Back On Days

The advice to take R&R as late as possible proved to be a good recommendation. Feeling refreshed...it was easy to fall back into the routine on day shift. After three months in the dark, it was nice to actually see the landscape again. Day shift really means departing before dawn at high altitude and returning late morning at low-level…it is really the best both worlds. In order to beat the heat, I now get up at 1AM to work out before heading to the hangar. After flying, I'll eat a late lunch and then skip dinner to go bed around 5 PM. Flying EMS for the last few years has prepared me well for crazy sleep schedules…although I sometimes feel like I’m back in grade school by going to bed before the sunsets.

There are times I still laugh about getting paid to do this job---where else can you make money watching sunrises, get up close to gas and oil fires, check out mountain top homes and ancient ruins. Life is good when your less than an 4-month Air Force tour from being finished.

R & R Recap

I suspect the expression, “you don’t appreciate what you have until it is gone” hits home for many deployed soldiers. The separation from family is frequently one of the biggest challenges. If a family can hold up under the stress of an extended separation, the reunion is a special time.

The day after arriving home, we went out to Mom’s for a day on the lake. I made up for missing summer by swimming off the pontoon, racing Jet Ski’s and perfecting my water skiing technique behind a MasterCraft---the greatest of all ski boats (Thanks Tom!). In Tennessee, the thing that really stood out was the color of nature…no longer was everything a shade of brown.

Next stop was Disney World, where we spent 7 nights at the Shades Of Green Resort, which is an Armed Forces Recreation Center located on the Disney property. At Disney World there is something for everyone and we had a blast exploring the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. We typically spent the afternoon at the water parks and the evenings at the theme parks. We ranked the top ride attractions as Soarin’ and Test Track (Epcot), Expedition Everest and Kilimanjaro Safari (Animal Kingdom), the Rock “n” Roller Coaster and Tower Of Terror (MGM), and Space Mountain & Thunder Mountain Railroad (Magic Kingdom). Also, the firework displays at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom are spectacular. For my daughter, 8 years old was a perfect age to experience Disney World---old enough to tolerate the walking, but young enough to appreciate the magic of Disney. Her only melt down occurred in the Haunted Mansion, in hindsight, not the best selection for her first ride in the Magic Kingdom.

Back in Tennessee, the outpouring of support was appreciated. Special thanks to Shannon and DCA for the 3rd Grade Breakfast, HCC for the warm reception, and my friends and neighbors for their unwavering support. It was a memorable time for my family.

The highlight of my travel to and from Iraq was running into my instructor from when I attended AH-64A Instructor Pilot Course. CW3 Ed is based in Baghdad flying Apache missions in support of ground patrols. Our conversations reinforced how fortunate my C-23 unit has been not to experience combat losses. Ed congratulations on your selection into the Experimental Test Pilot Program…now all you need to do is work on your chess game :)

The Road Home

The travel itinerary to get home for R&R (a 15-day leave) will test the patience of any soldier. In my case, the journey took 19 flight hours over two days and included the following layovers; 2-hour flight to Kuwait, 5-hour flight to Germany, 9-hour flight to Atlanta, 2-hour flight to St. Louis, and a 1-hour flight to Tennessee…the opportunity to see my girls made it all worthwhile.

I was able to capture a farewell photo of PA Paul as we made our way to the LSA passenger terminal in Kuwait...our thoughts are with your family and we look forward to seeing you down the road.