Winging

We moved to Corpus when Jon "tracked" T-44. We were part of a Joint Training between the Air force and Navy. Our first experience with a Navy base;  training with them was very different. For one, the planes always seemed to be broken, and many times Jon would come home just because there were no planes to fly. Secondly, the Air Force likes to do "Stand Up" where they give a scenario to the class and people stand to answer and the sit down if they are wrong. Navy does things "hands on". The T-44 has a "God Box" on the Instructor Pilot side in which they can simulate emergencies (such as engine failure, fires, gas leaks, instrument failure, etc.) Some days there were non-simulated failures! It made for an exciting ride. But May 6th Jon finally got his wings!

Jon's mom flew down for the occasion  May 4th and stayed with a good friend in San Antonio. Jon and I picked her up the morning of the 5th and took advantage of the opportunity to see all the stuff we had been to busy with training to get time off to see. We started with the famous Alamo. Lots of history and it was really very beautiful. Jon and I did sneak off for part of it and found a nice quiet spot for smooching. Following the Alamo we finally got to go and explore the recommended River Walk.

Now there is a place for everyone! Every restaurant wanted a piece of it and they had everything from Ben and Jerry's to Hard Rock Cafe.We however chose to eat at Dick's burgers. Good food, decent price. Then we did the boat tour. We went up and down the river getting stories from history and a chance to catch a glimpse of all that was there. Then as it was so very hot outside we got ice cream. (mostly because I wanted it ). It was wonderful to finally get to experience that part of San Antonio we had heard so much about. It really is a beautiful city and if we had to move back to Texas it would be in our top picks. Then it was time to

The River Walk

head back so we would not be getting home too very late. The drive from Corpus is around 2 1/2 hours long. This means that if you go up for an afternoon you spend 5 hours driving. We often thought about getting a hotel, but when you add up all the cost, plus trying to find someone to watch your dog, it rarely works. So we headed back home about 4pm to make it home for dinner time...and to let lady out.

The morning of the 6th was a nice sunny day. We started it by heading over to the very packed squadron room where they were doing the "soft winging". Now the official winging ceremony would not be until 3pm. This morning "soft winging was one in which the pilots get the wing patches that they wear on their flight suits. It is also a way to kick off the festivities. After the "soft winging" we got to go explore the T-44s they trained in. (See the top picture). Then Jon got to take his mother and I to the simulators where we got to "fly" the simulator. And guess what? I didn't crash! I went off the runway when I landed, but I landed in one piece. But really I am very glad Jonny is the pilot and not me.

After all that we went home and got all spiffied up for the winging ceremony. We got there in plenty of time and had a front row seat. Before the ceremony started they got pictures with the married pilots and their wives. We were pleasantly surprised at how short the speakers were. (Mainly because the guy in charge had just had his change of command ceremony that morning and was ready to be done with all the long speeches). So very soon came the time that Jon's mother and I got to go up and I pinned on my husbands wings! I was so very proud of him! Getting to this point was a lot of work and stress and patience. Then they recognized the wives and our sacrifices that we made so our husbands can succeed. Being a military wife is a very different life. It was one of the main reasons it took me so long to give Jonny an answer of yes I would marry him. It means following where ever the military sends you, whether you like it or not. It means putting your career or education or hobbies on hold or change each time you move. It means being away from family and never getting to stay with the friends you have grown close to. It means means making amazing friends and then saying goodbye not knowing if your paths will ever cross again. It means putting his career and needs above your own at all times. It means crying because you would really like stability. It means knowing that even after all this training and moving the hardest part is still to come: Deployment. That word that terrifies us wives and makes us proud at the same time. Knowing that you married someone who loves his freedom and his country so much,  you would never want that to change. And we know the price that the freedom costs for each family. It means getting married knowing full well that we also will be required to live a life of a single spouse or parent for weeks, months, or years at a time. It is being so grateful for every day he is there with you, and be by your side to hold and comfort you. I can't believe I started crying just writing that. I best move on to the fun stuff.

In the air force they have a tradition that after you get your wings you break them. This is to signify that these wings are the only ones you ever break. Also, once broken these two halves should never touch. This tradition was followed by the air force pilots in this graduating class. Thankfully they had gotten a heads up that it wold be impossible to break without first sawing through the back of it (they still had to struggle). Now Jon's mother has one half and I hold the other. I found this similar to the tradition that when they get their jump wings they give them to someone special to hold on to. And tradition further says that if ever those jump wings are lost, the next time they need to jump they will die. No pressure! Once I thought I had lost them and started freaking out, but I found them. (I had put them someplace very safe, thus not remembering where they were). Now they are both well guarded so my husband (by these superstitious beliefs) should be just fine.

After the winging we joined up with Jon's classmates and their families at Water Street Sea Food Company. It was a good but interesting mix of people. In Jon's class there were 10 air force students. The class was mostly Navy, some air force, and some Marines. We went to dinner with the air force crowd. Everyone was on a high as they celebrated this momentous occasion. While the winging does not mean the end of training, it does mean they are now a pilot. Not just a student pilot. It means that out of all the people who tried to get into the academy, out of all the academy students and ROTC students who wanted a pilot slot, out of all the people who went to IFS (which is a weeding program), of all the people who started UPT- these are the survivors. Those who made it through all the flights, stand up, academics, and check rides. It really is a big deal! And all the families know it.

In the Navy world they throw an after party, and each class has their own theme. The theme this time: day after mardi gras. It was held at the club on base, and there was the standard pizza and beer. Beer pong was played and much chaos. We didn't stay too late. But we got some awesome pictures.