600 Army National Guard soldiers of Bravo Company 1st of the 160 Infantry Division, based near Los Angeles, are returning from a one-year tour of duty in Iraq. In anticipation of their homecoming, the women in their lives were invited by the Sassoon Academy for a complete makeover that included haircuts, color, and make-up.
Organized by Kristal McGee, FSG Volunteer Coordinator who acts as a liason for Bravo Company families said, “Many of these women haven’t had their hair done in a year so this is a tremendous treat.”
McGee looks after the families of 120 men, and that includes troubleshooting, “So that the men can stay focused and be on mission and not worry about a situation at home such a problem with a bill or plumbing.” She added that, “We try to help the wives solve their problems so they’re not calling their husbands. This way, their conversations can be about fun things such as what’s going on in the family.”
McGee explained that these women carry a lot of responsibilities on their shoulders and they are quite amazing. Several have finished their Master’s degrees while their husbands have been away.
Diana Guasso, one of the young wives with a mane of beautiful, long black hair, said, “I can’t remember the last time I was pampered like this and it feels great.” With her husband Jose Luis gone for a year, life has been a struggle. “We had a newborn baby when he left and with our new addition, I have two baby girls – 1, and 6 months.” Guasso finds it hard being a full-time mom and working, but she said, “I get a lot of emotional support from Jose Luis which makes it a bit easier to get through. We speak on the phone when he has a chance and sometimes we talk for an hour or five minutes.”
Guasso laughed and said, “I told him that I’m going to lock myself in my room for two weeks when he gets home so he can be in charge of the kids.” Getting serious she added, “There’s always a chance for another tour, but I’m very hopeful that we elect a great president so that we don’t have to worry about this anymore.”
