Mother reunited with her sons
Captain Lisa Swale’s youngest son could barely stand before she was deployed to Iraq.
Six months on her 1-year-old, Josh, can run, talk and dress himself.
Swale was one of 100 troops who have returned home from deployment in the Middle East, where they trained about 4500 Iraqi Security Force personnel in Iraq and the Sinai Peninsula.
It was a welcome homecoming for Swale on November 15, who was sent to Iraq’s Camp Taji in May.
Her eldest boy, Zac, 3, was so excited to see his mother that he interrupted Defence Minister Ron Mark several times during his welcoming address, yelling: ‘‘Mummy, mummy, mummy.’’
‘‘It was very emotional – they were both smiling from ear to ear. My youngest was taking his first step when I left. Now, he can talk, run and dress himself.
‘‘I think being away from your kids, irrespective of the age, is really tough.’’
Swale’s husband, Dan, who also worked in the army, encouraged her to head overseas.
‘‘He said: ‘Take the opportunity. You don’t know when the next one is going to be’.’’
Despite dodgy internet connections, Swale tried to make contact with her family via Skype at least three times a week.
Soldiers battled average temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius, but what Swale missed most about her homeland was the colour green.
‘‘It’s all sand and dirt, and all buildings are the same, that terracotta-sort of colour.
‘‘It was very strange flying back into New Zealand to see all the trees and green below.’’
She also took for granted basic things Kiwis had access to – freedom, Government support and the environment.
Mark said about 800 Defence Force troops had been deployed to Iraq since 2015. Together with the Australian Defence Force, Kiwi soldiers had trained more than 39,000 Iraqi troops and police.
Lieutenant Colonel Jason Hutchings said the entire Task Group Taji felt a sense of achievement to see the confidence and the sharper skills of the Iraqi forces.
As the senior national officer for the recent rotation, he oversaw the mission to train Iraqi troops in weapons handling, night combat, marksmanship at close quarters, first aid, explosives hazard awareness and obstacle breaching techniques.