Last night's flight was completely normal, except that we realized about half way through what a young crew it was. I was the oldest at 26. The other pilot was Tom Pierce (a Gonzaga alum, making it an all Gonzaga cockpit, the spirit of Adam Morrison was in the jumpseat) at 24. The Flight Engineer was 23 and the two Crew Chief's were both 21. Yikes. As the old man of the crew, I gave my best effort to be as grumpy as possible.
Young crews aren't that usual, especially with warrant officers in the mix. Most of those guys are prior enlisted who have several years in the service. I've more often found myself the youngest on board, enduring the heckling that sometimes comes with that. For the most part, the pilots are all in their late 20's to mid 30's. The prime of their career. We have one though that celebrated his 50th birthday when we in Kuwait. FIFTY! God help me if I'm over here for my 50th birthday.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
11 - Benjamins
$35,000. The Army just announced a bonus for eligible Captains (like me!) if I add another three years onto my already six-year commitment. I agree with Josh on this one: you can't buy my love. Besides, I'd feel like A-Rod after the 2000 season when he took the money and bolted for Texas. Only $251,965,000 not as rich. Another three years and the Army would own me into 2014. I can see myself deploying another three times between now and then. That would be five deployments. FIVE! Good lord. Thanks, but no thanks. I have a wife who likes me right now and I'd like to keep it that way.
I could see this one coming a while back. Nearly all my ROTC friends from Gonzaga did their four-year commitments, deployed at least twice during that time, and never looked back as they got out. So maybe we're not the Greatest Generation. Sometimes you gotta take care of #1. As much as my time in the service has meant to me, and for as loud as I sang Lee Greenwood at my wedding, I still can't rationalize my extended presence in this Army. I'm just too confident they'll ask me to postpone or completely miss some important things, like starting a family or a Mariner's World Series victory.
The Army's going to get their Captains. Cash is king. Throwing money at this problem may be quick fix, but it isn't solving the deep down issue of retention. The solution to that lies at the center of this complex storm our country finds itself in. You tell me how to solve it and you got my vote.
I could see this one coming a while back. Nearly all my ROTC friends from Gonzaga did their four-year commitments, deployed at least twice during that time, and never looked back as they got out. So maybe we're not the Greatest Generation. Sometimes you gotta take care of #1. As much as my time in the service has meant to me, and for as loud as I sang Lee Greenwood at my wedding, I still can't rationalize my extended presence in this Army. I'm just too confident they'll ask me to postpone or completely miss some important things, like starting a family or a Mariner's World Series victory.
The Army's going to get their Captains. Cash is king. Throwing money at this problem may be quick fix, but it isn't solving the deep down issue of retention. The solution to that lies at the center of this complex storm our country finds itself in. You tell me how to solve it and you got my vote.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
10 - Running
I went for a run today outside. It was 108 degrees. I've been waiting for the weather to break, and anything under 110 felt broken at first. I was trying for 30 minutes. I was good through about 25. A little dry in the mouth, but maintaining a good pace. By 26, I was hurting for the end. By 27, I'd slowed down to an easy jog. For minutes 28-30, imagine Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Vacation singing 99 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall as he's wandering through the desert after crashing the car. I sort of felt like I was boiling from the inside out.
This follows in a series of scientific experiments I've conducted to test the limits human temperature toleration. It's done less out of desire for aerobic fitness, and more out of simple curiosity. Back in Alaska's Arctic Interior, I bottomed the thermometer out during a 45 minute jog at 42 below zero. The idea started during November, after a run around 0 F, I figured if I added a few layers to a few key areas, I could probably go another 10 degrees cooler. I just kept adding layers as the temperature kept dropping, eventually finding the right clothes for the job. Quite literally, at those temperatures, I was running for my life. If I stopped, I was done.
I know. I'm an idiot.
