Salisbury Soldier Home From Afghanistan Awaiting Obama Address
IPSWICH (CBS) - Local military families are anxiously waiting to learn how President Obama and Congress will handle troop withdrawals from Afghanistan.
Sgt. 1st Class John Clogston of Salisbury is currently stationed in Afghanistan. His family is overjoyed to have him home on leave. Emotions overflowed when John surprised his daughters at their dance recital.
"Lots of tears," said his wife Christine Clogston. "I think there was lots of tears even in the audience."
John is slated to return to Afghanistan next month and serve until next year. But, decisions being made right now in Washington could change all that.
WBZ-TV's Lauren Leamanczyk reports.
"You're a small little block on a checkerboard. You're just waiting to get moved here or moved there to make the right choice," said John Clogston.
That right choice isn't always easy to define.
When asked what he wanted to hear President Obama say in Wednesday night's address, John replied, "that yes we are going to do a pullout but it won't be you know three years. Don't put a time table on it."
Christine Clogston feels the same way. Even though she wants her husband home safe more than anything, she also wants it done right.
"I'm afraid that if they get pulled out too early that they might have to go back and I'd rather him finish up what they need to do," she said.
The Clogston's are prepared for whatever their leaders decide. They hope the people making the decisions remember the families who will live with them.
"It just can't be a snap decision and then two years later, we're all gone and Afghanistan's sitting there saying what do we do," Clogston said.
