Michael Hampton (left) and neighbor Shelley Collier wave goodbye to their kids as the bus takes them to school. 'We'll miss him,' Collier said, referring to Hampton's deployment to Afghanistan. View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

Surgery postpones duty

King George guardsman gets unexpected convalescent stay with his family before deploying to Afghanistan

By ROB DAVIS

Date published: 10/5/2004

Theresa Hampton slides around the kitchen, locked into the chaos of her morning routine.

It's 6:30 a.m. and the school bus is due soon. Lunches aren't packed. Dishes are piling up in the sink.

Six-year-old James counts out the six grapes he wants in his lunchbox. Eight-year-old Christopher searches for a missing folder. Twelve-year-old Elizabeth stuffs her backpack full.

In the dining room of their Dahlgren home, Michael Hampton referees--but steers clear of the fray. His wife is the captain of this ship, he is just a temporary passenger.

Hampton is 38 years old, a detention officer at Peumansend Regional Jail in Caroline County and one of 30 members of a Fredericksburg-based National Guard unit preparing to deploy to Afghanistan for a year.

While others in the 229th Engineer Battalion have been fine-tuning their skills at Fort Bragg, N.C., Hampton has spent two weeks at home recovering from hernia surgery.

He has traded camouflage for khakis and white T-shirts; the role of staff sergeant for that of Daddy.

The break has been a quiet respite from the grueling march to war, but also a frustrating interruption. When the familiar dull ache appeared less than a month into his training at Bragg, Hampton tried to ignore it.

But it eventually became too great. He had surgery Sept. 20, and was home in King George County that night.

Others in the 229th expect to head overseas sometime in the next two weeks. Hampton expects he'll be delayed at least month.

He may have more time with his family now, but he fears the tradeoff will be doing administrative work for a year. Stuck at a base, instead of interacting with Afghans.

"The only thing I can do is wait," Hampton says. "Wait and see."

When Theresa Hampton kissed her husband goodbye two months ago today, she thought it was their final moment in each other's arms until next year.

But Michael came home in mid-September on a weekend pass, and again to heal.

The surprise stays have felt like borrowed time. She's had a few extra days with Michael there to lean on, to fuss with, to kiss goodbye in the mornings and hello at night.

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Date published: 10/5/2004