Bristol soldier proud of Army’s work in Afghanistan

BRISTOL, Va. – Shortly before heading to Afghanistan for his second military deployment in several years, U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Juston Davis of Bristol told the Bristol Herald Courier he would go with pride in his service – and longing, for his newlywed wife and loving stepdaughter, who celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday without him.

Now weeks into his tour inside Afghanistan, Davis said he has even more pride in his mission – even as he misses his wife, Melissa, and stepdaughter Kayla more with each passing day.

“I do find my mind wandering now and then,” Davis said by phone from eastern Afghanistan, a time zone nine-and-a-half hours ahead of Bristol.

“This would have been our first Thanksgiving and our first Christmas together as a family,” he said. “And it’s especially tough because Thanksgiving has always been my favorite time of year.

“But even in the short time I’ve been deployed here,” Davis said, “I’m proud to say we are making a difference here, slowly but surely. The work we’re doing building an infrastructure and organization is going to make a big difference in Afghanistan as a country.

“So, it’s nice to know I’m a part of that. And that I’ve been a part of that,” Davis said. “I’m very proud of that.”

His mixture of resolute pride and deep longing is one Melissa Davis shares at home in Bristol, some 7,195 miles away from her newly wed husband.

They married May 30 but have yet to have a honeymoon, because of Juston’s training commitments leading up to his Afghan deployment.

“It is especially hard right now, because Juston’s right, this is always the time of year that he really loves sharing with me, Kayla and everyone he loves,” Melissa said.

Then, with a laugh, she said: “He doesn’t even mind shopping with me on Black Fridays. In fact, he loves that, too.”

But, Melissa said, “we’re hanging in there back here, as best we can, because we know what Juston is doing is good for our country. And we know he’s doing good things over in that country, too. He’s handling things there with bravery and pride and we’re going to do the same here for him, too.”

Davis’ tour in Afghanistan, scheduled to end next summer, comes five years after he served with the Reserves in Iraq, shortly after U.S. forces successfully invaded that country. While politely declining to talk much about his current roles (other than noting that he provides assistance to Army engineering crews), Davis said he’s had little time to compare the two tours.

“We’ve been so busy and tied up since we’ve gotten here, it’s been hard for me to do a lot of [comparing],” Davis said. “It’s been hectic. But, in some ways, this has been better than my last deployment. With the regular e-mail and calls I’ve been able to make, I’ve been able to have better communications back home.”

Davis said thoughts of returning to Bristol – along with his fierce desire to honorably serve his country every day – constantly accompany him in Afghanistan.

“The support I’ve gotten from my family and friends back there, the letters and care packages, they’ve meant a lot to me,” Davis said. “So I really look forward to seeing them when I get back home. After I do all I can here.”

It is a day Melissa Davis awaits anxiously as she spends this holiday season putting together a videotape for Juston, containing footage of his family’s holiday celebrations and personal messages from loved ones.

“We’re going to hang his Christmas stocking up for him this year, as always, so he can see it on video,” Melissa said.

“Because it’ll mean even more to us this time next year. When Juston can hang his own stocking with us.”

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