Father's Day tough on dads separated from families

Father's Day tough on dads separated from families
By Kevin Vaughan
The Denver Post

Maj. George Brauchler, right, hold and kiss his youngest son Graham, 18 month old, by his another son Geoff, 3, left, during his packing at their house in Highlands Ranch on Friday. ( Hyoung Chang / The Denver Post)

As the father fiddled with his gear, the little girl started asking questions. "Are you leaving this weekend?" she asked. "Are you packed, Daddy? Are you ready, Daddy? What are you doing, Daddy?" U.S. Army Maj. George Brauchler turned from his things, spread out before him. "I have to make sure my helmet is put together and the plates fit in my body armor," he said.

After the briefest of pauses, 8-year-old Amanda Brauchler — the oldest of his four children — posed another question.

"Daddy, why do you need a helmet and armor?"

The inquiry made him pause.

"You don't want to tell your daughter you're going to a place where there are a lot of people who want to hurt you," he said, recalling the conversation a few days later.

As Father's Day arrived this morning, Brauchler, 41, was to be in the midst of a trip to Germany, then Kuwait and, finally, into Iraq, where he expects to spend the next four months.

Like thousands of other Colorado dads in uniform, he won't get to spend the day with his kids because other pressing matters intervened.


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