( CNN ) -- I 'm not an auto mechanic , I 'm an Army wife , a mother and -- when time permits -- a journalist . So when my car needs work , I take it to someone with oil on his hands and years of experience looking under hoods . The same is true for plumbing problems , legal issues and medical care . I do n't assume that I know better than the experts . When necessary , I get a second opinion but , ultimately , I always yield to the advice of those who know more than me . With that in mind , I am thrilled that President Obama has decided to listen to his experts -- the military commanders and strategists -- and is committing more troops to Afghanistan . But as an Army wife at Fort Bragg whose husband has already done three tours of duty in Afghanistan , I ca n't help but close my eyes , grit my teeth and brace myself for the hard days ahead . As happy as I am that the president has finally made a move after months of deliberating , I know that this announcement is likely bad news for me . Deployments are awful -- just awful . There is no bright side and no silver lining . For most of us in the military community the luster of sacrificing for our country wore off a deployment or two ago and we are now coasting on the fumes of commitment and shared sacrifice . Many of us who are married to the military are n't even sure why we are willing to endure yet another deployment . We just are . Our spouses see the fight firsthand and are reminded daily of why this battle must be won . They get pep talks at work and enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow soldiers . We at home just hear the gripes of war-weary Americans and see the news reports of waning support . We do n't experience the victories , we only see our children developing emotional problems , our marriages falling apart , our careers sidelined , our dependence on antidepressants climbing , even our houses crumbling from years of neglected repairs . That 's why a troop surge in Afghanistan brings mixed feelings . More troops there means more casualties -- a word I do n't take lightly . Casualties are people , people with names and faces that I know . I see their wheelchairs at my kids ' schools and I 've dropped flowers on their freshly dug graves . A troop surge may mean that even more of my friends will be widows and more of their children will be fatherless . It certainly means more Little League teams in my community will be missing a coach , more families here will know each other only on Skype and more pets will be abandoned . It may very well mean that I will spend more years being both mother and father , and that I 'll have more conversations with my children about why their daddy is always gone when so many daddies never leave . These are not things to celebrate . But right now , after just hearing our president give an inspiring speech , I 'm going to consider that this plan may mean that my friends who are in Afghanistan now will finally have what they need to stay safe . Maybe it will mean that if and when my husband has to go back there , he will be in a better and safer situation . And , more than anything else , maybe it will mean that our nation will succeed in Afghanistan and that all of these years that my husband and I have lost together , all of these friends we 've buried , all of these injuries he and others have nursed -- will have been worth it . I am not a strategist . I do not know what will take us to victory in Afghanistan . I can not say if sending 30,000 more troops is the right or the wrong decision . All I know is that the president consulted the experts and then he sought second , third , fourth -- and who knows how many more -- opinions , and this is the solution he has reached . I commend him for making a definitive plan . I will pray for his wisdom and for the strength and safety of the troops who will be going into harm 's way , just as I pray for those who are already there . I will also pray for all the families back home who are about to send their soldier or Marine into the fight . Theirs is a battle I know . For many of them , their war is just starting . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rebekah Sanderlin .
Sanderlin glad Obama listened to experts , knows days ahead may be hard for other Army wives . Sanderlin : `` There is no bright side and no silver lining '' to deployments . Army wife hopes deployments will mean troops will get what they need to stay safe .