In 2011 while Ray was deployed to Iraq I attended a Yellow Ribbon Event. It is an event put on for both the families of soldiers while they are deployed and for the families and their soldier when the soldier returns.

The conference was held in Dallas at the Gaylord hotel. Upon arriving I was given a lanyard with a card identifying me as an attendee.

In the first meeting we were told that there had been a threat made and that extra security was being provided. We were asked to always wear our lanyard and to alert security to any suspicious behaviors.

During the lunch break I went up to my room and my keycard wouldn't work. I phoned the front desk and asked for assistance. I was told someone would be coming to my room with a new card.

A woman and two men of large stature approached me as I sat in the hall with my 9 month old baby.

The woman unemotionally and quite frankly asked if I could please stand up.

"Um, yeah sure I can." I tried to make small talk but there was little to no response.

It was very formal.

They asked me my name, then asked for ID, then asked to search my diaper bag, then asked about my baby, and where I was from and how long had I lived there.

They asked me why I was at the hotel and after telling them why they asked my husband's name and unit and how I found out about the event.

To be honest I did think it was odd because I just needed a new keycard.

I had forgotten about the threat.

I was asked to remove Ansli from the infant carseat which was then examined by one of the men.

And the questions didn't stop. I can't remember them all, I just remember thinking it was a lot of questions for a new keycard.

The woman asked me if they could enter my room before me and I didn't really feel like answering no was an option so I told her "sure, just a heads up my bed isn't made."

One of the men stood outside with me, the other held the door and the woman walked in the room and looked around. Like LOOKED!!

I was thinking 'did someone matching my description steal something?!?!' 'Were they worried I was hiding someone?'

She exited my room and gave me the new card and told me to "have a nice day."

I was truly bewildered.

The next morning I headed up to the conference area for the breakfast and I forgot my lanyard. I was on the phone with Ray in Iraq on my headset and I proceeded to enter the dining area when I was grabbed by a man as I passed him. He held my arm and the carseat which contained Ansli and looked me dead in the eye.

"Who are you?"

Totally annoyed I replied "Andraé Griffin, who are you?"

He didn't reply.

He asked me what I was doing.

Still annoyed I told him I was there for breakfast and could he let go I was on the phone with my husband in Iraq.

His grip tightened on the carseat and he asked where my lanyard was.

Anytime I talked to Ray my time was limited so I was feeling really frustrated that this guy was holding me up. So I responded with full annoyance and frustration in my voice that I had forgotten it and that I was on the phone with my soldier and I just wanted to eat breakfast and talk to my husband.

His reply was "are you good?" to which I replied "you mean am I having a good day? NO! my husband is in Iraq and I want him home so no I'm not having a good day."

He said "NO. Are YOU good?"

My reply "I will be once I eat some strawberries and eggs and bacon. Now can I go please?"

He told me that he expected to see my lanyard on after breakfast, I rolled my eyes and said "sure, whatever." (well..... I handled that well)

As I walked away he turned his back to me and I saw his US Marshall badge on his left back pocket.

What the heck?!?! I thought. Why would a Marshall be here?

Yeah. I was still forgetting about the threat.

Later that day I was out in the hall with Ansli letting her crawl and do her cute baby thing and two women (MP's) approached me. We talked about Ansli, I asked them about being MP's, we talked about deployments how hard they are and then I asked about the Marshall.

They both looked at each other and made that "do we acknowledge the question or pretend like we don't know what she is talking about" look.

I was reminded by them about the threat. I can't remember how many Marshall's they said were there but it was large number. Their were undercover people all over the hotel in all positions. As they shared I realized the threat was real and it was serious. Serious enough that they brought FBI and US Marshall's and other agencies.

Two things I learned from this situation.

One, while this event had been threatened, we were being protected. I felt like a part of huge family. My husband was serving his country far away, while other husbands and wives were serving me and other families as we attended this conference. Our situation, our race, our income, our political views did not matter we were being protected because that's what our federal and our local law enforcement do. Protect and serve.

Two, babies can be used as shields or distractions or any other way an evil person needs to use them in order to carry out their evil act.

I could have been offended when I was asked to remove Ansli from her carseat or when the Marshall clung to it. I was more bewildered and then later annoyed but never offended.

I shared all that happened with a friend who is a US Marshall and he told me that too often babies and children are used in an attempt to thwart or distract or disarm an officer.

I have shared a video on Facebox about the situation in Phoenix. Officer Mike talks about the lady who is yelling that she is holding a child and that she is pregnant. Some people came undone because hello she is pregnant and she is holding a baby, and seriously who waves a gun around a four year old or at a pregnant lady. No one wants to believe that people do really evil things while shielding themselves with children or their pregnancy but they do. Those individuals were attempting to flee, they were not obeying the officers and the officers did not know completely who or what they were dealing with and as Officer Mike said they were in an intense situation not knowing what the outcome would be.

I wish that anyone holding a baby was a sign of a good person. Unfortunately that is not the world we live in. I shared my experiences to show that officers must look past the infant, or pregnancy or small child to determine whether or not there is a threat or danger. They want to protect and serve. They don't want to harm a child or anyone for that matter, but they do know the unfortunate truth that babies are used as shields by some of the worst humans to fulfill their evil acts.