Gulfport, MS

Sunday afternoon I drove away from my house for the last time for thirteen months. It was odd pulling away. My wife and the girls took me to the airport. My sister and one of her sons joined us. It was a tough good-bye, but fortunately I'll see my immediate family for Thanksgiving.

By the time I arrived in Gulfport it was late and I just checked into the Combined Bachelor's Quarters and went to bed. Monday began at 6 AM at the medical center for verification of our medical history. As I walked through the door I bumped into a former shipmate. It was good to see him, and seeing a familiar face made this transition a little easier. Everyone at Gulfport has been extremely friendly and courteous. They do this often and they recognize that we are transitioning from civilian life back to active duty. Most of what we are doing between Monday and Wednesday is filling out checklists and making sure all the Navy admin is complete prior to heading off for NARMY (Navy to Army) training.

These last few days have been good for me. I have left my neighborhood where I was the only one leaving for Afghanistan. My neighbors all came to me offering support for my family and condolences for the fact that I was leaving. It was a somber environment. Here I am surrounded by people that are used to deployments and some that are heading on their third or fourth deployment. Deployment is not a scary or unique fact around here. Being surrounded by people that are at ease with leaving helps me become more comfortable with the deployment.

I would like to thank everyone for support. It is important that I get into a focused mission related mentality in order to execute this mission well. However, this is not a normal life event for the average American couple. I appreciate the overwhelming amount of offerings of assistance and well wishes. This deployment will quickly become routine for me especially once I reach my final destination. I truly believe that the tougher job is laid upon my wife's shoulders. She has to continue on raising our children and taking care of the house. Though I am not happy to leave, I do feel much better knowing that all of you are there ready to lend a hand or a compassionate ear. Thank you!