Mrs. Brenda Dwiggins

Dwiggins, a naval reservist, was called to active duty in Iraq.Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com Buy this photo "She's the strongest woman I know, and I know they are going to bring her home."

-- Eli Dunn, 20, one of Brenda Dwiggins' three adult children
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> After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, East Milton Elementary School kindergarten teacher Brenda Dwiggins rejoined the Naval Reserves.

"I felt like I needed to protect my country and protect my freedom," she said.

Dwiggins, 50, of Holt, will get that chance in January when she leaves for a year's service in Iraq.
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Santa Rosa County School District officials estimate Dwiggins is the fifth teacher deployed - but the only one who will be on active duty.

On Tuesday, her last day at school, she received a rousing farewell in a ceremony attended by faculty, staff, students, School Board members, county commissioners and the Milton High School Band.
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Dwiggins' 17 students each gave her a yellow rose.
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First-grader Madison Yeager, 6, who was in Dwiggins' class last year, wore a shirt with the words, "We love you Mrs. Dwiggins."
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The ceremony brought Dwiggins and her husband, Chuck, to tears.

"I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and blessings," she said.

Eli Dunn, 20, one of Dwiggins' three adult children, is worried about her mother but knows she will be taken care of.

"She's the strongest woman I know, and I know they are going to bring her home," she said.
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"Brenda is a super daughter," he said.
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"Brenda genuinely cares about her children, and she exudes that in everything she does," he said.
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Santa Rosa County School District officials estimate Dwiggins is the fifth teacher deployed - but the only one who will be on active duty.

I'm assuming, based on this statement, that she has NOT been mobilized as a Drilling Reservist.Instead, she has been recalled to Active Duty.I'm guessing, at age fifty, this recall will allow her to retire with twenty years of active military service.I wonder how this effects her status as a teacher, since this recall is probably voluntary rather than mandatory.

I commend her for her service!

Brenda Dwiggins is a kindergarten teacher."They know every morning they are going to get a hug that they are going to be taken care of everyday and sometimes they may not get that anywhere else."She is a wife and mother."She called me and said I need for you to come home right away there's something I need to tell you and we knew it's scary," says her husband Chuck.She is also a Navy reservist.Three weeks ago her commanding officer called to let her know she would deploy to Iraq.It was a phone call she wasn't expecting."We know that we're suppose to be ready at all time but you can be prepared but that doesn't necessarily mean you are ready for that phone call."Students and staff of East Milton Elementary couldn't let her leave without letting her know how much she will be missed.There were hugs, tears a marching band and a host of dignitaries to wish her well.