Olathe ? Friends and family members of deployed Army reservists and National Guardsmen say they are worried that the troops aren’t getting proper meals and medicine in the Middle East.

They also say they are upset with problems sending and receiving correspondence, and they’re tired of learning from the media what their family members are doing overseas before they hear anything from the military.

“We’re sad, we’re angry, we’re frustrated, and we’re all single moms right now,” Kansas City resident Elena Partridge told U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore during a meeting Saturday at the VFW post in Olathe.

More than 100 people showed up to voice their frustrations and fears to the congressman, who said he held the meeting so he could discuss the concerns with Congress.

Cindy Norris of Shawnee clutched a tissue as she described her decision to ignore news that might relate to her son’s Army reserve duty in Iraq. But, she said, she has changed her mind and wants to talk about her fears.

“I realized that my son couldn’t afford my silence,” she said.

Others described the economic burdens that are being created by having a family member gone for too long. Janie Montgomery, whose husband is with the 129th Transportation Company in Kuwait and Iraq, said employers can go only so long without their workers, and reservists who own businesses are losing money every day.

The 129th’s stay has been extended and could last as long as two years. Montgomery said family members have set up a Web site, www.129bringthemhome.com, to get signatures from people who agree that reservists should not serve for more than a year.