Been very busy. May is one of our Air Force AEF swap-out months and things have just been crazy with scheduling. Many in my unit are preparing to deploy to replace the people currently in the Middle East. However, until these new replacements get in-place the folks deployed can't come home. And back at home we get short-handed until this swap-out is complete. This leads to long hours and short tempers.
Over the past few weeks I was able to give my son his first Shaving 101 course. My, oh my, how fast they grow up. Seems like only a couple years ago that I had trouble driving on the street at Altus AFB after getting the news from the doctor and my wife was, indeed, pregnant. Now I'm discussing the wisdom of the Roger Clemons' contract with the Yankees and going over proper technique of Gillette's MACH 3 razor. Unbelievable.
Also had my annual flight physical. This is always fun. I'd rather see the Dental Clinic and have them root canal my entire top row. And having just turned the big 4-0, the time with the flight surgeon becomes even more enjoyable and personal. Then it was off to audio for the dreaded hearing test. Those faint beeps are like Sasquatch sightings...never quite sure if there's something there or not. Could be a quiet tone or just my heartbeat pounding through the flight suit. Always better hit the Jeopardy-style button anyways just to be sure. After about 5 minutes of the testing the door to the booth swung open to reveal the smiling med tech with the good news. I passed. Optometry is next week. Oh, the fun continues.
Recently read this book. Very good. It's about the true story of an American arrested in the late 1980s by Panama's then-dictator General Manuel Noriega. The U.S. citizen, Kurt Muse, is freed by American special forces (the D-boys) as Operation JUST CAUSE is about to start. Next on my reading list is "Pearl Harbor" by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen, followed by "The Reagan Diaries" by our 40th President.
The better-half and our daughter spent a little time with ABC's "Bachelor" Andy Baldwin and his fiancee Tessa. Both followed the show religiously and thought the couple looked like a good match. Time and deployments will tell.
I will continue to blog as time permits. However, I've decided to contribute in other ways to our country, aside from being a military member. As a volunteer. My participation in this endeavor will take me away from blogging to some extent.
I believe we're at a critical time in our country's history--perhaps the most important of our generation--as we determine how terrorism and the Jihadists should be dealt with during the years ahead.
A growing percentage of Americans do not believe in our mission in Iraq. They don't feel compelled to help the Iraqis mature as a new government, or assist them in stopping AQI and militia violence in that part of the world. Milblogs appear to do a fine job of explaining the ground truth to its readers--however, the majority of milblog visitors are populated by past and present military members, their families, and a smaller percentage of average Americans. More is needed to win this fight in Iraq and The Long War overall. We have no voice inside the Beltway. Foreign policy against terrorists is viewed by many through a straw. Many do not believe this war is winnable.
Milblogs do a great job describing the situation on the ground and showing us that this war is very winnable if we have the fortitude and determination to complete the job. Someone needs to unify our country and bring Americans back together as one nation under God. The doom and gloom reported 24/7 needs to be replaced by optimism and grace. Civility. We need to treat people respectfully again in society and politics, and not cast Hollywood misfits as our role models. We need to take back our country and do what's best for her and the American people. Washington politics need to re-focus on doing what's in the best interest of America, not just what gives the best soundbite or a party a favorable political position in the next election. We need a change. A bold change.
Over the past few weeks I was able to give my son his first Shaving 101 course. My, oh my, how fast they grow up. Seems like only a couple years ago that I had trouble driving on the street at Altus AFB after getting the news from the doctor and my wife was, indeed, pregnant. Now I'm discussing the wisdom of the Roger Clemons' contract with the Yankees and going over proper technique of Gillette's MACH 3 razor. Unbelievable.
Also had my annual flight physical. This is always fun. I'd rather see the Dental Clinic and have them root canal my entire top row. And having just turned the big 4-0, the time with the flight surgeon becomes even more enjoyable and personal. Then it was off to audio for the dreaded hearing test. Those faint beeps are like Sasquatch sightings...never quite sure if there's something there or not. Could be a quiet tone or just my heartbeat pounding through the flight suit. Always better hit the Jeopardy-style button anyways just to be sure. After about 5 minutes of the testing the door to the booth swung open to reveal the smiling med tech with the good news. I passed. Optometry is next week. Oh, the fun continues.
Recently read this book. Very good. It's about the true story of an American arrested in the late 1980s by Panama's then-dictator General Manuel Noriega. The U.S. citizen, Kurt Muse, is freed by American special forces (the D-boys) as Operation JUST CAUSE is about to start. Next on my reading list is "Pearl Harbor" by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen, followed by "The Reagan Diaries" by our 40th President.
The better-half and our daughter spent a little time with ABC's "Bachelor" Andy Baldwin and his fiancee Tessa. Both followed the show religiously and thought the couple looked like a good match. Time and deployments will tell.
I will continue to blog as time permits. However, I've decided to contribute in other ways to our country, aside from being a military member. As a volunteer. My participation in this endeavor will take me away from blogging to some extent.
I believe we're at a critical time in our country's history--perhaps the most important of our generation--as we determine how terrorism and the Jihadists should be dealt with during the years ahead.
A growing percentage of Americans do not believe in our mission in Iraq. They don't feel compelled to help the Iraqis mature as a new government, or assist them in stopping AQI and militia violence in that part of the world. Milblogs appear to do a fine job of explaining the ground truth to its readers--however, the majority of milblog visitors are populated by past and present military members, their families, and a smaller percentage of average Americans. More is needed to win this fight in Iraq and The Long War overall. We have no voice inside the Beltway. Foreign policy against terrorists is viewed by many through a straw. Many do not believe this war is winnable.
Milblogs do a great job describing the situation on the ground and showing us that this war is very winnable if we have the fortitude and determination to complete the job. Someone needs to unify our country and bring Americans back together as one nation under God. The doom and gloom reported 24/7 needs to be replaced by optimism and grace. Civility. We need to treat people respectfully again in society and politics, and not cast Hollywood misfits as our role models. We need to take back our country and do what's best for her and the American people. Washington politics need to re-focus on doing what's in the best interest of America, not just what gives the best soundbite or a party a favorable political position in the next election. We need a change. A bold change.
