From January to May of this year, 1998 Ball State graduate Heidi Clark found herself one of 11,000 women among 138,000 U.S. troops deployed in Iraq. Clark, a registered dietitian, joined the military in 1998 to help support her family and was deployed to care for wounded Iraqi citizens.

Throughout her deployment, Clark kept a diary where she recorded her experiences and the difficulties of being separated from her husband and two children. Excerpts from her diary appeared in the October issue of "Ladies' Home Journal," a popular women's magazine.

According to family and consumer sciences department chair Alice Spangler, Clark was an exemplary Ball State student who contributed much to the field of dietetics.

"Heidi was an outstanding student and received the top senior award in our department," Spangler said. "I am so impressed that to this day she has continued to shine professionally and as an individual. Among her many outstanding qualities, she is kind, humorous, smart and courageous."

Clark credits her Ball State experience for helping her choose a career path.

"The mentorship I received at Ball State was critical in my decision to join the Air Force," Clark said. "It is a decision I am very proud of, which has benefited me tremendously."

The article included diary entries from March through June, when she returned from Iraq. The diary revealed a wide range of experiences, including movie nights, church, treating a failed suicide bomber and dealing with the emotional struggle of caring for the man responsible for burning a house and killing a child Clark had treated.

Clark's diary illustrated the biggest struggle for most men and women who are deployed — being away from their families. It is arguably the most difficult aspect for deployed troops, as they work to coordinate schedules to communicate by e-mail or phone, hope for packages from home and miss out on important events in the life of a family — births, deaths, holidays and growing children.

"Our commander briefed us before we left, warning us that missing and worrying about our families would suck more of our energy away than anything we might see or do while deployed, and that is so true," she wrote. "It's hard to be away and know that everyone is struggling back home without you."

The article's final entry was June 7, when Clark discussed her adjustment back into civilian life. She spoke of making a conscious effort to spend time with her children and show them how much she loves them, after spending so much time away and concentrating on her own needs. The last line of the entry revealed a profound realization.

"Mike doesn't really want to hear about my experiences in Iraq, but he likes to talk to people about me, and I can tell that he is proud. I am, too," she wrote. "When we visited Soldier Field, it was interesting to realize: That soldier is me."

Clark returned from Iraq in mid-May and moved with her family to Lansing, Mich. in August to begin pursuing a master's degree in nutrition at Michigan State University. The text of the article can be found on MSN Lifestyle at http://lifestyle.msn.com/MindBodyandSoul/PersonalGrowth/Articlelhj.aspx?cp-documentid=53002.

Kari Jones