Army Wife Radio Is A Friend To Thousands
Tara Crooks Provides An Outlet For Wives Left Behind As Husbands Go To War
25FORT STEWART, Ga., Feb. 9, 2007 | by Melissa McNamara
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Talk Radio For Army Wives
Redeployment can be a tough experience for many of the spouses of those serving in the military. One army wife has found a way to ease the fear and uncertainty. Mark Strassmann reports. | Share/Embed
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(CBS) As Fort Stewart's soldiers re-deploy to Iraq, the wives left behind look for support wherever they can find it, CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann reports.
It's all on them now: the kids, the house — a full year's worth of worry. Tara Crooks knows firsthand how they feel.
"You're listening to Army Wife talk radio, the Internet's talk radio program for and by Army wives. My name is Tara Crooks, and I'm your host," she says on her program.
Crooks just talks, one Army wife to another.
"I know you guys are in the same shoes I'm in," she says on the radio.
To her Internet audience, thousands of Army wives, Crooks is both a friend and an adviser. She's part Oprah, part Dear Abby.
She talks about relationships, parenting problems and navigating the military system. Crooks knows all about it: Once again, she's been left behind, too.
Capt. Kevin Crooks, Tara's husband, headed back to Iraq last month. Their 5-year-old, Wrena, will go another year without Daddy.
"Everyone says 'Oh, this is your third deployment. You should be used to this.' You never get used to this, and every deployment gets harder," Tara explains.
Deployment is a shared sacrifice. Spouses are left behind with their loneliness and fears — knowing they'll have to go it alone with every family drama.
Crooks herself is pregnant, due in August. And she's scared.
"I love the Army. I love what we do. But that doesn't mean I have to love that my husband is gone," she says.
She's used to giving advice. Now Crooks is the one looking for it.
"Now I'm asking, 'hey you got to help me out,'" she says on radio.
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Personally, my beliefs on this war are just that, mine. What I will say is that those who do not support the war but say the support the troops and then in the same sentence bash what I am doing to empower and educate miltiary families make no sense whatsoever. If that applies to you, then you know who you are.
I personally wouldn't even waste my positive breath arguing with someone who doesn't understand what he is talking about anyway. :)
Thank you so much to everyone for the wonderous outpouring of encouragement. We will continue to "truck on" at Army Wife Talk Radio and Field Problems - changing one life at a time!
Thank you for your support!
Tara Crooks
Army Wife Talk Radio
Why not show some support to the families instead of taking every possible opportunity to argue your agenda and argue with each other?
Wendy... I'm not sure what the rules are for posting links or URLs so I won't post it here. But if you do an Internet search for the name of the show or the name of the host, you'll find it right away. :)
Tara, keep up the great work!
--Linda... not a military wife, but sympathetic to your issues and thankful to your husbands!
Posted by feelfree1 at 12:27 AM : Feb 10, 2007
All of them that want to kill Americans.
just supporting army wifes...be strong for yourself and your family. keep your head up high and don't let anyone knock you down. Your Soldier will be home soon!!!
Remember To Be Strong!
3ID SPOUSES
Re: "WOW I ALLWAY WANT DO SAMETHING LIKE BUT I JUST DID KNOW HOW GO ABOUT"
I would suggest that a writing class would be a good place to start.
SAN DIEGO CALIF
SEMPER FIDELLS
WENDY
WENDYKWOODY@YAHOO.COM
9 FEB 07 *Y* 9:30PM
Risking the lives and safety of others, just to ensure your own comfort and safety, is pretty despicable, in my opinion. How many Iraqi children must die for you to feel safe?
It is also utterly ridiculous to think that the Iraqis could possibly overwhelm us with a land invasion.
Re: "Will you still think it is an illegal war when we have to fight it on AMERICAN soil?"
Of course not. It is always perfectly legal to defend yourself against an aggressive invader.
This is ecactly what the Iraqi people are doing, and they have every right to defend themselves.
Re: "I have to wonder, how long the rest of us will be able to feelfree?"
This is really up to you.
Fight the good fight. I have to leave now. I have enjoyed it.
With you around I have to wonder, how long the rest of us will be able to feelfree?