Well, I told you guys I'd post something later, so here we are. I know I haven't been tremendously active lately, but I've been going through a pretty major life transition.
I'm hanging 'em up after a 20 year Air Force career. Twenty-four if you count my time at that small technical school in Colorado Springs. Three airframes, 4600ish hours of flight time. Six deployments and over 5 years of deployed-in-place RPA operations. Hundreds of invaluable relationships with great people.
Please please please---do NOT thank me for my service. It's always made me feel uncomfortable, and I usually deflect it with a humorous, "no, thank YOU for paying your taxes!" Rather, please accept my thank you for allowing me to serve. It was an adventure. Sure the bureaucracy was maddening, but I've done things most kids only dream of doing when they grow up.
Over half my life. It's surreal, scary, and exciting all at the same time.
So the next chapter is coming in the next few months. I've accepted a conditional job offer with a major regional airline here in the US. My plan is to get recent in manned flying and quickly bounce to a major carrier. My family also wants to leave Las Vegas and relocate back to the Southeast, so we'll see.
You guys have been like family for the last 13 years. Among my greater regrets is not meeting up in person with Trey (Spad31) and Danno (MadMonk) when we had a great opportunity to do so. So in my new job, one where I'll be jetting around the country on the regular, I'm going to try to commit to smoking with as many of you as I can!
Thanks for reading, gents.
