Shawn is one of our site's contributors, a Producer on this film, an Army veteran, and he earned his MFA from UCF---in addition to being active in the community, and with CFF and other charities.
Jalalabad, Afghanistan, 2011
[As a musician] I spent a lot of the time making music in my head, a double album's worth of material that never left the desert. I was an Army Reservist Supply Sergeant with the 689th Engineer Company from Orlando, FL. It was my second deployment with the unit—and second time in Afghanistan. We were in the northeastern region of Jalalabad. Most of my time was spent toiling inside my office adjacent to the Headquarters building roughly a mile from the makeshift housing we called "chus."
I primarily dealt with logistics issues. Our company consisted of five platoons and 200+ combat engineers who cleared the roads of explosives. They conducted "route clearance" in convoys of armored mine-resistant vehicles. It was a dangerous job, and they were a tough bunch.
Back then, being a Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) in charge of a section seemed like a big deal, considering I wasn't expecting to still be in the Army. It was my first time managing soldiers under me. I embraced the responsibility but longed for simpler times as a mere specialist.
Afghanistan is a country of both extreme heat and cold. We endured the best of both worlds and trudged on for ten months until returning home, relatively intact. There were a lot of injuries amongst the combat engineers, some very serious, but thankfully everyone returned.
We did our jobs knowing that someday, we'd return home. Until then, any message or call meant everything.
Technology
In my time overseas, I've witnessed the evolution of correspondence, from letters and email to social media, instant messenger, video calls, cell phones, and text messages. We had decent internet in our chus, purchased from the locals. Cell phones were a rarity, but I did witness a few savvy soldiers with the know-how and pocketbook to afford such expensive coverage.
My corner room inside one of many wooden chus along the airfield was my sanctuary. Plywood walls remained the only privacy afforded those fortunate enough to not share a room. I often worked late as our First Sergeant repeatedly lectured me about "proper time management." I just wished he would mind his own business.
There was no denying the sense of longing for home. It's what deployments are all about. I was single, which made things harder in my patently self-centered way. It was always nice to hear from family and friends, but not having a girlfriend or significant other back home created an increasing sense of isolation.
Every night, I had to listen to our Executive Officer (XO) from across the hall loudly chat with his wife on a video call. When not telling her every detail about his day, he engaged in "baby talk" with his dogs until I couldn't take anymore and put my headphones on to go to sleep.
My old friend Rosie also dealt with similar feelings of isolation. We had messaged each other plenty during my Iraq deployment in 2008. Her messages in 2011 seemed to come at the right time. She was tirelessly awaiting a lung transplant and counting the days.
We discussed music, movies, TV shows, and other mutual interests. She was a regular pen pal and always there for me. I assumed that with a transplant lined up, everything would work out. Cystic Fibrosis had degenerated her lungs beyond capacity, and her chance had finally come. She deserved it.
Sometimes you can feel yourself fading the longer you're away from home. Knowing that a life is waiting for you is perhaps the greatest motivating factor in accomplishing the mission, whatever it may be at any given time.
Rosie consistently reminded me that I wasn't forgotten about and that we had so much more to work on once I returned---her vocals and my keyboard tracks. She was frustrated at not being able to leave the house much given her condition, and I felt that I could relate somehow.
Homecoming
In 2013, I attended college at UCF and worked with Jason on the documentary in my free time. Rosie was a big part of it already.
Following her lung transplant, she moved from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, GA to the nearby Wesley Woods Hospital for rehabilitation. I traveled to Atlanta with the strong hope that everything would be okay. The hardest part was over with, we just needed her lungs to comply and function properly.
I spent a day with Rosie, Jason, her siblings, and her mother Vicki. Rosie's eyes were as vibrant as ever, full of life. The tube in her throat, however, prevented her from talking. "You'll get through this," I assured her, "And then we'll record some new tracks." We parted with a hug, and I assumed she'd be out of there in no time.
Rosie passed away at Emory University Hospital / ICU on June 17, 2013, one week before her 26th birthday. After undergoing septic shock earlier that year, her new lungs wouldn't hold. I saw the news via a Facebook post from her Mother.
I think about Rosie and the comfort she gave me during one of the loneliest times of my life. She was a true friend. We could and often did talk about anything. This young girl I had known growing up with the Bumpus family became my artistic muse. I only wish we had created more music.
When a band we both liked releases a new album, I always wonder what she would think of it. In one of our last messages, she wrote eloquently about her challenges ahead while possessing a strength and determination beyond comprehension. I felt undeserving of such kind words:
"You are a beautiful person, and an amazing friend, Shawn. I've always seen you for that. And I wanted you to know it.
I'm sorry if this is too serious. But I find more and more that life is too short to not say what I feel in my heart. Thank you for being my friend. Peace and love. - Rosie"
The Journey Ahead
It’s been over a decade since we first started shaping Our Family & CF. As an intimate examination of Jason’s family, he has shared most of the burden. Projects of this magnitude require collaboration and support. We’ve received plenty of this both from friends and family over the years and need to maintain the momentum of this awareness campaign.
A simple thing to do is subscribe to this website with your email address. Follow us as well on social media----Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube---to stay updated with glimpses into the documentary filmmaking process, music, and other topics.
More to come from this producer, and I look forward to continuing this journey. Thank you for your support!
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