Jackie Rausch looks young enough to be Joshua's mother, but she has already raised four children of her own. Joshua is her grandson.
"It's exhausting," she said. "It's hard to find my balance now."
Joshua's parents, Army Sgt. Scott Rausch and his wife, Army Reserve Sgt. Annie Rausch, were called to fight the war on terror. Jackie was called by her son, Scott, to fill in as Joshua's legal guardian. Scott arrived with Joshua's medical records in hand.
"I'm just like, 'This is really happening.' I've got this baby's life in this little yellow folder. It was kind of scary. I'm in charge now again," Rausch said.
Since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Rausch said she knew this scenario was a possibility.
"I respect the job they have to do. I consider it my duty to take my grandson and my grandmotherly duty. He is a great joy," she said.
When two parents are in the military, they must file a family care plan, explaining who will take their child if they are both called to duty. A tour of duty could be as short as six months or as long as a year in some cases.
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