First I would like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRI, you are 21 today, and I hope your day is a very good day - enjoy, celebrate and be safe...

Brianna's unit lost their first soldier, this month and it was hard for everyone in the unit - Spc Cauley, will be forever an American Hero and missed. On October 7th, His truck hit a road side device, and at first they thought there was only 2 wounded, I was okay enough to stay at the base and Cauley was being flown out to Germany, somewhere between Afghanistan and Germany - they saw Cauley had more serious injuries than they thought, and he did not make it to Germany. They had a memorial for him on Friday October 16th at Leatherneck and he was flown back home and his service was on Tuesday October, 20th. It was a very sad day for all.

Brianna is doing okay and the unit is continuing their missions. They are all very strong people and I hope God watches over them all to keep them safe.

Bri said they got treated, Outback Steakhouse flew over there and fed the a meal filled with Steak, lobster and shrimp and that a few Celebrities were ther too - she got pictures and autographs from them and said they all really needed that treat. They got to play games and have just a fun & realxing night.

I know she has been very busy, and I don't get to hear from her much but believe me when I do it is the most awesome thing in the world, just to see her typing words or actually hearing her voice. She says thank you to every on who has been keeping her in their prayers & thoughts, and she really has been enjoying her letters and care packages from home, in her words she said they are just amazing Mom they really are. So thank you to each of you who cont. to send her letters and boxes and keep her and her unit in your prayers, as a mom I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

I will write more later, but I just wanted to say Please take a moment and think about the 114th Trans Co Wolfpack, and Bri and if you get time tell Bri Happy 21st Birthday as she is spending in the desert, and living the dream. Happy Birthday my Soldier Girl. JUst stay safe, be strong, Army Strong, work as a team so all of you can come home, I will have the party going on that day!!!

Bri's Mom

It's hard to believe summer is over and fall is here, what a busy time for everyone.

Meghan is looking for a teaching job, and has been doing some Subbing and still doing alot of Nanny work, She said she had a couple of interviews coming up and I hope they are something she is looking for. As always she stays pretty busy and doesn't get a lot of free time for herself. I just Pray that God will lead her to the right place so she can feel a sense of security in her life. Keep me posted Meghan and let me know how things turn out.

Brianna, is very busy in her deployment, at our FRG meeting in September we were told that her unit has already put in over 40,000 miles, that's a lot of miles in a short time and her captain wrote a letter stating that they were very proud of the unit and things were going well.

Right now she is living in a very remote area and they are not fully equiped with services - not sure how long it will be till they get more service. They are living in tents and Brianna said they were moving in other females from a different unit which means they will have to bunk.

I guess they have had some sand storms and they said they were almost worse then a snowstorm. The temperture were very high and the sun was strong, but Bri said the temps are starting to come down, but still need alot of protection, especially for the lips. Send alot of Chapstick with SPF.

I don't get to hear from Bri very often, but when I do It is such a relief just even if its an email - I at least know she is okay. Thanks for Keeping her and her unit in your prayers and in your thoughts it is very much appreciated. and I hope I will be back with more to share soon.

Stay in touch and God Bless us all.

Meghan & Brianna's Mom

September 11...

Today I was lucky enough to sub at my school where I did my student teaching. I have not yet found a teaching job so have decided to do some subbing. I love subbing! I miss the classroom so much and have been a little sad when I help my teacher friends because I wish to have my own room. Soon, is what I need to tell myself.

Anyways. At school today we had a small assembly in memory of September 11, 2001. I was thinking back to this day 8 years ago. I remember sitting in my 9th grade Ag class in Glencoe. Many of us were laughing, because we believed that some stupid pilot hit a tall building- we all were thinking, how could you not see a building that tall. When the 2nd plane hit, we knew that something was wrong. The whole day was so slow and overwhelming in trying to grasp what was happening. I don't think we did anything in school all day, except for my math class, maybe 10 min of work. I remember a lot about what I was thinking and remember watching the images play over and over again. But I know what I wasn't thinking. That in 8 years from that day my sister would be one of those people in Afghanistan fighting for this freedom that many were trying to take away from us. I am sitting and watching a 9/11 documentary right now and can't help but be taken back to that day and remember how shaken we all were.

