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 :)