'Apprehension, uncertainty, pride' Richard and Martha Schadewald with daughters, Kaitlin, back, and Diana, right, says communication with their son Jeremy, who is in the Army's 82nd Airborne division, is non-existent (photo by Tina Gohr). The Schadewald family said it's proud but concerned of the aftereffects of war on son Jeremy By Christopher Clough News-Chronicle Jeremy Schadewald hasn't seen his family since Dec. 4. His sister Diana said the last they heard from him was a letter they received Tuesday, postmarked more than two weeks before that. They're worried, not just about his safety but what he'll be like a few months from now. Yet they're proud and happy for the things he's doing. Jeremy Schadewald, 21, is somewhere in the Middle East, now presumably in Iraq, as a specialist with the 82nd Airborne Division. His father Rick, a history teacher at Bay Port High School and Brown County supervisor, said his son is more than at the front lines; he's in front of the front lines. "He's a forward artillery observer," Rick Schadewald said. "He 'paints' the targets with a laser. So he has to get about 1,500 yards in front of everyone." Sister Kaitlin Schadewald, 14, held an optimistic view of Jeremy's duties to his country. "I'm just glad he's happy," she said. "It's what he's always wanted to do, so I'm fine with it. Yeah, I'm worried for him, but he said he loves what he's doing. He's dreamed of doing this since he was a boy. I support him 100 percent." Diana, 18, said she also supports what Jeremy is doing. But she expressed concern for her older brother. "I'm sad, frustrated, scared," she said. "I'm afraid of what's going to happen to him. I know the war's going to change him." That concern was echoed by Rick, who said he and his wife, Martha, talk about Jeremy a lot. "Apprehension, uncertainty, pride. Definitely a lot of pride," he said. "We know he has to be changed by this. We don't really worry that much; we worry how he'll be when he comes back. We don't know what he'll have to see, what he'll have to do ..." His voice trailed off, choking into tears. "You know, I can handle this while I'm teaching," he said. "I don't have to think about it during the day." "We hope for the best, but we understand the risks. We're just glad the nation supports the troops."