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American Morning

All in the Family

Aired December 15, 2003 - 08:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Fresh U.S. troops are still headed to Iraq, and three members of one American family are deploying together. Staff sergeant Thomas Beck and his wife, Sergeant Geraldine Beck, and their daughter, Sergeant Krissy Beck, are all members of the Kentucky National Guard. They join us this morning from Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Good morning to all of you.

I'm going to ask a favor to start off. I'm just going to use your first names if that's OK because, otherwise it's really hard to tell you guys apart while we do this interview. So if you're fine with that, I'm just going to continue on.

Thomas, let's start with you.

And I would like all of you to answer this question.

What was your reaction when you heard that Saddam Hussein had been captured, really just as we're all about to head into Iraq?

STAFF SGT. THOMAS BECK, KENTUCKY NATIONAL GUARD: Well, it was a good sign that they caught him, but we still have a job to do, the military does. And we're looking forward to going over to relieve the soldiers that's over there right now and do our part.

O'BRIEN: How about you, Geraldine?

SGT. GERALDINE BECK, KENTUCKY NATIONAL GUARD: Well, at first I thought it was kind of a joke. But now that he's captured, and it's kind of the realization that it's a good thing, like Sergeant Beck said, we still got a mission to do, and we're going to go over and complete it.

O'BRIEN: You call your husband Sergeant Beck, Sergeant Beck?

G. BECK: When I'm in uniform I do, yes ma'am.

O'BRIEN: All right, yes, ma'am. I understand that.

Sergeant Beck, Krissy, daughter here, what's your take? I believe this is your first deployment overseas, is that right? and how are you feeling going in with the word of Saddam Hussein's capture?

SGT. KRISSY BECK, KENTUCKY NATIONAL GUARD: Well, it makes me feel really good inside, and I'm glad that our country finally got a triumph over him and captured him and everything. And I'm just glad that, you know we can go over there and relieve the troops and give them a chance to go home and see their families for Christmas and other holidays and stuff, because I'm sure that they're ready to come home.

O'BRIEN: How are you feeling about going over? As I mentioned, I believe this is your first deployment overseas. Now I understand you're going as a family, which is hugely unusual. Does that make it easier, Krissy, or does it make it a little bit more difficult?

K. BECK: Well, it makes it easier in a sense. But in another sense, a lot of troops are like yes, you're going over there with your father and you're happy. But I think there's always concern, you know, with each one of us that we hope that we all three come back, and it kind of scares me sometimes. But I love him, and I know he'll do a good job. I think he will now, too.

O'BRIEN: Thomas, I'm curious to know, how does it feel to know that you're taking your wife and your daughter with you into the theater? And are there any guarantees that you're actually all going to be together?

T. BECK: Well, we're all -- yes, we will be together over there. We'll be in different divisions and stuff, but we will stay in the same area together.

O'BRIEN: Geraldine, last question for you, as the mom in the bunch, are you a little worried? I mean, on one hand, I can understand how it might be nice to have your family around you. But on the other hand, I could see how it could be a bigger problem. Any final words on that?

G. BECK: No, we've all accepted it, and we're going to go over there and we're all going to come back, and I think he'll be -- I think we'll be OK.


Aired December 15, 2003 - 08:57   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Fresh U.S. troops are still headed to Iraq, and three members of one American family are deploying together. Staff sergeant Thomas Beck and his wife, Sergeant Geraldine Beck, and their daughter, Sergeant Krissy Beck, are all members of the Kentucky National Guard. They join us this morning from Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Good morning to all of you.

I'm going to ask a favor to start off. I'm just going to use your first names if that's OK because, otherwise it's really hard to tell you guys apart while we do this interview. So if you're fine with that, I'm just going to continue on.

Thomas, let's start with you.

And I would like all of you to answer this question.

What was your reaction when you heard that Saddam Hussein had been captured, really just as we're all about to head into Iraq?

STAFF SGT. THOMAS BECK, KENTUCKY NATIONAL GUARD: Well, it was a good sign that they caught him, but we still have a job to do, the military does. And we're looking forward to going over to relieve the soldiers that's over there right now and do our part.

O'BRIEN: How about you, Geraldine?

SGT. GERALDINE BECK, KENTUCKY NATIONAL GUARD: Well, at first I thought it was kind of a joke. But now that he's captured, and it's kind of the realization that it's a good thing, like Sergeant Beck said, we still got a mission to do, and we're going to go over and complete it.

O'BRIEN: You call your husband Sergeant Beck, Sergeant Beck?

G. BECK: When I'm in uniform I do, yes ma'am.

O'BRIEN: All right, yes, ma'am. I understand that.

Sergeant Beck, Krissy, daughter here, what's your take? I believe this is your first deployment overseas, is that right? and how are you feeling going in with the word of Saddam Hussein's capture?

SGT. KRISSY BECK, KENTUCKY NATIONAL GUARD: Well, it makes me feel really good inside, and I'm glad that our country finally got a triumph over him and captured him and everything. And I'm just glad that, you know we can go over there and relieve the troops and give them a chance to go home and see their families for Christmas and other holidays and stuff, because I'm sure that they're ready to come home.

O'BRIEN: How are you feeling about going over? As I mentioned, I believe this is your first deployment overseas. Now I understand you're going as a family, which is hugely unusual. Does that make it easier, Krissy, or does it make it a little bit more difficult?

K. BECK: Well, it makes it easier in a sense. But in another sense, a lot of troops are like yes, you're going over there with your father and you're happy. But I think there's always concern, you know, with each one of us that we hope that we all three come back, and it kind of scares me sometimes. But I love him, and I know he'll do a good job. I think he will now, too.

O'BRIEN: Thomas, I'm curious to know, how does it feel to know that you're taking your wife and your daughter with you into the theater? And are there any guarantees that you're actually all going to be together?

T. BECK: Well, we're all -- yes, we will be together over there. We'll be in different divisions and stuff, but we will stay in the same area together.

O'BRIEN: Geraldine, last question for you, as the mom in the bunch, are you a little worried? I mean, on one hand, I can understand how it might be nice to have your family around you. But on the other hand, I could see how it could be a bigger problem. Any final words on that?

G. BECK: No, we've all accepted it, and we're going to go over there and we're all going to come back, and I think he'll be -- I think we'll be OK.