Chesty
USMC
Posted on 05/10/2002 1:14:21 AM PDT by Snow Bunny
SAM-mo, we've been out for 6 years now, and my wife still refuses to use a pen in her address book!!!
I salute your good taste.
05/09/02 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) --
A B-1B Lancer crew successfully targeted three different weapon types against three separate targets in a single, 20-second bombing run on May 2 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
“...the B-1 warfighter should have unmatched strike capability long into the future.”
“This release accomplished what would typically require three aircraft passes or coordinated strike of three aircraft,” Bunch said. “Using this new capability, the Air Force will be able to dramatically decrease the number of assets put in harm’s way during future aircraft attacks.”
Remember when you first became a military spouse how foreign everything was from your normal civlilian life? Suddenly you had to contend with uniforms, globetrotting ranks, uprooting on a regular basis, temporary duty (TD), and so on. The problem was that you simply married into the military with nary a clue.
Well, no more. To correct this oversight, Potential Military Spouse Recruiting Centres have sprung up all over the country. Attendance is compulsory for anyone either engaged to a military person, dating one, casually seeing one or has the telephone number of one and may call sometime.
The centre holds sessions that are presented by tall, slim, straight, polished and creased drill sergeants with roaring voices of 120 decibles and above. Every Monday monring in towns and cities across the country, 12,000 potential military spouse hopefuls jam into the centres and fill the two acres of tables and chairs.
Here the sergeant strides up and down the aisles and among the crowded tables on a very intimate basis. No microphone is necessary. When he suggests you listen up, everyone does. "Is there anyone here who doesn't like to travel?" he bellows. A dozen hands go up. "Would you people come up here? Yes, right beside me." the sergeant says. "So, you don't like to travel!" "No," says one "it's very upsetting - not to mention dangerous." "Show these people the door, please" says the sergeant. Four privates rush down and usher them out. "Don't like travel, huh. Wanna be lifeguards but don't like the water."
You are about to become navigators" he says. "Your spouse will drive all over the country, indeed all over the world while you navigate. You will be approaching a major city at 100 kilometers an hour with both kids in the back seat screaming for a pee and your spouse asking casually "What exit did you say was ours, sweetie? This one? Whoops, there she goes."
You will learn map reading coordinates - how to locate your new home by the stars. "How many of you know how to sew your own drapes and curtains? Show of hands, people!" Hands fly up everywhere. "Good. Research has shown that this talent alone will save you $280,000 over the span of a military career" he says. "I do not know how many homes you will live in during that time, but I can promise you two things. One, it will be a lot, and two, in that parade of homes no two windows will ever be the same size."
How about you, son. Know how to sew a curtain?" "No sir." "I am not a sir!" he bellows. "You see these stripes? They signify 'sergeant'. I still work for a living!" "Yes, si...sergeant" "Now son, who are you involved with in the military?" My fiance is an Air Force pilot, sergeant." "Pilot," he mutters. "We'll put you down for the sewing course, son."
He moves on. "You have been issued a list of available courses, all designed to assist you in coping as a military spouse. Turn to page one now. Show of hands, people. How many wish to register for the first course listed - how to safely unpack broken dishes?" Hands everywhere. Fine, print your name in the blank space provided. How about 'Learning a foreign language with four days notice?" Hands. "How to repair a flat tire, lawn mower, refrigerator, and stove while spouse is on TD?" Hands.
"Very well, people. On your own time, print your name beside the courses you require. Then we will break one hour for lunch, retuurn here and continue through the list. There are a ton of things to learn. Any questions? Yes, the lady over there." "Sergeant, how long will it take to become a fully proficient military spouse?" "Excellent question! As near as we can figure, you should be approaching it somewhere between 20 and 30 years."
My life has been so crazy that I've been soooo neglectful of my beloved Canteen! But I'm still here keeping the faith and supporting our troops and it's wonderful to know you are too! I had a few weeks of anticipation recently, thinking there would be a chance I'd see my sweetie sooner than we hoped, but no such luck--we're still on for the duration. But he's serving a much greater cause than us selfishly wanting him home.
Lucky me, stumbling back in on Military Spouse day. Your corpsman salute warms my heart, my husband always says he'd be nothing without his corspmen to help him out. They deserve a SALUTE from this Navy wife and of course her husband would concur wholeheartedly and add his own as well!
((((((((((HUGS))))))))))) to all my FRiends, and I PROMISE I'll stop back by later tonite, we have nothing on our agenda except Friday Night movies in the sleeping bags...I can fire up the computer and still keep an eye on the kiddies....Thanks for being there, guys! Love, GG
Well, I'd like to hear some from some other FReepers, just to keep the dialog going. I'm sure that there are plenty of funny tales to relate.
Since you ask, here's one about how I got introduced to the "Jesus nut" on our ubiquitous Hueys:
In June-July of 1981, there was a NATO training excercise dubbed "Gallant Eagle" that was spread all over southern California. I volunteered for it and was TAD'd out the desert north of 29 stumps; Ft. Irwin, I think it was. This was supposed to be for a week, and ended up being closer to three. Desert-training, big-time. Well, I had one Marine in my company who gave himself hepatitis shooting himself up with cocaine IV with a dirty needle, and we called in a medevac to get him back to the NRMC on CAMPEN. We arrived, trundled him into the ER, I filled out some forms and returned to my helo to go back to my duty station.
Well, the Huey was shut down as I ditty-bopped up the hill to the helopad, and there was the crew chief fiddling around on top of the bird. When I asked him what he was doing, he said, "I'm checking the Jesus nut, doc." "Jesus nut? What's that?", I asked, and he let me climb up and look. Well, it turned out that all that kept the entire main rotor on the Huey was this part that looked like a fat washer! "That's the Jesus nut", he said, pointing to it. "If it ever comes off, we get to meet Jesus".
I never felt the same way flying in those beloved rattletraps ever again.
Also, Dave, I'll repost the link I made for FR's Finest that's at the bottom of the old Canteen thread.....I personally like the photo collage graphic better than the one that JimRob's got on the main FR page. :)
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