I am so proud that my sister is over there fighting for the freedom that I take forgranted all too often. What a gift freedom is and that we have men and women over there to keep what we hold so dear in this country fighting to maintain that.

Today (or whenever you read this) my hope and prayer is that for 1 minute you and I can put all the frustrations of this country, the leaders, and things going on in your life and remember all those who so suddenly lost their lives on this day 8 years ago. And no matter how you feel about this war, please remember those who are there fighting for the freedom we have because of those in the past, present and future. Support the people even if you don't support the war. The reality is, someone you love and care for may be over there someday, I didn't think I would be one of those people and yet I have had a cousin and a sister over there.

Bri- I love you tons and am so proud of you. Keep fighting the good fight. Be safe. I love ya. Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low...

Love from one who remembers,

Meghan

Good Morning Everyone,

Just wanted to update everyone, I really don't know too much more - but I have had 1 phone call from Bri - about 1-2 weeks ago, and she sounded very positive and upbeat and it was great to hear her voice, I mainly hear from her by messages on email/facebook, and it is good to just rec' them too.

She said as soon as she can she will be sending me a list of things she needs and I will try to post that as soon as I get that, I know she would really love and appreciate letters from home and hear what is new and how family and friends are doing, So I ask that if ycu have a moment, could you please take the time to write to her. I have sent her a couple of letters and 4 packages already and she is eagerly waiting for them. Again I thank you for all you and your cont. support for her and her unit. It really does mean alot to her and us, her family.

Bri has said she has been on a couple of missions already, one of the first ones she said was to be a 5-6 hour mission and it ended up being an 11 hour mission, Apparently a couple of the trucks got sucked into the sand and they had to dig them out, she said it wasn't good, and very hot out there - but they got them and were happy to get back to where they needed to be. She said there temp has been around 140 degrees give or take some, and the food is not the greatest. She had asked me to send some snacks over, because there PX had none that she would really eat. She went one another mission and said that one went much better then the first one, and she was getting ready to head out on the next one, she was getting alittle time to rest - and was helping the next group get ready for theirs - she said most of her group would be one that one.

As I hear more - I will cont. to share with you all - Please keep Brianna and the 114th Tran Co Wolf Pack in your thoughts and prayers, Your support means the world to of them & their friends & famliy. Go Bri show them how Army Strong you are and always remember How Proud of YOU we all are.

Love & Peace to you all!!

Brenda Meyer - (Bri's Mom)

We now Have Bri's Address and she can start recieving things after the 20th of this month:

Specialist Lauer, Brianna N
114th Trans Co, 3rd PLT, 100th BSB
FOB Leatherneck
FPO AE 09372

She said everything is going well, and to tell everyone HI, she would love to have some pictures sent to her, she said it would keep her spirits uplifted, and also said she was sweating like a cow. She is going to put a list of things that she will be needing, once I get that -I will let everyone know, so If they would like to send her something, you will give her something she needs too. And I know she will appreciate that.

Thanks

Bri's Mom

I would like to give everyone an update on Bri and whats been happening the last couple of weeks.

July 21 - 25 - Brianna had her pass, Meghan flew in to MSP airport which Greg and I picked her up 3 hours later than what her flight was scheduled - some delays with the plane in CA, but we finally got her a little before 9:00 am and headed down to Indiana. What a long drive but we were all very excited to get down there.

We had rented a cabin in or by Nashville, IN, which we all would be sharing with 2 of Bri's army buddies, Ashley (Alty) & Luke (Sand), well with being delayed we arrived alot later than we had expected, and I guess the other 3 had quite the time to, problems with their rental car, poor Luke had to look for another one, and it wasn't the best timing, IN had their races in Indianapolis the same week as their pass - but with all that aside we all arrived safe and sound.

We had a good week, went horse back riding, they went sky diving, went to six flags, saw some movies and were able to sit back and chill or Hot tub if we wanted to.

