Last entry on this one. Maybe my last big deployment entry ever- not that I mind but it would be an end of an era. Or at least I hope it will be. I think we should be about done nation building. I had planned to write this weeks ago but life kept getting in the way and I probably wouldn’t be doing it now but Wendi keeps reminding me that I should. The trip out of Kuwait was relatively uneventful – just the painful waiting. They start the process 10 hours before you actually take off. We had to show up with our bags at 6PM to get manifested, go through customs and the rest then take off at 4AM for a 15 hour flight back to the US. We only had to spend one night at Ft. Benning to clear and our equipment turn in was all messed up since they printed retirement records for us (so they were expecting us to turn in all the stuff we had back home) but it didn’t matter much because we were home. At least three of us were. Our two instructor pilots had to stay an extra two weeks to wait for their replacements to show up. I felt bad about leaving them but then that has often been me staying so I was just happy to be gone. There hasn’t been much to do at work since we don’t have any IPs to get us signed off on our aircraft. So we have taken advantage of the time off. The first weekend I was back Wendi and I did the bike ride from Seattle to Vancouver BC then spent four days up there enjoying the city. Last weekend Andrew and I and some of his friends climbed Mt. Stewart in a day. It was a great hike but not something I would recommend to the average individual. I don’t think my legs have ever hurt as bad as they did the last two days. It is still better than being in Afghanistan J. That being said I really have no complaints about my time over there. I was with a great group of people doing a mission that helped save lives and we all came back safely. God has certainly given me a very blessed life and my prayers are with those who remain over there. Take care everyone and I hope you enjoyed the blog.
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