Almost Unemployed

As I write this I have less that two hours left in my duties here in Central Asia. The time is a bittersweet time; I look forward with intense anticipation and excitement to seeing my family again and reacquainting with friends, but I also will be sad to relinquish command of this great squadron.

Command is tough--deployed command has its own set of challenges through which all commanders must drive. Most significant in my mind is the inability to "decompress" and relax when "at home." It is a huge benefit for me (back at home) to sit with my wife and vent my frustrations and substandard performance peices of the day. While deployed, that decompression simply can't happen. For the past six months, I've felt like I've had to be a commander 24/7, never letting myself relax with other people.

That said, though, this 6-month period--apart from the seperation from my family--has been arguably the most rewarding 6-month period in my 16-year career. The sense of mission accomplishment, the direct impact on the lives of so many people in Afghanistan; it all has been an incredible ride. When I get in front of my squadron today and hand over leadership to my successor, I will be elated, sad, reluctant, and relieved all at once.

Finally, I could not have done this job adequately (let alone as successfully as I've been told) without His protection and wisdom. I am immensely thankful for that--as well as the prayers of you, The Reader. Thank you, and I will see many of you next week.