Stop-lossed: Army recalls man for redeployment

With his military contract completed, Colby Evans is concentrating on his family. PHOTO BY ADAM STEWART | STANWOOD/CAMANO NEWS Veterans Day, November 11, 2008, Colby Evans, 26, received a package on his doorstep.

Inside were orders to redeploy to Iraq.

He was six months away from completing his inactive ready reserve duty.

The Iraq War combat veteran with the Fort Lewis Stryker Brigade was stop-lossed seven months past his eight-year military contract. He recently returned home to Camano Island.

Evans recalls being shocked, angered and worried upon receiving his orders.

“I was mad,” he said. “But I was more afraid of what would happen if I didn’t report.”

He reported — one of 97 out of 300 from his group — and served a second year-long tour.

Evans doesn’t know what happened to the 203 soldiers who didn’t show, nor does he hold any grudges against them. He’s proud of his service, despite feeling a bit jilted by the system, and glad to be home, free from his military obligation.

His focus now, to re-connect with the family he was forced to leave. The family he supported by joining the Army in the first place.

Evans grew up in Arlington. He married his high school sweetheart, Casey Evans, after graduation and the two started a family.

His first deployment to Iraq in 2004 was expected. His wife and first son, Jake, now 8, had the support of fellow military families living on base while Evans was away. It provided a sense of comfort for Casey, who was pregnant with their second child.

Josh, now 5, was born while Evans was in Iraq. He found out through a random call home.

When his active duty contract chose to shift away from the military lifestyle. Evans secured work as a correctional officer with the Snohomish County Sheriff Corrections Bureau’s Everett facility and moved his family to Camano Island. For three-and-ahalf years, civilian life was falling into place.

A delivery on a federal holiday changed all that.

In January of last year, Evans was back in Iraq with orders to stay past his voluntary contract.

Casey, expecting their third child, was left to care for her two sons without the help of her husband.

“The boys didn’t understand at the time, why their father was going away,” said Casey. “It took a toll on them.”

Evans’ second deployment was harder on his wife for multiple reasons. Juggling work at Team Fitness in Stanwood, the daily tasks of raising two boys and dealing with pregnancy were compounded with thoughts of resentment.

“It makes you live on the edge a bit,” she said.

She drew strength from family, co-workers and neighbors, but initially found it difficult to accept help.

“I felt uncomfortable with the sympathy,” said Casey. “Once I finally did accept the help, I was shocked at how supportive people can be.”

Because communication with her husband was more consistent and reliable on Evans’ most recent tour, the children and Casey were able to speak with him on a daily basis.

Evans coordinated ground patrols in the operations center and didn’t have to leave the base, unlike his first tour where he would be off base at various locations for an undetermined amount of time with his infantry unit.

The connection allowed Evans to watch, via webcam, his third child being born. Dr. James Grierson with the Stanwood-Camano Medical Center delivered Abigail last July at Skagit Valley Hospital. Dr. Grierson’s team knew the situation and made sure Evans didn’t miss another birth while serving in Iraq.

“The hospital staff’s extra effort,” said Evans, “makes you realize how important living in a close-knit community really is. They made it happen.”

The birth of Abigail was the hospital’s first webcam witnessed delivery.

Early Tuesday morning, Jan. 12, Evans was able to finally hold Abigail for the first time. A safe return to his family is only the beginning.

Cleared from his military commitment, Evans has “no worries now.”

However, the transition back to everyday activities has taken some adjustment time, but “Casey made it feel like I never left,” he said.

The difference between Evans’ first and second deployment was stark. He described a country taking control of their military and police resources within the five-year gap.

“We were really there on standby,” said Evans. “Sometimes I wondered why we were still there.”

“It seems like a waste of resources, money and manpower,” he added.

Asked if he had any regrets, the proud father said, “No, I wouldn’t say I regret my service. I would say I’d do things differently.”

For now, Evans will take some time with his family before returning to work. The recall and stop-loss was an “interruption” to his real-world life at home. He’s encouraged to hear that the stop-loss policy is being phased out of the military, but recognized that people are still being recalled to duty.

“I don’t want to discourage people from joining the military,” said Evans while sitting with his wife and children. “But if the Army wanted you to have a family, they’d issue you one.”

Staff Reporter Adam Stewart: 629-8066 ext. 115 or astewart@scnews.com.