Soldier returns from Iraq
Woman's 20 years in military ends May 1

By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau

KILLEEN, Texas — Early every morning, for the last 14 months, Mildred Drake Todd’s mother would pray for protection for her daughter.

Staff Sgt. Todd was assigned to the Signal Corps, stationed in Iraq. Todd returned stateside Dec. 24, and on May 1 she officially retires from the military after 20 years.
“My mother said it was a burden lifted off her shoulders,” Todd said of her safe return.

She was nervous when she first went to Iraq , but members of her unit were veterans, having been deployed there previously.

“I was holding my breath, but they were joking, relieving the tension,” Todd said. “Watching them, and seeing they weren’t scared, helped to calm me down.”

She grew up around Navajo Mountain, living in Killeen now because it’s near her base.

Two decades ago, she was struggling, holding down three jobs as she and her husband, John, worked to provide for their son, Daniel. She had dropped out of college, and holding down several jobs, but times were still tough.

“I knew I had to do something,” Todd said.

She decided to enlist, a decision that her father wasn’t all too pleased with, she said.

She’s proud of her service, proud of her contributions during the Iraq War and glad to be coming home to stay. It was difficult to be away from her children, she said.

Daniel, 22, was studying to become an accountant, and Samantha, 11 is keeping busy with choir, modern jazz and dance lessons.

“My husband says I have to catch up on all the recitals, I’ve missed,” she laughed.

New Year’s Eve was her 23rd wedding anniversary.

When she arrived at the airport, Todd had no trouble finding her family — she only had to follow her daughter’s voice.

“She was yelling ‘Mom!’ through the crowd, crying like a little lost lamb,” Todd said.

When she leaves the army, Todd plans to go to college under the GI Bill. She would like to become a teacher.

She likes movies — family comedies and sci-fi — and dining out.

“That’s not so good for a hobby,” she said.

Oh, and she likes shopping, Todd added.

Keeping in touch with the family was a challenge.

“I basically had to call at 3 a.m., which would be 6:30 p.m. their time,” Todd said.

But the Internet and e-mail made keeping in touch easier, she said. And her church, the Killeen First Church ofNazarene, would send her CDs of sermons and cards on holidays.

Todd is glad to be home, and looking forward to spending time with her family. But that doesn’t mean her challenges are over.

Her daughter, Samantha, wants to try rock climbing.

“I’m not so sure about that,” Todd said.

Then, again, climbing mountains is nothing new for Mildred Drake Todd.