Sunday, January 4, 2009

Deployed

Hey Herberts!

I just wanted to write you all a quick note now that I'm at Al Udeid AB, Qatar. I've been here just under a day, and will be staying the next 4 months, thru the middle of May '09. Fortunately, I was able to get back to Covina and the family for Christmas, and spend the New Year with good friends in Seattle before I left.

While I'm out here I'll be working in the Combined Air Operations Center, which controls all allied airspace/planes for both wars...so, a pretty important thing if you ask me ;) My contribution will be as part of a 2-man team coordinating the diplomatic clearances of US mobility (cargo) aircraft as they overfly other countries enroute to/from Iraq and Afghanistan. It shouldn't be too difficult as many countries have already pre-approved most overflights, but there will certainly be some short-notice taskings that aren't quite as vanilla. Good-times for sure. The biggest bummer is that I won't get to fly at all while I'm out here.

Anyway, I hope you all had a great holiday season...though we still have one day left of Christmas, so make the 12th day great...get those 12 drummers to drum! haha. I plan on enjoying the relatively chilly weather since it's going to get really hot and humid here in a few months. I miss you all and hope to hear from you soon. I'll post my mailing address here as soon as I get it, and feel free to send me an email or post some great stuff here to the blog to let me (and everyone else) know what you're up to.

Take care!

Aaron

3 comments:

Diana said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Diana said...

I am completely in awe that I'm related to someone who's committed to protecting and defending. In awe. I spent some time in Guatemala a few years ago, and the number of soldiers on the streets with really big guns was a constant reminder to me how blessed I felt to be an American. I imagine other parts of the world, like where you are this very day, are surely scarier. I look forward to hearing your stories from the front...I wonder what stories you look forward to hearing from us?

rht said...

I once heard an experienced pilot's description of his job as "endless hours of boredom, spiced up by moments of sheer terror --" sounds like the duty you're undertaking on the ground as well. So, "Thank you" hardly seems like an adequate thing to say, no matter how heartfelt. I'll look forward to having and using your mailing address...