JACK ARMY, scanning my sector!
Tears aren't all bad.
I'm in the PGR and I've seen 75 guys get all teary eyed when the family members walk our flag line and thank us for showing up to their loved ones service.
The care the CAOs give the families is awesome. It means a lot to them.
You'll do fine.
In my opinion you'd be great at it. After reading what you wrote here, someone that has the compassion and caring that you have for these families is the perfect person for the job.
I bet you would do a great job then cry after it was all over. It is good how we are strong when we need to be....
I'm sure you will do great at it, but I do hope and pray that you are never, ever called upon to do it.
We were one of the unlucky families to receive "The Knock". My nephew, Spc. Matthew Murchison, was killed in action in Baghdad when his ASV was struck with an EFP. Matthew was hit in the head from behind. He never knew what happened to him.
The army knocked at my sister's door at 6:01am on August 5, 2007. Matthew was killed at approx. 10pm Baghdad time on August 4th. She still hears the doorbell at 6:01am, though it's not really ringing. It will be with her forever.
Though the different branches of service handle the casualty notification differently, the army sends different people to guide the family through the preparations - not the same personnel that "knocked". My sister's CNO is the most compassionate, wonderful and caring individual we have ever known. Matthew was his first casualty. He is family now.
Expect that if you're called on for this duty, though it will be tough, you will gain another whole family through the experience.
Also, read the book "Final Salute". It's a great read and VERY accurate.
God Bless and Good Luck with your new duties.
Hi Jack,
I apologize for the seemingly random contact, but I read your blog, and I thought that you may be interested in and able to help me with a project that I am working on. I'm a Researcher and Casting associate at MTV and am currently working on a documentary on jobs that may make someone resent you for the work that you do. We are trying to reach out to casualty notification officers as we believe it is one of the most difficult jobs one might carry out.
You may or may not be familiar with MTV's True Life -- it's a long-running, award winning documentary series that seeks to have young people share their stories, in their own words. The format is strictly first person, which is to say that we don't filter the voices of our subjects through narrators or any similar third parties. All we do is follow them; it's our hope that by allowing these people to use their own voices to tell their stories, and communicating directly with their peers, we can impact the way people interact and engage with the world they live in.
One of the themes we’re currently exploring for our new season, and this new show, is the pressures of having a job for which others perceive you as the bad guy. Some of the themes we are exploring include: Does your job make you “the bad guy?” Is it hard to know that a job well done will mean making other people upset? We are particularly interested in finding those who may have a job that is as difficult as being a casualty notification officer and who must deliver the news of a loved one's death. We are interested in exploring the aspect of honor and duty when it comes to carrying out one's job.
After reading about you on The Signal's website, we thought that a project like this could interest you. If this sounds like something that you might consider, I'd love to give you more information about this project -- and if you know of anyone else it might be beneficial to contact, please do let us know. I can be reached via email at badguy@mtvn.com or by phone at 212-846-8850.
Thank you so much for any assistance that you can offer. I look forward to hearing from you!
Best regards,
Kristen
Research/Casting
kristen.chalos@mtvnmix.com
MTV News & Docs
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