1/2 way done (maybe)!!!!!

Our last day "together".... many more of these great days in the future!

OK, let me explain this "short tour credit" thingy.  OK, so as a pilot in the Air Force you get to fly..., duh!  But you also have to do a short tour at least once in your career (and more often now that we are involved in like 3 wars at a time).  A short tour is defined as 179 days (6 months) or more deployed.  Once you get that under your belt you get put back to the bottom of the short list.  So I really want a short tour credit for this deployment.  I'll get it if I stay deployed for at least 180 days then this deployment will count.  The Air Force likes to play the game of sending you home at 179 days so that you still "owe" them a short tour.  And this is a GREAT deployment to count as a short tour.  Most short tours given to pilots are non-flying so that's whay this one is so good. 

So I want to get home ASAP to be with Kristen, family and friends, but I also want to stay out here for 180 days!  That would almost guarantee me no short tours for another five years or so which would be great!  If I don't get the credit for this deployment (less than 180 days)  I could be re-deployed again next year if they wanted to.....that sucks.  And the worst past of all this is they just upped the "short tour" definition to being deployed 300 days in a 365 day period.  So, right now I'm grandfathered in to the old short tour definition...., which is awesome!  So hope and pray that I stay here till Halloween.... then I'll be good to do.

I dropped a bunch of numbers this week.  I'm P-30 now!  I started at P-57 and this is my half way mark, so I drop an average of 1 number every 3.3 days out here. So that works out for me being here another 99 days, which would be awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Which means that I still have 4.5 days till I'm actually half way done.  But that's me stepping on US soil somewhere around 9 November!!!!  Which kinda sucks because my wedding anniversary is 8 November..., but I think Kristen can wait an extra day to see me.  I love you Kristen!  PS.  Some people are extending their deployment to 270 days to guarantee their short tour credit.

It's hard to read, this is from my flight hours iPhone app.  Basically, I've been flying A LOT

49% of my flying time has come from the MC-12!

I topped 600 total flying hours in my lifetime this week!  251.5 of those have been here in the sandbox!  I'm flying A LOT!  I need 1000 hours before any major civilian carrier will look at you application.  They really like you to have 1,500 hours.  But I have 9 1/2 years left on my commitment so I think I'll be alright. 

Someone is about to get SOAKED!!!

We're always told in the Air Force that as the newest military organization (18 September 1947), we don't have real traditions..... But I beg to differ!  It seems like I talk about an Air Force tradition every week on this blog.  Here's the AF tradition for this week.  On a "fini" flight (your final flight at current duty station or current airframe) you get soaked with champagne usually...., or water.  It's supposed to be by your wife, but out here there's no wives.  So this week a fellow 1Lt was having his fini flight.  We took some water bottles out there and I found a water gun.  We got Shiv (call sign) pretty good.  We all hid around the back of the jet and he had no idea it was coming!  Good times.....

Shiv got it!  Congrats on getting the heck out of the sandbox!

I got a letter from Kristen with kisses all over it and colored pictures!!  It was the coolest!  Dallas signed it also so she helped out too.  I love them!

Thanks to CJ and Ben for a "fun" package.  Haha.  The package included four wooden model type airplanes with propellers and rubber bands to make them really fly.  These looks like to much fun for over here.  I haven't unleashed them yet to the "common folks" at my squadron just yet in fear that they might put someones eyes out.  But in time, one by one, these planes will be set free in to the general squadron population.. I should just know what I am asking for when I do this...., because someones eye WILL be poked out from someone throwing the plane with little to no aim..... oh well...., good times!  I took one of the plane out for a spin.....took a video of it.....with a friends camera......it's still on his camera.....video coming to a blog near you soon.

Kristen supporting her deployed husband...me!  Thanks babe.

I was told today that my mustache looks good today.  That was awesome!  Haha.  It made my head slightly bigger but it's under control.  Also, I still have a case of pilots foot so my head has shrunken back to normal size.

Dallas had fun in the mud....then got a bath....Haha.  She's great.