CBC Ottawa Morning feature about Petawawa: Family Integration

Wow! Petawawa is featured on Ottawa morning two days in a row. The title CFB Petawawa Family Intergration helps the listener prepare for the topic of soldiers and families connecting after being away on deployment for many months. Although I have no direct connection to the military I know many military members and see the stress that the deployment creates for them. I enjoyed listening to Base Commander Lt. Col..Keith Rudderham talk about the effect on pre-schoolers. The comments coming from a man of his rank helps put the situation into context.    
As a civilian it helps me understand when soldiers, teachers and spouses are given the chance to comment about the reality of family dynamics themselves. I appreciate the interview ending on a positive note as the mini baby boom that happens was connected to Amanda Keeping, who is expecting, and who runs a Baby business.
As a spouse of  an AECL employee who lived in Pinawa Manitoba for manly years I also have a connection to one of the families who lost a son in Afghanistan. So the military world connects to the civilian world on many levels.
As a long time member of St. George's chapel I am also aware of the moods of the military families. There is a prayer service on the 4th Wednesday of the month to pray for the military in Afghanistan.  It will continue until all the military have left  Afghanistan.  On Wednesday February 9th three chaplains will talk about their deployment experiences last year. Padre Shaun Turner will talk about  being with the Dart team in Haiti and working in Camp Mirage or Dubai. Padre Ian Easter will talk about Cyrus where the troops go to decompress after Afghanstan. Padre Carol Bateman will talk about her experience in Afghanistan. As a civilian I appreciated learning how the military functions and how the human side of the organisation works.