On the Way...

Watching out the window of my DC-10 I strained for a last glimpse of the coastline. As the lights of Virginia's eastern shore passed under the wing they were abruptly obscured by a cloud as the airplane relentlessly header out over the Atlantic. The last few days have been filled with goodbyes. They have been over the phone with my family, over strikes and spares with my fellow fighter pilots and over finely crafted British beverages with my good Newport News friends.
These goodbyes have been a mix of good-natured "see ya laters," enthusiastic wishes of "go get some terrorists," and the deeply emotional "we love you's" of family. Thinking over those goodbyes I watched my country disappear in the night and thought how appropriate it was that I disappear into a cloud as I head into a future that holds who knows what.
Personally, I feel pretty excited to go get to work. I am ready to be in the same timezone as the wife I love so deeply. I am ready to use what I have learned. After training for years in the military yet not getting to use those skills I am ready for the chance to do so. I feel confident in the mission and my ability to perform it. Moreover, it looks like we're going to be able to save a lot of lives on the ground. There are a lot of sacrifices to be made, but if my small ones can prevent someone else from having to make the ultimate sacrifice then I feel they are well worth it.