Waiting while wondering

Mother anxious for son’s return amid her misgivings over war.

By: Dick Brinster
   "The mother and child reunion is only a motion away." — Paul Simon
   While his stateside mother wonders about the value of the war, Air National Guardsman Eric Johnson of East Windsor is fighting insurgency in Iraq.
   Among the things Nancy Johnson questions is the level of gratitude felt for what the troops are trying to do, but her son has no doubt. Staff Sgt. Johnson makes his determination by judging the reaction of the affected people.
   "The smiling faces of Iraqis saying thank you is a rewarding experience in itself," Staff Sgt. Johnson said this week in an exchange of e-mails with the Herald. "The tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein is gone and the people of this great country are undergoing the arduous process of building their democracy based on principles of freedom."
   His mother reads those words and is filled with pride, but still struggles with the concept of war.
   "In general, I am not in favor of any wars because you lose lives, and I have to question what are we gaining from this situation, meaning our people, not our government but our people, the kids that are killed," said Ms. Johnson, a nurse at the Cranbury Center rehabilitation facility. "What are we as a country gaining and what cost does it have to us?"
   Her 26-year-old son — a member of the 177th Fighter Wing based in Atlantic City and serving in Iraq with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing — has an answer for that.
   "The war in Iraq is progressing with certainty and we are making a profound impact on this new democratic nation," said Staff Sgt. Johnson, a 1998 graduate of Allentown High School who four years later earned a political science degree from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. "As a veteran of this war, I can say with confidence that we are doing an outstanding job and will continue into the future."
   Ms. Johnson admits her concerns about Operation Iraqi Freedom are in part fueled by the escalating criticism of the conflict by retired generals. That group has been particularly outspoken in recent days, with several former top officers calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to step down.
   But Ms. Johnson says one area where her support will never waver is backing of the troops. She saw what happened 35 years ago and doesn’t want a reminder.
   "The kids are there and you have to support them, regardless of how you feel about war," said the divorced mother of two sons. "It’s the same thing as with Vietnam.
   "People were so antiwar and weren’t very nice to our military men, who were guilty of nothing more than doing their jobs."
   Staff Sgt. Johnson’s job description is avionics specialist for an F-16. He and his colleagues are responsible for maintaining and troubleshooting the fire control, communication, electro-targeting, electronic warfare and navigation systems on the aircraft. He calls his job challenging, extremely rewarding and demanding.
   The F-16, also known as the Viper, has superior air-to-air capability with a "power plant" that thrusts the jet to twice the speed of sound, according to Staff Sgt. Johnson. This lethal weapon in the sky also provides versatility in close air support to ground troops, an aspect that fills him with pride.
   "Our deployed squadron is named after the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, who served during World War II providing remarkable air- to-air and ground support in Europe," he said.
   The Tuskegee Airmen were America’s first black military air unit.
   Being in the Air Force is fulfillment of a dream that began for Staff Sgt. Johnson when he was child growing up in Millstone watching airplanes on final approach to McGuire Air Force Base.
   "My best friend and I would always talk about joining the military and working in aviation," he explained. "During my third year in college, the same desire came over me as a Viper buzzed overhead during a class lecture. I vividly remember my statement, ‘That’s unfinished business.’
   "Soon thereafter, I enlisted, and went off to basic training and followed on with my technical training. Of course, 9/11 reaffirmed my loyalty and sense of commitment to preserving freedom in our great nation."
   Staff Sgt. Johnson expects to return home at the end of May, after six months in the desert. During his deployment, he was selected by the unit as an intelligence officer.
   Despite his devotion to the Air Force, Staff Sgt. Johnson misses his mother and brother, Adam, who is about to make him an uncle. Most of all, he misses the give and take of life with his mother, interesting in part because they don’t always agree on issues.
   "My mother has been the idol of my life," Staff Sgt. Johnson said. "She has supported me in every endeavor, during good times and bad throughout the years. She is my heart, my life, my No. 1."