Departure Date, January 31, 2010

My friends, fellow battle buddies, fellow employees and running buddies…

I’ve finally received my departure date…I leave tomorrow for the east coast, then begin the 20+ hour journey to the sandbox on Wednesday. The last two months have felt like I was on a crazy train--getting ready to leave my full time employment for 8 months (last day was January 7), and getting ready to deploy for 6 months.

Leaving Sparks was not so easy. I have such a good job, good bosses and great employees. They are the ones that bear the burden of my leave of absence. I get to go off on an adventure…and where I’m going they will be glad to see me…after all, I am their reinforcement! The folks back home have to suck it up and cover the gap…they are the real heros, not me.

Such is the life of a citizen soldier--and our nation’s employers who support us. For this idea to work, our employers must be willing to accommodate it willingly, and not be “forced” by law to do so. I tell all my troops that you have to be an exemplary employee to make it worth it for your employer to accommodate (and suffer) in your absence. I try to life up to that advice, yet I always feel like I could do more, or be better. My haunting question is always “have I done everything that I can do”? As I get older, this question haunts me a little less…could it be that I am wiser?

That question aside, I’m finally calm and have peace of mind…there is nothing more I can do, either at work or to get ready to go. For the last three weeks, I’ve been going through a seemingly endless “to-do” list. Theoretically, you can do them in 72 hours. Here is a sample:

• Out process (go around base and visit just about every office, so that can give you ‘instructions’, if you can get through this, you are “ready”)…check! 
• Annual dental check (the military has this thing about deploying you with cavities)…check! 
• Joint Force Headquarters training (death by power point)…check!
• Ancillary training (more death by power point…self aid and buddy care, operations and information security training and the like)…check!
• Packing…check! (well, almost, I’ve still got a few hours before I have to leave…why rush?)
• Joint Airlift Operating Instruction…check! (Printed for the plane ride… I like to refer to this as “just in time training”)
• Joint Deployment and Distribution Operations Center Instruction Manual…check! (Printed for the plane ride…)
• Air War College…check! (Printed and forwarded…this one will take the whole fricken 6 months)
• Fit to Fight…check! (well, I must confess that I missed my abs class all month, but I have run 93 miles since the first of January)
• Burned Lady GaGa CDs to my walkman…Check! (don’t laugh, you should give her a chance) 

Between Sparks and going on orders for the military on January 19, I spent an awesome week in Vegas with my niece, Chelcey. Yep, I spent a week with 19 year old college students…and they couldn’t keep up with me…during the day, anyway! This would be the reason why I am listening to Lady GaGa. I also spent some time with my “twinks”…that is how I lovingly refer to my 15 year old twin nieces…they are an absolute riot and provide Uncle Bill and I endless entertainment. I didn’t get to see my nephew, Mark. He is proudly serving his country at the exciting base of Minot, North Dakota (poor thing)! I hope to enlist him in the guard when he gets out to come home and go to school. I love my nieces like daughters, and my nephew like a son and I will miss them most.

Last thoughts…well, I guess I don’t have any…not any worth printing anyway. I’ll let you know how things are going from time to time. If you find this amusing, go ahead and forward to friends. If you don’t find it amusing, let me know and I’ll take you off my list.