The Air Show

The past month has not been terribly eventful, hence my lack of posting. I am happy to report that my eyes are still doing well post-PRK. I had my one-month checkup and am seeing 20/20, though I get that through a right eye that is better than 20/20 and a left eye that is 20/30. It seems this disparity is pretty common and should sort itself out over the coming months. All in all, I am thrilled with the procedure and recommend it to any of the active duty folks out there that qualify.

For the USAF JAG selects and hopefuls among the blog readership, we got some great news from TJAG. The JAG Corps will now be helping pay back our student loans; up to $65,000 over three annual installments. The first payments should go out late summer/early fall of 2010. The money will be paid directly to the loan companies and will be considered W-2 taxable income. Perhaps the most amazing thing is that the money comes with no strings (additional service commitment) attached. This is simply incredible and will make things far easier for all of us who are attempting to pay down considerable law school debt on a military salary. For my JAG Corps superiors that are no doubt monitoring this blog, you have my sincere appreciation for all the work that went into getting this money appropriated.

This month allowed me to experience my first air show in which I was part of the Emergency Operations Center. The EOC is the collection of everyone on base that is tasked with responding in the event of a disaster, e.g., a plane crash. This ranges from Bioenvironmental Engineering to Explosive Ordinance Disposal and, of course, Legal. The plus side to this was that we all assembled in a secure room that was somewhat close to what these rooms look like in the movies, i.e., everyone at assigned work stations with computer monitors with the giant screens in front.

The Armageddon/Under Siege type movies always seem to conclude with the protagonist completing the mission and everyone in the EOC type room erupting into cheering/random acts of hugging/self-laudatory handshaking. Needless to say, that did not happen for me.

The negative to this is that I spent 72 straight hours basking in sheer anxiety at the thought of planes crashing. There is nothing like sitting at an air show, an event with the sole purpose of thrilling the audience with risky aerial acrobatics, when you are one of the people on the hook if something goes wrong.

The air show had some excellent static displays set up as well.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II, "The Warthog." My favorite plane in the USAF arsenal.

The B-1 Lancer, "The Bone" (as in B-One).

V-22 Osprey

F-15 Eagle

F-22 Raptor

RQ-4 Global Hawk