CBS news story features local soldier

The family of a soldier in Baghdad got positive news this week. They saw their son on the CBS Evening News. <br><br>News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan has the story on the home front. Janice Schlager has

Thursday, April 15th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The family of a soldier in Baghdad got positive news this week. They saw their son on the CBS Evening News.

News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan has the story on the home front. Janice Schlager has spent the last year worrying about her 2 sons in Iraq - one in the Marines - the other in the Army.

â€œWhen weeks go by and you don't hear, you start wondering, I try not to watch the news because I can't sleep.â€

And not watching the news is why she missed seeing him. â€œHere that's him.â€ PFC Ben Schlager: "Kind of monotonous days, doing the same thing over and over, we may actually do our job this time."

That brief appearance on CBS Evening News Tuesday night was good enough to give Schlager's mother a chance at a good night's rest. She says he looks good - and he's not worried about staying. â€œWhen he told me he wasn't going to get to come home, he said I'm pretty used to this place. OK, didn't know you got used to it. He feels good about what he's doing.â€

Schlager was shown twice - once packing his gear up - the other in a sound bite - not much airtime - but enough to make his mother proud. She's happy to see him and plans to hang on to his picture from the news until he comes back to see it himself.

Schlager's mother says he's on the move this week - moving out of a Baghdad palace for parts unknown. His brother is in the Marines and is fighting in the "Sunni Triangle."