A Mother's Day greeting from afar

Many military moms will miss a child's kiss and breakfast in bed.

Judy Mandell

USA WEEKEND

This Mother's Day will be celebrated long-distance by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Angela Swearingen, 35, of Louisville. Stationed in Iraq since last June, the mother of four children (ages 10 and under) won't return in time for the holiday.

Swearingen has been holding her family together from afar while husband Kevin tackles the day-to-day tasks on the homefront. "Everyday things, like laundry, shopping, sick kids and schoolwork, are hard to leave in Dad's hands, but Kevin does an awesome job, while working full-time [at UPS]," Swearingen says.

"I e-mail every two days, call once a week," she adds. "But it's really hard when the kids cry."

Fifteen percent of active-duty U.S. forces are female -- 202,949. Although a higher number (more than 350,000) served during World War II, more women are in harm's way in active service today, says Vince Patton, director of community outreach for Military.com (the country's largest military membership organization).

Daily e-mail and Web-cam access help keep mothers close to home. But still, nothing beats being there, says Air Force Staff Sgt. Beverly Ulep, 28. She missed her son's 4th birthday while she was stationed in Southwest Asia but read bedtime stories to him by phone. "It comes with the job," she says. The good news: Ulep expects to return home just in time to spend Mother's Day with her son.