My Nephew Christopher the one I asked for prayers for his safety while he was In Iraq, came home on leave, he was due to go back to Kuwait yesterday, Upon awakening my Daughter Bobbi whom he was using as a rest stop between partying found his Uniforms left behind, everything else was gone.

His ambitions are apparent, he plans on running and not returning to Iraq, so far he will just be charged with Article 86 and maybe article 87 of the UCMJ. Article 86 is Unauthorized absence and article 87 is missing ships movement a coverall for missing your return flight too.

SIX days from now charges will be filed against him for this, 21 days later he will be classified a deserter in time of war.

Needless to say my entire family is stunned and deeply saddened by this turn of events.

The few combat vets in my family are hit the hardest about this, we all fought in different wars with honor and can not believe that one of us has done this. My phone has been ringing non-stop as if I have some kind of solution for this problem, well I don't, I wish I did, but the sad truth is only Christopher does. No one knows where he is or where he is going, no one saw this coming.

I have been in tears since yesterday and the tears continue to flow, my ex-wife is in such pain I cannot begin to tell you.

I ask G-D that he keeps his hand on Christopher's shoulder and that Christopher wakes up and realizes exactly what he has gotten himself in to.

Leavenworth will be where he serves his time if he goes past the 30 day mark, he will be discharged with a dishonorable, he will be stripped of his pay grade, and all pay and allowances, he will be facing a General Court Marshall, if he turns himself in before the 30 day period he will face a Summery Court Marshall, he will still be stripped of his rank, he might get away with just a undesirable discharge or a Bad conduct Discharge, while both are bad to have neither one is as devastating as a dishonorable discharge.

I ask for prayers for Christopher to do the right thing or what is most right in his situation.

For some reason I just cannot wrap my mind around that I just might have a DESERTER in my family. Selfish thought? yes it is, real? yes it is and I don't know what to do. I do not do helpless very well.