Brianna, Ashley & Luke had to be back on the 25th of July no later than 10:00 pm, so the morning of the 25th, we got Meghan a rental car (she had an interview in IN)so that she could get there in time to have dinner with them and meet some of the staff. We, then got the cabin all cleaned up and the cars loaded by 2:00 pm, The 3 headed back to Camp Atterbury to drop off their stuff, Greg and I got a hotel room in Edinburgh, which was only 10 minutes or so away from Camp Atterbury, and unloaded our stuff to make room for their stuff , that we needed to bring back to MN for them. Then met them at Walmart, in Bloomington, IN, they needed to drop off their rental car and pick up some things for their journey over seas. Went to a movie together and then Greg and I took them out to eat, then came the hard part, time to take them back to Camp Atterbury, It was hard but we knew it had to come some time, Bri asked if we could come back in the Morning, because she wanted to finish her packing and make sure we got everything that needed to go back with us.

The morning of the 26th of July, we met up with Bri at Atterbury and it got harder to say goodbye, we talked for a while took some pictures, loaded the rest of her stuff and knew it was that time again. Bri is staying very positive about all of this and I feel good that she knows what she needs to do - she is a very strong person with a good heart - so I know she will do her best and nothing less. Greg and I got back on the road to the hotel to load up our things and we got a call - Bri said she forgot some things and if we could pick them up - we said we sure could and got everything loaded and head back out to Camp Atterbury, we had to stop by the guards and we told him that Bri forgot to give us some things, he looked inside our car and said I don't know if you can fit anymore in. Being our 3rd trip out to Atterbury - It just got harder to say Good Bye - but we knew she needed to start her day and we said our goodbyes and hugs & Kisses and alot of tears again. I am so glad she is alot stronger than I am.

Bri had told us that there would be 2 flights out one late on the 28th and one early on the 29th and that she was on the second flight and could not tell us where they were flying to, but they might have 2 stops one in Maine and one in Germany then to there destination. Reality really started to sink in and realizing this was really happening was a big wow factor and a wake up call for me.

Bri left on Wednesday the 29th and we heard from her on Sunday the August 2nd, she said they had landed in a small country called Kyrgyzstan - where there wasn't much for them to do but sit and wait for the planes to pick them up for their next location, We got to talk online Sunday night & Monday Night (my nights & her mornings) they were about 10-10 1/2 hours ahead of us. then on Tuesday afternoon August 4th, I came home for lunch and saw I got a message from her, that they were loading up and the planes were taking them to the next undisclosed location and she didn't know when I would hear from next but I needed to know she was safe and was in good hands and that they would watch over each other's backs. I was terribly sad knowing she was again on the move and not knowing when I called talk to her again, but I would like to say I have been learning to live day by day (isn't as easy as it sounds).

August 9th, I rec'd a message from Bri telling me that she had landed safely, but it was very hot and the food was not good. She also had mentioned that they were getting ready to move from one FOB to another FOB (there location or base they would be staying at). At a meeting I was attending for the FRG (Family Readiness Group) they said they were moving and under the radar, trying to move the whole unit without having people detect what was happening - so they are moving them in groups and in stages. When I can tell you more and get more details I will try to share that with you all.

I did receive my first phone call from Bri this morning August 13th, but missed it because I had a chamber meeting, but she said everything is okay and she is doing well, She said to say Hi to everyone and that she misses all of you. as I hear from her or the FRG group or other soldiers in her unit I Will try to keep everyone posted - Meghan has been busy trying to find a job and going on some interviews, so she asked if I could keep this current for her till she can get back to it.

Please Keep Bri and her unit the 114th Trans Co Wolfpack in your thoughts and prayers and I do have an address - I just need to get Bri's platoon # from her - once I get that - I will share her address with everyone - I know she would love to hear from you all. Thank you to everyone for all that you have done already and I pray that we have your cont. prayers and support. if any one is interested also I have T-shirts and sweatshirt saying we proudly are supporting our soldier - Brianna Lauer, let me know if interested.

Bri's Mom, Brenda Meyer