Maj. Timothy Walter misses his wife and daughter while he's in Afghanistan but also feels he's

Maj. Timothy Walter misses his wife and daughter while he's in Afghanistan but also feels he's helping to protect them.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan/FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. --
"Dear Little Buddy" begins all the letters 9-year-old Kayla gets from her dad, Army Maj. Timothy C. Walter, in Afghanistan.
"Dear Big Buddy," she writes back from Kentucky.
Being a caring military father in harm's way on the other side of the world thousands of miles from his family can be both heart-wrenching and incredibly sweet, the Mahoning Valley natives say.
Soldiers, especially during wartime, can't be what and where they most want to be -- dads and moms and sons and daughters and brothers and sisters, at home with their families.
But at the same time, the welfare of their families can give them a compelling reason for being where they are.
That is how it is with Walter, formerly of Boardman, a 15-year Army veteran with the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
He is executive officer for the 3rd Brigade, where his wife, Rebecca, formerly of McDonald, says he is known as the "Mayor of Kandahar." He left for Afghanistan on Dec. 17, 2001, and is scheduled to rotate home within the next few months.
Being protective
"Being a husband and father ... are the most important things in my life. My wife and daughter are my whole world, my reason for being. Our family is extremely close, and we really enjoy the time we spend together," Walter wrote in an e-mail to The Vindicator last week.
"I definitely miss my girls," he said, referring to his wife and daughter at Fort Campbell, "but I know that by my being here, I can protect them there at home.
"I think being in the military makes me more aware of the blessings that being a father means. Because I can't always be there for the school play or a ballgame, I take the time to enjoy the things I can go to," he said.
Despite the obvious love and caring, keeping in touch is tough because of the distance and Walter's absence.
There are occasional phone calls and visits home, but letters and e-mail are the lifelines that keep the family informed and together.
Kayla saves all the letters from her dad and puts them on the fridge, Rebecca said.
In his letters to Kayla, which end with "Love, Your Big Buddy," Walter writes to his daughter about everyday things.
"I'm proud of how well you're doing in school. Keep it up and you'll go far in life. You can be whatever you want to be."
"I miss you very much and I'm so very proud of you," he wrote after Kayla received a good report card.
In another letter, he said: "I got your letter and cheerleading picture. You are a beautiful young lady! I love you 2 much -- more than you could ever know."
A deeper understanding
Although Walter has been on assignment away from home before, Rebecca said this is the first time Kayla has understood that it is dangerous. She understood Sept. 11, and that her daddy was going to get the bad guys. She was very scared, but she is doing well, Rebecca said.
"Sometimes when I think about my dad, I curl up in a little ball and cry and hold a red bear with a red, white and blue heart on it," Kayla said. Dad sent her the bear from Afghanistan for Valentine's Day.
"I'm doing well, too," Rebecca said.
"This is what he is supposed to do. He didn't even think twice. It's his duty, and I'm proud of him. I'm proud of all of them," she said.
Walter said his father, former Boardman Police Chief William Walter, has been the "biggest influence on my life and the way I act as a father. He taught me right from wrong and that you always do what is right even if it isn't popular. He loves me and is always supportive of whatever I do. His advice was always right on, even if it took me a few years to face the reality that he was right.
"Bill Walter is the world's best father, and I can never tell him enough times that I really do appreciate him and love him. He is the most loyal and honest man I know. He has not and will not compromise his principles for any reason."
Preparing for deployment
Rebecca, who has to be the family facilitator with her husband gone, said the countdown for her family started Sept. 11.
Because Walter's unit was on high alert, and he was unable to leave the Fort Campbell area, Rebecca invited his family, who still live in Boardman, to visit them at Fort Campbell so they could see him before he was deployed.
"We are all so thankful for that time together. That was the last time Tim saw his father before [his father] suffered a stroke shortly after Christmas," she said.
Walter's father is slowly recovering, she said.
"Christmas 2001 was our first Christmas without Tim. Kayla and I came to Ohio [the Youngstown-Warren area] to be with our family. It was tough," she said.
"Tim's No. 1 priority is our daughter. He is very busy with the Army and has been away a lot during our time in the Army, but he always makes time for Kayla and me," Rebecca said.
Before he deployed, he would get Kayla's breakfast and wait at the bus stop with her so he could have those precious minutes with her. He also made it a point to have lunch with her at school two or three times a month, Rebecca said.
"He and Kayla are buddies. They will bike-ride, take the dog for a walk, play board games, or sometimes just watch 'Scooby-Doo' together curled up on the couch. They are so close," Rebecca said.
Kayla said she would "probably cry and jump up and down and hug him," when her Dad comes home. "I just miss him so much! I love him."
"He will hug and kiss Mom, and say, 'Hey, Little Buddy,' and kiss me and pick me up."