Postcards from Deployment

Deployed correspondent Southern Air Pirate drops in with another post from the Truman CSG with notes from the post-Christmas period, dust-up in the Straits and observations of trying to work orders deployed. We well remember the latter, especially back in the day when one’s tools consisted primarily of waiting until pulling into Naples to go to AFSOUTH and beg borrow an autovon line to beg plead cajole sacrifice your first born discuss one’s next assignment with the detailer. Good luck Southern – the tools, well, some of the tools have changed, if you know what we mean –SJS

SJS,
First off, I am sure your readers have heard about the two events that occurred over the past week regarding the US Navy in the Gulf. About the two F-18’s all I can say is that a long green table is being convened and Grandpa Pettiebone will probably have something to say about this at a later time. The crews were fished out and that the most any of them suffered was some hypothermia. It has been hovering in the low 40’s out here. It seemed that within a few days of us pulling out from Dubai, the temperature outside dropped from a nice mid-60’s to low 70’s down into the low 30’s and mid 50’s. It is kind of funny, because all the maintainers who are up on the roof begin to huddle near jet exhaust just to stay warm.

As to the folks across the way, the best way that I can describe it would be a line from the song “Stuck in the Middle with you”; the line that says something to the effect of jokers to the left of the singer and crazies to the right of him. What is funny is that when we heard about this incident in the ship’s fish wrapper, a large number of questions started to come up. I am sure you know those types of questions SJS; the “What if…” series of questions. We basically calmed everyone down that works in my shop, by telling them that they will find out soon enough what happens. Also as you know, I can’t comment much further then that.

So the port visit to Dubai didn’t play out like we wanted. We were restricted to the Sandbox; I have pictures of what it looks like when you have 10% of 5000 people ashore on two football fields. When I get them edited on my personal computer I will try and upload them to you. They did this because of security concerns. Again, can’t explain any more then that because basically I don’t know much more then that. Spent Christmas day with a free 400 minute calling card from the USO and made phone calls to all my family and friends. Bought a few things for myself at a couple of the little stores in the sandbox and just hung out with the folks not on duty from the squadron.

After leaving port we went back on station and resumed flying like we hadn’t been to port before. We have dropped a few bombs on suspected IED factories and in support of some slum clearing operations. We have hit that point in cruise where it seems like Ground Hog Day. The only thing that seems to change is the order of the flight crews and the side numbers of the aircraft flying. I really don’t know what else to write about here on that front.

Personal note, I just entered my window this month (January) to begin wheeling and dealing with the detailers on what job I am going to do from here. There are a couple of billets open in some interesting places such as England and Iceland, then there are a number of billets where I don’t look forward to such as Jacksonville FL. Not that there is anything wrong with the place to begin with, I just don’t enjoy the summers in Florida. So it is arguing with myself and then discussing with my significant other about possible places to go from the Pacific Northwest. If I want to stay in the ECM game and the transition to the Electric Super Hornet coming, I should do a tour with the RAG of VFA-122. That way I can have experience on the Super Hornet and be a leg up on coming back north to Seattle to work back in a VAQ community. On the flip side though that is Lemoore and California. The other place I am really wanting to get picked up for is with VX-1 out of Pax River. That sounds like a Challenge and might be exciting to do. Anyhow, like I said it is a whole bunch of arguing with myself and trying to decide what I want to do with my life.

Well that is all going on here fit to print right now. Will write more and some deeper thoughts when I have a chance.

Sincerely,
Southern