This follows in a series of scientific experiments I've conducted to test the limits human temperature toleration. It's done less out of desire for aerobic fitness, and more out of simple curiosity. Back in Alaska's Arctic Interior, I bottomed the thermometer out during a 45 minute jog at 42 below zero. The idea started during November, after a run around 0 F, I figured if I added a few layers to a few key areas, I could probably go another 10 degrees cooler. I just kept adding layers as the temperature kept dropping, eventually finding the right clothes for the job. Quite literally, at those temperatures, I was running for my life. If I stopped, I was done.
I know. I'm an idiot.
Friday, September 14, 2007
9 - Top Gun
A monumental occurrence tonight. For the first time ever, Josh and I took to the skies together. We were like Goose and Maverick up there, but with considerably less volleyball skills.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
8 - Weddings
As my Grandma so eloquently put it in her email to me this morning, "This is the day the Lord has made for Chelsea and Ross, two beautiful people, let us rejoice and be glad." I'll include Erin and Ryan Kelly into that mix as well. Congratulations to both couples.
I wish I was there too, Grandma.
I wish I was there too, Grandma.
Friday, September 7, 2007
7 - Ants, Weather
-My room has a bit of an ant issue. There's always a parade of some sort up and down the walls or across the ceiling. No matter how clean I am with the little bit of food I keep and eat in my room, they're always around. I asked Haley to send me some traps, which she did, along with some chili powder. She heard that the ants won't cross a line a chili powder. Testing the theory, I dumped a bunch right in one of their paths. It stopped short of the line, sniffed it, and then plowed right though, probably ate a little as well. I wrote her back saying the chili powder was an unfortunate failure. These ants are tough. They're from Iraq. Compared to the country's recent regime change, a little chili powder wasn't going to stop them.
The poison traps worked a little better. Now, instead of a full sprint during the parade, they just sort of stumble around like they're drunk. They're not stopping, but wherever they're going, it's with a little less purpose. I'll take what I can get. I'm not gong to win this one. I'm too far outnumbered, plus I'm on the road. Besides, they're not really bothering me, just visually unappetizing.
-On my flight tonight, we had some bad weather. The winds have picked up lately and blown some thick dust into the area. We barely had our minimum visibilities when we took off. It was also low illumination since the moon wasn't up, plus it's nearly a new moon. As we flew away from the airfield, the goggles started to scintillate, meaning they weren't getting enough ambient light to brighten our view. Looking around, I basically couldn't see anything in front or below me. Bad feeling. We quickly tucked our tail between our legs, turned around and went back home before it got any worse. Aircraft have crashed out here on low illum nights with dust reducing their visibilities. The pilots loose all references and just sort of fly right into the ground without realizing anything is wrong. A phrase that gets tossed around the aviation world when it comes to weather is this: it's better to be on the ground, wishing you were in the air, than to be in the air, wishing you were on the ground.
The poison traps worked a little better. Now, instead of a full sprint during the parade, they just sort of stumble around like they're drunk. They're not stopping, but wherever they're going, it's with a little less purpose. I'll take what I can get. I'm not gong to win this one. I'm too far outnumbered, plus I'm on the road. Besides, they're not really bothering me, just visually unappetizing.
-On my flight tonight, we had some bad weather. The winds have picked up lately and blown some thick dust into the area. We barely had our minimum visibilities when we took off. It was also low illumination since the moon wasn't up, plus it's nearly a new moon. As we flew away from the airfield, the goggles started to scintillate, meaning they weren't getting enough ambient light to brighten our view. Looking around, I basically couldn't see anything in front or below me. Bad feeling. We quickly tucked our tail between our legs, turned around and went back home before it got any worse. Aircraft have crashed out here on low illum nights with dust reducing their visibilities. The pilots loose all references and just sort of fly right into the ground without realizing anything is wrong. A phrase that gets tossed around the aviation world when it comes to weather is this: it's better to be on the ground, wishing you were in the air, than to be in the air, wishing you were on the ground.
Monday, September 3, 2007
6 - Football, The Office
A couple of quick things...
