BUSH. OUT OF IRAQ NOW!!!!!!!!! :mad::nuke::mad:

Edited to add: She may have drunk the koolaid, but neither our military nor our pResident have the right to make this kind of decision. No WAY should both parents be deployed in a war zone at the same time. Fuckheads.

[Jonathan50]

1. It was the parent's choice

The Hesperia couple requested to serve together, and the Army, under its recently implemented simultaneous deployment program for married couples, was happy to oblige. So far, 1,712 people have requested to be considered for joint deployment with their spouses.

Can't blame Bushie for this one, the parents requested simultaneous deployment.

[northofdenali]

3. I can too blame the Shrubster -

without the war, the parents wouldn't have been deployed.

That wasn't really my point in posting, though, Jonathan - I also blame the parents for "arranging" for a 20 year old to take care of 3 small children on her own, and the military for allowing them to do it. It just makes no sense. I could see it if it was grandparents young enough to handle it, or one of the deployed soldier's brother or sister who was at least of legal age.

I realize some 20 year olds are more mature than others, but come on! I wish her the very best of luck, because tending kids of that age for a year is NOT an easy job. And I wonder what the younger kids think of Mom & Dad taking off on them like that? It's gotta hurt.

[Jonathan50]

7. I agree that children come first.

I think it was very uncaring of the parents to put their children in a situation where neither parent would be at home for an extended length of time.

Children come first IMO, and I say this as a parent and grandparent.

[Wanet]

2. It seems selfish to me

for the parents to leave the older daughter in charge. In my view the children should come first and one should have stayed home. -- Janet

[northofdenali]

4. Agreed. In ANY family, where there are children,

the children come first. Period.

Welcome to DU, Janet :hi:

[Wanet]

5. thank you North!

I've been a lurker for years and years, just started posting a little more recently.

[Booster]

6. Welcome to posting on DU. I agree these parents are being

really selfish and a little stupid. They should think far enough ahead to figure out the kids would be better off with one of them staying alive than to have both of them killed in this senseless war. The military shouldn't allow this to happen.

[dsc]

8. where is the father?

This whole thing disgusts me. This young lady didn't decide to have kids. The mother and some man did. Now mother is pursuing a career, step father is pursuing a career, God alone knows where dad is, and a woman who was a child only a year or so ago is cleaning up the mess. Shame on all of these adults.