Former HHS grad serving his country this Christmas

#phocagallerypiclens 2-phocagallerypiclenscode-Community/mike isaac mug 2.jpg

Lance CPL Michael Isaac

CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan – For 2004 Holly High School grad Mike Isaac, Christmas this year is going to be just another day of the week.

Issac, 25, who is a US Marine Helicopter Crew Chief for the Light Attack Squadron 369 in Afghanistan, will spend half of his Christmas Day in the back of a helicopter doing his job.

“We’ll probably say Merry Christmas to each other,” Isaac said via telephone on Thursday. “We’ll see if we’re on the schedule, man up the helicopter and then it will pretty much be another day at work.”

As crew chief, Isaac said his squad provides aerial assault support for troops on the ground.

Isaac said his deployment to Afghanistan has been a real eye-opener for him. “It was a culture shock to see how the people live here in comparison to the United States,” he said. “It really allows you to see just how good we have it, and how lucky we are as Americans to have all that we do.”

As for his safety on the job, Isaac said he relies heavily on his crew. “Being a crew chief has its inherent dangers,” he said. “But I have an enormous amount of confidence in our pilot, and as crew members, we have developed a lot of trust in each other – that’s really important.”

Back home, Isaac’s bride of nearly a year and also a former 2005 HHS grad, Jamie, and their nearly 5-month old baby, Lydia will hold down the fort.

“It’s tough especially since it’s the baby’s first year, but we’re doing well,” Jamie said. In addition to feeling her husband’s absence on Christmas Day, Jamie said he will also be missed on Dec. 29 – the day Lydia officially turns 5 months old, and on Dec. 30 – the couple’s first wedding anniversary.

“Mike is missing a lot of firsts,” Jamie said. “He’s probably going to miss the whole baby food stage, and by the time he comes home in May, Lydia will probably be crawling.”

Even so, Jamie has no regrets. “I’m really grateful that he was here for me during my entire pregnancy and he was here for her birth,” she said. “He helped me get through the pregnancy and delivery, so I’m OK in handling this part on my own – we’re very proud of him and the work he is doing.”

While the Isaacs exchange emails every day or so, they also look forward to their once-a-week Skype sessions – a time when they can speak face-to-face via the Internet.

“Today’s technology helps a lot,” Isaac said. “Through Skype, I can see all the changes my daughter is going through, so that’s been great,” he said. “I don’t know how soldiers and their families did it before we had the technology that we do.”

Jamie agrees, and has a positive outlook on it all.

“We knew what we were getting into when Mike joined the Marines, so we have an open mind about it,” she said. “Days are hard without him, but I’m his biggest cheerleader,” she added. “I love him so much – I’m proud of what he’s doing, and I’m especially proud that he’s a Marine.”

Isaac is expected to return to the United States in May, where he will join his family once again at Ft. Pendleton, CA.

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!