-Josh and I watched the first Saturday of college football the other night. AFN (Armed Forces Network) does a pretty decent job of showing the best games on a few channels. The games start around 10pm over here and go all night up to about 8am. Josh brought his "small" TV from home (36 inches) and set it up in his room. Room dimension limitations cause us to sit about 3 ft from the screen so it's quite the experience. Josh takes the lounger ($8 camping chair) while I take the couch (4ft Tuff Box) and we cheer quietly as to not wake his neighbors. On a whole, it was one of the best times I've had over here and makes me happy for the distraction of football. Before long I'll turn around and it'll be February. And I'll still have another 9 months. Ugh.
We have a weekly football bet that started back on our first tour when we were roommates. We take the best college games and all the pro games and take turns picking the straight up winners. If he takes a team, I automatically get their opponent. That way, we're rooting against each other on every game. Makes things a little more interesting. As far as the terms of the bet, there's no eloquent way to say this, so oh well: the loser has to take the winner's piss bottles out for the week. Yes, about 90% of the dudes over here don't get fully dressed and walk 100 yards to the nearest bathroom every time they have to go #1. Water bottles are used not only for replenishment, but also for relief. And that's about all I'll say about the matter, seeing as my grandma reads these posts.
-The TV show The Office has recently emerged as one of my favorites of all time. Having plowed through the first three seasons over the past week, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to start watching it again from the beginning. It's that good. You know a show is great when you start imagining the characters in your life. Like back in high school, when I tried to figure out which one of my friends were George, Kramer or Elaine. Or back on the last deployment when I was pretty sure I was an amalgamation of the three best character traits of Seth, Ryan and Sandy from The O.C. (Haley promptly laughed at me with pity when I told her about that one). Anyway, since watching The Office, I've been trying to decide who at work fits the different characters. It's tough, since I have to translate it into Army life, but incompetent and irritating people are omnipresent. If you choose to watch it, give it till at least halfway through the 2nd season. You may think it's ridiculous. Or it might just change your life.
-Josh and I watched the first Saturday of college football the other night. AFN (Armed Forces Network) does a pretty decent job of showing the best games on a few channels. The games start around 10pm over here and go all night up to about 8am. Josh brought his "small" TV from home (36 inches) and set it up in his room. Room dimension limitations cause us to sit about 3 ft from the screen so it's quite the experience. Josh takes the lounger ($8 camping chair) while I take the couch (4ft Tuff Box) and we cheer quietly as to not wake his neighbors. On a whole, it was one of the best times I've had over here and makes me happy for the distraction of football. Before long I'll turn around and it'll be February. And I'll still have another 9 months. Ugh.
We have a weekly football bet that started back on our first tour when we were roommates. We take the best college games and all the pro games and take turns picking the straight up winners. If he takes a team, I automatically get their opponent. That way, we're rooting against each other on every game. Makes things a little more interesting. As far as the terms of the bet, there's no eloquent way to say this, so oh well: the loser has to take the winner's piss bottles out for the week. Yes, about 90% of the dudes over here don't get fully dressed and walk 100 yards to the nearest bathroom every time they have to go #1. Water bottles are used not only for replenishment, but also for relief. And that's about all I'll say about the matter, seeing as my grandma reads these posts.
-The TV show The Office has recently emerged as one of my favorites of all time. Having plowed through the first three seasons over the past week, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to start watching it again from the beginning. It's that good. You know a show is great when you start imagining the characters in your life. Like back in high school, when I tried to figure out which one of my friends were George, Kramer or Elaine. Or back on the last deployment when I was pretty sure I was an amalgamation of the three best character traits of Seth, Ryan and Sandy from The O.C. (Haley promptly laughed at me with pity when I told her about that one). Anyway, since watching The Office, I've been trying to decide who at work fits the different characters. It's tough, since I have to translate it into Army life, but incompetent and irritating people are omnipresent. If you choose to watch it, give it till at least halfway through the 2nd season. You may think it's ridiculous. Or it might just change your life.
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