The Big Bird on Uzbekistan Street

Some people have wondered what a C-130 looks like so Michelle, Brigham and I wanted to show you. We could have referred you to the website for Peterbuilt, Mack, Volvo or Lockheed and that ought to have given you a pretty good idea. But a picture is worth a thousand words, or so they say. So consider this one thousand and seventy-three.

I just finished the first phase of Herc training which really is just getting this big bird into the sky and learning how to land it. It is much more difficult than one would think. Beginning last week I have stopped flying for a while and begun the academics part of tactical training. You didn’t know that a dump truck could be used as a weapon did you? All these old dinosaur instructors from Vietnam have some amazing stories to tell. I’m finding it all very interesting and sobering. I talked to some friends last week and my squadron in Texas will deploy either in June or September of this year. I guess I’ve been in the Air Force long enough that it’s time I start actually doing something of value for our country.

Having a baby kind of changes the perspective on all of this. Last week we got a free video from Sesame Street made for the children and parents of our armed forces who are deploying in the Global War on Terror. It was a great video, major kudos to the Street for doing something like this. I don’t think it helped Brig too much yet, but it did me. I cried through about half of the dang thing. It’s a rock and a hard place; I really want to go, I want to do my part, I want to make this world better. I want to be with my boy. I want my wife to see me old and ugly. I want to be with all of you. Gene went before me. Cal, Lorin, Dave and Joe before him. Now I will.

Don't be sad and don't be angry. It’s just a picture.

But maybe it says more than a thousand words.