Faces of military women: the warrior Published March 19, 2006 By Airman 1st Class Ashley Coomes 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs 3/17/2006 - GRAND FORKS AFB, N.D. -- The barracks at the deployed base had the same drab walls, the same spare cots. The one hint of personality was two photos on a table beside the cot; photos of children whose mother has left home to fight in the war. Until recently the room belonged to Staff Sgt. Tamatha Schmechel, 319th Logistics Readiness Squadron, who like thousands of others are moms facing daily challenges of balancing family obligations with those of being a warrior. In between taking her children to daycare, doctors appointments and birthday parties, she also finds the time to continue upgrade training and keep her warrior skills honed for deployment. With her husband also in the military, the balancing act sometimes becomes more of a juggling act. “There are a lot of sacrifices being in the military. Lost time with your family is just one of them. During my last deployment I missed my little girl’s first birthday. That’s crushing for a mother,” said Sergeant Schmechel. While deployed, she was responsible for the distribution and maintenance of battle gear. She said that the hardest part of the deployment was the “down time.” “I can focus on work during working hours and not stress about the family, but when I have downtime I remember that I’m not just a warrior, I’m a mom that misses her babies. I worry about how my children are going to react to mommy being gone for months at a time. Will they remember me when I get back or will they be upset with me?” Even though deployments can be tough, she wouldn’t trade the experience. According to Sergeant Schmechel, being an Airman gives her stability and a sense of security that her family will always be taken care of and most of all, the honor of serving her country. “It’s hard sometimes, but when I have to leave my family to support the war, I’m going to do it because I’m fighting for my children’s future.”