Full steam ahead

Most readers will know that Grannie Annie, with generous help from this area, has been sending "care packages" to "her" soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. She works through the ministry called Adopt-A-Chaplain and sends copious numbers of flat rate postal packages filled with items not readily accessible to the fighting men in the field.

For the past three years she has been sending to Forward Operating Base (FOB) OrgunE located in the mountains near the Pakistani border. Now OrgunE is about to be closed and her chaplain and soldiers will be coming back home to the states.

The question in her mind is whether she can possibly be assigned a new chaplain located in an austere location for another year? Yes the news reports that our personnel will be leaving Afghanistan in accordance with President Obama's promises. It is unclear if all remaining personnel will be located in more comfortable better supplied camps with access to the type of item she packs in her lovingly prepared boxes. Big base personnel have little need for what she sends from this community; should she just shut down the operation and declare it "mission complete, a job well done!"

Her answer came last week. Not from Pentagon officialdom but from a homey letter from a young man that had been in bare base FOB Boris a year ago. I quote:

Dear friends from McCook Nebraska:

My name is CPT Josh Shaver. I was the Company Commander for COP Margah and FOB Boris in Afghanistan. The deployment was my fourth tour including the Balkans and Iraq. I have been in the Army for 19 years now.

Thank you very much for the boxes you sent to my Soldiers and I last year. I apologize for the time it has taken to say thank you. I kept the address or note from every box that was given to me and my Soldiers.

I want you to know how much we appreciated the packages and the decorated

notes. The timing of these packages were perfect. All I can say is that we

had been very busy for the days leading up to the time we received your packages. Thank you very much. I wish there were more Patriots like you and from all of us, thank you very much.

Respectfully,

CPT Josh Shaver

Grannie calls the answer a "God thing"! Four tours away from family and loved ones, yet he is thanking us for our service! The Mideast may be yet in turmoil but still we have American soldiers in place. Her belief is strong that no soldier be left behind. Of course we will support them. The gears are meshing and Grannie Annie already is angling for a new deployed Chaplain that might have a need for the items she and this whole community sends with love.

Last week I was able to fly a farm couple from Hayes County to watch their son at a significant milestone in his Air Force Career. Our destination, Vance AFB near Enid, Oklahoma. Déjà vu for this old guy as that is where I also did Air Force pilot training yea some 50+ years ago.

Lieutenant Lance met us at the civilian airport to drive to the base. Approaching the labyrinth that seems to be the forté of every gatehouse nowadays he asked each for picture identification to hand the civilian guard. Several were offered but he didn't think appropriate to hand concealed carry permits to the gate keeper. State driver's license ID seemed more prudent at the moment.

Lance Wach, public schooled (Hayes Center High School) farm kid from Nebraska is a recent graduate of the Air Force Academy.

While there he flew as a glider instructor an extra curricular activity. At Vance he had just completed basic training in the T-6, known as the Texan II. All students fly that modern, single engine, turboprop trainer. Then by student's choice confirmed by their flight instructors several different tracts are assigned for more advanced training. Helicopter assignments go to the Army for rotary wing training. Those destined for crew served aircraft go to the T-1 Jayhawk trainer and those selected to jet fighters go to T-38s for further polishing. Egos play a part and the T-38 tract is the most desired. Understandable for a hot blooded pilot to want the T-38, twin engine afterburning supersonic jet as it can be thought of as driving a Ferrari sports car. The T-1 is a civilian Beech-jet 400 in military clothing somewhat comparable to driving an F-150 pickup.

Lance evidently had kept his nose to the grindstone and got his coveted T-38 jet slot. He also received the "Top Stick" award from his flight instructors. That award popped the buttons on my chest as I was the guy who initially taught him to fly right here at McCook Airport.

It wasn't all serious ceremony as the flight students were able to poke fun at themselves in a homemade video. The pain of sequester was made lite by showing a couple lieutenants in flight suits, helmet and oxygen mask "flying" formation in make-believe airplanes duct taped together from cardboard boxes. Flight lead had all the signals to his wingman to go echelon, trail formation as well as cross-unders. Fortunately the Air Force set new pilot training as a priority while temporarily grounding more experienced flyers to meet the austere budget. Actually mighty serious business, vital to our nation's secure future.

I was also privileged to meet and talk to flight student Lt. Allison Smith, MHS Grad, from Culbertson. Looking mighty professional in her flight suit she is in a class a few weeks behind Lance.

Self-confidence indicates that she is doing well flying the T-6. Two fine young persons from this area doing well; making the home folks proud.

That is how I saw it.

Dick Trail