Hello all
My military career spans over 30 years, having served active duty Navy, Reserve Navy, Army Guard, and federalized Guard in the Big Sandbox. I flew P-3 Orions out of Brunswick, ME and Navy Memphis over 14 years in the Navy, deploying to the mid-Atlantic, the Mediterranean, Japan, and Okinawa on 5-month deployments and Reserve 2-week stints. We were the first squadron to "catch" the newest Russian ballistic missle submarine patrolling the Atlantic in 1975. In 1991 I joined the Missouri Army Guard, AVCRAD (aviation maintenance) where I learned to fly Huey and Blackhawk helicopters, and remained with the same unit for 17 years. Our unit was activated and spent a year in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. I flew the Huey in Panama to support Army Engineers building clinics in back jungle areas, and flew the Hawk in the desert, missions around Iraq, and gave support to northern Afghanistan. We were commonly subject to mortar attacks, but the Lord was good to us and everyone made it home. My last years in the Guard, I was Blackhawk laision in Guatemala for joint Navy, Air Force, and Army support in building schools and medical clinics in the rural mountains. I also flew the Missouri Governer, FEMA, and Head of Homeland Security to tour areas of Missouri ravaged by tornadoes. In September 2008, when I turned 60, I had my last pilot-in-command flight in a Blackhawk and then a Huey, returned and taxied under the "saluting" stream of water arcing over the taxiway from the emergency vehicles, gave a final farewell speech at my last ever Army Guard drill, and walked away forever - involuntary retirement due to age. Two of the hardest things I've had to do in my life were to say goodbye to my dear wife, turn and climb onto the plane that took us to the Middle East in 2004, and stand there in front of a unit that was like family to me and say good-bye in 2008. I dearly miss serving my country and the comraderie that I knew in that 30+ years of military service. God bless and protect all those who are serving and have served, and God Bless the United States of America!
