In the aftermath of loss…

Posted on 3 November 2009 by Anastacia Thorsson | Comments

Today, Admiral Castillo, commander of the Eleventh District,  spoke to Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach and there were a couple things that he said that got me really thinking that I that I thought should be shared. Mind you what I am writing here is my interpretation of what he said and nothing verbatim. That said…

First, don’t blame yourself. Survivor’s guilt does nothing to honor those who died. Do not dwell on the what ifs. Honor them by continuing the mission they considered important enough to risk their lives for.  Be strong, support each other, and let the families of the fallen know they will always be in our heart and a part of our family.

The other thing I thought was important to share: Tell your family what you do at work.

Guardians, take the time to sit and really talk to your family about what you do everyday. Even though for you going out on a boat or a plane is just par for the course, we must remember that it is dangerous. What you have chosen to do is not something everyone does, and so we can’t expect that it is something everyone should inherently understand.

Not saying that you should scare your children with bed time stories about plane crashes or being lost at sea, or that you should make sure your spouse is in a panic every time you go to work. (That could make life really difficult for you and your family.) Just be realistic and let them know the risks you face. Make sure your family understands, and make sure you understand what you are asking of them.

Always remember it is not just your life you risk when you are out there, your family’s heart goes with you every time you take on a mission. There is little that can make you feel the way you do when your loved one is in danger and there is nothing you can do about it.

Our families are heroes too and we should never forget that.

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Two more things:

If you are on Facebook, many Guardians and supporters are changing their profile picture to the patch of Airstation Sacremento. I have put the picture on this post so that if you want to you can save the image and put it up on your Facebook too. It is a simple way to show solidarity for those who were lost and for those at the Airstation who are continuing the mission.

Also the memorial for the lost crew is going to be webcast. As soon as the information comes out we should be able to post a link here if it is outside of the internal data network, which I expect it will be.