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Sacrifice of service

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany — U.S. Air Force Capt. Jeremy Phifer, 480th Aircraft Maintenance Unit officer in charge, holds his 2-year-old son Simon Sept. 21, 2013, after returning from a six-month deployment to support combat operations in Southwest Asia. The 480th Fighter Squadron support community comprises nearly 250 Airmen hailing from five maintenance career fields. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexis Siekert/Released)

Sacrifice of service

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany — U.S. Air Force Capt. Jeremy Phifer, 480th Aircraft Maintenance Unit officer in charge, holds his daughter, Hope, in a homecoming celebration Sept. 21, 2013, after returning from a six-month deployment. Hope was born just three days before Phifer departed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexis Siekert/Released)

Sacrifice of service

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany — U.S. Air Force Capt. Jeremy Phifer, 480th Aircraft Maintenance Unit officer in charge, gathers with his family Sept. 21, 2013, at a homecoming celebration upon returning from a six-month deployment to Southwest Asia. Families were united with more than 150 Airmen who left in April. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexis Siekert/Released)

Sacrifice of service

Published Sept. 23, 2013
By Senior Airman Alexis Siekert
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- In order for service members to successfully accomplish the mission, they must know their families will be OK without them. Military families are often referred to as the backbone of the armed forces.

Valinda Phifer, an Air Force wife, learned the sacrifices made by the families when her husband got his call.

Just three days after the birth of their fourth child and first daughter, Hope, Capt. Jeremy Phifer, 480th Aircraft Maintenance Unit officer in charge, departed for a six-month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Southwest Asia.

After half a year of missed milestones, birthdays and family, the captain and his team returned Sept. 21, 2013, to family and friends holding signs and waving flags.

"This was our first deployment, so I really didn't have anything to base it off of, but it was challenging," Mrs. Phifer said. "I had three young boys and a newborn; it was a lot of work."

Fortunately, she didn't have to do it all by herself. Her mother was able to spend time helping with the workload in the beginning, and her local friends and neighbors would give her breaks as well.

"Most of the time, it was just me and the boys, but I was very blessed for the support," she said. "I would tell other spouses to not be afraid of asking for help. You can't be expected to do it all alone."

Now that Captain Phifer is home, she has much to look forward to.

"I have really missed him," she said. "I can't wait to just have him around and to watch him play with the boys; he is such a great father."

The family was able to video chat and message throughout the deployment keeping them connected, but it's not the same, Captain Phifer said.

"It's awesome to be back, of course," he said. "I really missed the time at the end of the day and the weekends with family."

His children have big plans as well. Isaac, their 5-year-old, is looking forward to beating playing video games, while the rest of the family is anticipating a vacation to the Alps.

"It feels so good to be home," he said. "It was surreal getting off the plane and seeing how much everybody has grown. Six months is a long time to be gone, but you don't realize it until you get back."