New Site

Currently Listening Roots By Gipsy Kings see related

CHRISTmas

Christmas was wonderful. Santa brought me everything I wanted and more. I also had the opportunity to play Santa myself and felt even more blessed for the chance.

The Holidays started a bit bumpy with a last minute mission on Thanksgiving. I had planned to go to the Hospitality House with Amber and Mia to enjoy  a huge Feast. Instead I used a tiny oven in a C-17 to heat healthy choice meals for AirEvac and  Burn team personnel. We were transporting 6 very badly injured soldiers and did not dare complain about how WE were spending our Thanksgiving.

I was lucky enough to spend Christmas with my family and as mentioned above it's been wonderful. It did not snow on Christmas, however it has been snowing since, making Germany the winter wonderland I have heard of all my life.

New Years promises another plane full of injured men and women to take home. I've already bought cookies  for the mission and am hoping to enjoy new years in DC.

Currently Reading Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles By Anthony Swofford see related

Update

September was my last blog entry, right know September seems a lifetime ago. Since then my work and family have undergone dramatic changes, so this is an update. As many of you know my Grandmother Helen Dunn passed away in September. We received news that it was eminent, got quick but not emergency leave and took military space-a flights to Travis were our wonderful friends took care of us. Aaron and Pam Stanley were there at the terminal to greet us and let us stay at there house while recuperating from the long trip. Amelia got to play with there son Aaron III and we got to do much needed catching up. The next day Jeremy and Melissa Wilson loaned us a car for the trip to Southern California. We arrived in So-Cal the day after my grandmother passed and were able to spend a lot of time with family. It was a sad reason to be there but family time is always good time. While there we managed to go to both Knotts Berry Farm and Disneyland. Amelia seemed to love them both and had lots of fun with her grandmother, aunt and cousin. For me the experience was kind of surreal, mourning one day and playing the next . I felt like I was on an emotional rollercoster that could de-rail any minute. Getting space-A back to Germany was more of a challenge but not too bad. The last leg of our trip was on an Airevac mission filled with co-workers and friends. We were enormously greatfull after a couple of days with little to no sleep and a busy/cranky toddler.

Meanwhile back in Germany while we were away Amber's work hired something like 11 new employees and cut her hours to the last 4 hours of the closing shift. This meant she came home exhausted wanted to feed Mia sit for an hour to unwind and sleep. Financially it sucked because 4 hours a day does not pay  enough to cover Mia's daycare. Amber told her boss change it or I will be forced to quit. Change it they did a few weeks later they moved her to the opening shift and gave her 8 hours. Make twice as much and get off work at 2:30... she jumped at it.

Now for my work. Flying is flying but what I do when I am not flying often causes the most stress. 3 days before we left for So-Cal I was moved into the position of NCOIC (Non-Commissioned Officer In-Charge) of Safety / Executive Assistant. Any chance I had to learn my job from my predecessors went out the window when we went on leave. Only now am I beginning to get the hang of it all. Well time has flown and I want to take Amber out to lunch, so good bye and thanks for reading.

Here we go again

I leave for Washington D.C. today with another plane full of the sick and wounded.  It is hard to hear the patient report (a monotonous drone of battle field injuries and treatments) and not wonder why? I suppose you could insert your own why here: Why are we in this war? Or just why God why?  I know from experiance that when I meet these soliders later on these questions will be answered for me. The resolve on there faces, the stories of people they have helped, and of course the common question "when do you think I can get back to by buddies?". The news gives us these statistics and death reports; "Two more marines killed and six injured when a car bomb exploded in Iraq." and you begin to ask those why questions. I wish there was some way America could meet these men and women and learn and feel the answer to why.

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?

 Tonight was my squadrons first football game. We play flag football in an intramural league against other units for bragging rights. Before I go any further I should mention we won! Yes we are 1 and 0. Our game tonight was tuff, we played Ironman against a team that had obviously practiced and came to dominate. Before I take any credit I should clarify that I suck. In fact I am a football moron, I know which line to be behind when the ball is snapped and I know I should try and catch any ball thrown in my direction; and that's it. We go back into the huddle and the QB sounds like the teacher from Charlie Brown, I have however figured out how to clap with everyone else when he says "break". You may be wondering "what business does he have on a football field?". The truth is I joined for numbers. We need a certain amount of people to play and in a flying squadron the more the better. Our squadron women's softball team won the championship because almost every women in the squadron was on the team. "If your not flying be there" that's our creed it doesn't matter if you are the star player or the guy thats presence gives you enough people to play. Back to the game our star player tonight was our QB who ran like the wind and then played defense and rushed like a freight train. I played center most of the game and missed all four passes thrown my way. I did keep the pressure on rather well playing defense though. I hope to switch to defense when we have a full team, I like the simplicity of going after the QB.That's it for tonight I off to get some Motrin and rest.