Well it is finally August and things have gotten complicated. Our replacements arrived right on time (at least the first three) and everything was looking good. They finished their in-processing and ground school then the first day they we're to start flight training the dust moved in. We haven't had a bad weather day since April and just when we need three days of clear skies the dust is hanging without a breath of wind to clear it out. It has been here for two days with no sign of letting up and if they don't fly tomorrow our whole departure plan is going to be scrapped. We have a deal with the people who task us for only one mission during three days of training but our three days are up and if they insist on going back to two missions we can't support it without us staying. We hope they will let us run wi one mission and release the three of us but we will have to see. There is a possibility that just I could go but that gets tricky for a different reason. To make things more complicated the maintenance contract for the airplanes expires in the next few days. It was supposed to be taken care of months ago because the money has been allocated since this past spring. The problem is the Navy has the contract and they don't want to manage this type of contact any more. So they are trying to get rid of it but no one wants it. After much arm twisting the Navy has agreed to keep it for another month to give more time to find another owner. However, they will not renew it until the day it expires. They promise it will be done but if there is any glitch then as of midnight that day we have no maintenance. That is right when I am supposed to leave and even though there is nothing I can do to change the situation it will be a hard sell to explain why I am leaving when there is contract problems. Of course all this could work itself out in the next couple of days but it does keep things interesting. In the big scheme of things we will all survive but I will be praying that we can get out as planned.
Dust H 96 L 78
Humm, OK here is another "old" Army experience. The Sp 5 who had been my boss & roommate for most of my Ger. tour had left. An older E6 "lifer" had taken over. A nice man & Suzy & I had visited him & his wife in their home. Problem: He knew nothing about the Adjutant General record system and was, in my opinion, not the brightest light in the room. So, fret, fret, worry, worry, etc. until one day Sgt. Rybecki said, "Art do you know how much difference your leaving will make to the Army? About the same as taking your finger out of a glass of water." And you know, I never heard that the 24th Division had one problem with its record system after I left (~:} But will pray for you anyway because I love you and want you back soon and safely. Cheers!! DAD
ReplyDeleteThat is so true. I always tell younger guys to do a good job and take what you can from the Army but don't ever think that you owe the Army something or that the Army owes you something. The Army did just fine before you joined and the Army will be just fine after you leave. My concern in this situation is that somebody else will think I need to be here while I know full well there is nothing I can do to resolve it.
DeleteOur prayers are running right along side of yours...step for step. However, being the person I am (being the persons we are? (: we always mean to say that we know what we would like, but acknowledge that God knows more, so it is a matter of asking and then waiting. Complications only increase the praise at the end when you realize that God is in the details as well as the big picture. (Isn't this someone 's famous quote about being an architect? The thing about the details I mean. Not the reference to God. (: Well...sorry for the uncertainty. Reading In the Garden of Beasts....your weed comment hugely apt...esp. Martha romance weeds. (:
ReplyDeleteAgreed - which is why I don't let it bother me much. I think God is much more concerned about how we act in a given situation than about the situation itself. We will make it through but it's how we come out that matters :)
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