Wife signed up with reserve to join hubby’s unit in Baghdad

Kathryn and Bill Carter of Peachtree City can say with honesty that their marriage is just like living in a war zone.

Exactly like a war zone, as a matter of fact. For now anyway.

They are both stationed in Baghdad, Iraq, serving at the 3rd Medical Base at Camp Victory. He's enlisted, a Lieutenant Colonel who's chief of operations, and she's a Captain in the Army Reserve. Kathryn Carter had served six years in the Army, leaving last year to work at Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church. Then the Carters began figuring out Bill would likely have to serve another tour in Iraq.

Kathryn found out about a reserve position open in her husband's unit that was the previous job she had in the Army, working in human resources with personnel matters. So she signed up for the reserves and it worked out: she was assigned to her husband's unit.

They would go back to war together, as Lieutenant Colonel and Captain -- and as husband and wife. Initially, they presumed they'd live in separate quarters, but work at the same base.

It wasn't until later they found out they could actually share quarters.

"Who have thought it?" Kathryn Carter said. "... I mean, hello, this is the Army!"

Kathryn Carter explained that servicemen and women can't get married while they are deployed, but if they're already married and lucky enough to be deployed together, the Army will allow husbands and wives to bunk together.

While his wife works in a separate office, Bill Carter oversees operations at the medical base, making sure injured troops are brought in, stabilized and airlifted to other military hospitals for long-term care

After working 12-hour days, the Carters retire to their room, which is inside a trailer on base. They have two twin beds and a television. When nature calls, they must walk outside to the latrine. The walk has been even more dicey at times recently because of the rainy season that January brought, Bill Carter said.

"This place becomes a mud puddle," he said.

The Carters said it's nice being able to talk about work with each other, allowing them to vent when necessary and share the positive aspects of their jobs.

"We get to do lunch, dinner and breakfast together a lot," Bill Carter said.

Being physically close helps, too, Kathryn Carter said, especially when the sounds of war penetrate the trailer. The couple is "used to" hearing helicopters flying overhead, the rat-tat-tat-tat of gunfire and occasionally, explosions.

"I get scared over here, don't get me wrong," Kathryn Carter said. "But having him next to me, I can reach over and grab him, you know."

Sometimes both Carters have to leave the security of the base as part of their job. They worry about each other, knowing full well that insurgents are out there waiting to take out any U.S. convoy.

"It's always a challenge," Kathryn Carter said. "You never want to think, 'What if something happens when I'm gone?' You just try to live your life without leaving anything unsaid. Just love you today and enjoy it, and take it as it comes."

"I worry about her when she's off post, and I think she worries about me when I'm off post," Bill Carter said. A native of Brooklyn, NY, he harks back to the area when explaining to a stranger about the violence near the base.

"It's kind of like living in a bad neighborhood in New York City," Carter said. "Every now and then there's a stray round or indirect fire. Believe it or not, you kind of get used to it."

Fortunately, the war in Iraq has the lowest rate of soldiers dying of their wounds of any other war or conflict in the military's history, Carter said.

Numerous officials have credited that accomplishment to medical personnel such as those at Lt. Col. Carter's hospital. The hospital sees a variety of injuries, from someone who sprained their ankle playing basketball during down time to others who've been injured by explosions from IEDs commonly used by insurgents. IED is short for "improvised explosive device."

War and romance aren't new to the Carters. In fact, it's kind of how they got their start. The couple met in October 2002 while both were in Kuwait. At the time, the military was preparing to invade Iraq. Their first date was to a movie, and things blossomed from there to a marriage proposal and a wedding in her grandparents' town in Tennessee in March 2004.

"I asked her to a movie at Camp Doha ... and the rest is history," Bill Carter recalled.

Though they work on separate parts of the base, the Carters usually manage to share meals in addition to pillow talk, such as it is. They most often find themselves talking about work, because otherwise they get to talking about the people and things they miss back home, Kathryn Carter said.

Talking mostly about work can overwhelming, she said, but it's also nice because her husband understands what's going on, down to all the military jargon.

The Carters took their R&R leave at the same time in November, coming back home to Peachtree City and enjoying each other's company as a normal couple.

Coming home was extra special for the Carters, who who actually were away training three months before they deployed for their year-long tour in Iraq.

"It's just a long time to be away from home, but I'm definitely thankful he's here," Kathryn Carter said of their deployment.

While away, the Carters miss KC, Bill Carter's daughter from a previous marriage, who's attending Rising Starr Middle School. Capt. Carter's parents have moved down here from Indiana to keep KC while her dad and stepmom are overseas.

"We've been very blessed to have family that supports us," Kathryn Carter said.

Bill Carter speaks with KC on the phone every other day or so, and Capt. Carter mostly stays in touch via e-mail and talking to her parents.

"That's one of my biggest challenges, being away from my daughter," Bill Carter said.

If all goes according to plan, the Carters expect to be back in Peachtree City by August. One of the things they're looking forward to the most, other than seeing KC?

"It will be so nice to have the bathroom right next to our bedroom," Capt. Carter said.

Until then, Capt. Carter said she feels fortunate to have her husband with her.

"Home is where your family is," she said. "My home is here in Baghdad.

"I've told Bill that before, that he is my home, and whenever I'm with him, we're home."

In that respect, the Carters are just like any other military family that sticks together through multiple cities and towns over a career. In Bill Carter's case, he has been with the Army for 23 years.

The Carters are stationed out of nearby Fort Gillem.