I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to the Commander of KAF's Dinner on Wednesday. It came with a very nice printed invitation that will serve as a nice souvenir. I posted it below for posterity sake.
Air Commodore Brecht is the equivalent to BG (1 star) in our service and he serves as Commander of KAF. He is a Brit. The command billet is NATO, so it rotates among the nations. I have only had the opportunity to meet him a few times, but I have worked extensively with his staff. The dinner was held in a room in the DFAC - unfortunately same food though we did eat it in three courses and on real plates and with real silverware. It was the first time I did not eat with plastic ware in a long time. After the meal, the Air Commodore did a brief introduction of the guests to the group and gave us a commander's coin. Giving of a coin is common practice as a token of appreciation for work done for the General or for his staff. He mentioned to me that the tradition is much more popular in US circles and less so among the other nations so he is almost apologetic to them but he knows the US folks really appreciate them. There were many nations represented and it was a nice time. I appreciated the invitation and event.
Also mid week we had a visit from some celebrities. Anna Kournikova (former tennis player), Nick Bolletierri (famous tennis coach), David Attel (comedian) and Billy Ray Cyrus (best known to my kids as Hanna Montana's Dad). They came a put on a show at the boardwalk. I was not able to attend but those who did said it was a good show. After the show I waited in line to get my picture. They were doing it in groups to save time. My usual contacts are home on leave so I had to settle for this picture. I tried to lean in toward Billy Ray with the hope I could photoshop it and make it look better - couldn't get it to work out so now it looks a little goofy, but...I did snap a picture of Billy Ray and Anna while I waited in line that turned out pretty good so I included it.
One of the people who arrived over the past few months and saved me was MAJ Bill Schermerhorn. He showed up as the S-4 (that is army code for the logistics officer) for the support group that showed up here to take the garrison command. He has become the land manager for KAF, something I used to be tasked with. He was sort of tasked, but I would like to call it chosen for the job due to his ability to get things done and the fact he seemed to take some joy in ordering people to move their stuff. Due to our hours and the fact that he would eat late dinners across the street from my office, he became a regular visitor during the middle of the tour. It served as a good time to discuss problems but also to be able to laugh at the situation we were in - it was very therapeutic and important for my sanity during those weeks. Bill is originally from Washington state and now lives in Florida. He was crazy enough to volunteer for his tour, which is the year long army tour - tough. I'm glad he did though, because I have appreciated all his hard work, support and friendship the past few months.
Christmas will next week's blog. That means we are getting close to the end. There will be little down time before we leave, but it is nice to think that we will be leaving in a month or so. By the way, I did take advantage of the opportunity to record a holiday message for release to my home town a few months ago - it should begin to run soon...so keep an eye out if you wish. Thanks for you continued support and e-mails. Until next time...
