Michael White, a biological sciences junior, spent Thursday morning folding clothes and visiting with his wife, Julie, and their eight-month-old daughter, Corinne.
The simple things in life, like cleaning house and spending time with family, are luxuries to White, who has spent the last six months serving with other soldiers in Afghanistan.
“I can’t even describe the feeling,” White said. “If you want to appreciate America and being home, just spend time away from your family.”
White returned home Tuesday in a cargo plane with 60 other soldiers in the National Guard’s 769th Engineering Battalion from Afghanistan. He said the first thing they did when arriving in Alexandria at 2 a.m. was cheer.
“We were tired, but we were just glad to be home,” White said.
White also took advantage of his freedom to choose his meals, eating a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with cheese on the ride home and Papa John’s pizza for dinner.
Michael, who works as a respiratory therapist at Our Lady of the Lake, learned of his activation during finals in May. When pregnant Julie found out, she said she felt distraught and emotional.
“I felt very lonely and afraid, especially with everything going on at the time with the serial killer,” Julie said. “He’s my security.”
Julie said she was very thankful that Michael was there for the delivery, but having him gone made her realize how difficult being a single mother can be.
“This experience made me grow as a person because I had to do things on my own, even though I had lots of help from family members,” Julie said. “I have a bigger appreciation for Michael and for being married.”
      The husband and wife of two years kept in touch through e-mail and occasional phone calls, from which the proud papa heard Corinne’s first words.
“Her first words were ‘da-da,'” White said.
Julie said Corinne is adjusting well to her dad being home, and she does not think she will remember her father’s six-month absence.
“She didn’t know what to think of him at first,” Julie said. “But, already I think she’s getting used to him, and she knows who he is.”
Among Julie’s biggest fears was Michael getting injured while on his missions.
“All the time I just prayed for his safety,” Julie said. “Violence was always around them, and there was always a potential for danger.”
Michael said, aside from when terrorists sent motorized bombs toward their bases and mortar attacks of grenade-like bombs, the soldiers did not encounter close attacks with locals.
“They would fire at us, but they were really inaccurate because they were afraid to get too close to us,” White said. “It would basically be a suicide mission if they attacked us because there was 4,000 of us.”
White served as a medic, helping those with injuries or basic colds and distributing donations of clothes and candy in local villages to Afghanistanies.
He said for the most part, the locals were friendly and glad to have help. Relations among the troops from different countries were civil as well, he said.
“The Romanians helped with security, Jordanians did mine clearing and there were also Italians, Canadians, Germans and Australians,” White said. “Even if someone didn’t support the mission, they still support their country.”
Michael said he and Julie are trying to settle until he reports back to Fort Polk Sunday for demobilization, a transition period back to civilian life.
Julie said they plan to have Corinne baptized now that Michael is home. They also want to visit his family in Massachusetts, she said.
Michael said he was glad to serve his country, but he always thought of home.
“I know it’s a cliché, but there’s no place like home, and if I could have clicked my combat boots together to be home at any time, I would have done it,” White said.