Newest AF Pilot

(1 Oct 2010) Joy and I came to Del Rio for the 3rd time in a year to join the celebration and accomplishment of our son-in-law CJ completing Air Force pilot training. His parents and sister were able to come down from Alaska to join the festivities so it was a real family affair. Besides winding down his program the kids faced the daunting task of packing up their household goods getting ready to move themselves in a U-Haul which included "clearing" base housing which can be the government nightmare it sounds like. Joy and I came in early to take granddaughter Kylan on a trip in the motorhome for a few days to lighten their burden. In the course of that trip our RV fridge went out for the 4th time in 5 months so we broke down and bought a new one and had it installed.
The festivities for graduation included on Thursday evening, a special retreat ceremony and fly-over with the 3 types of planes they use here, a Friday morning breakfast followed by the graduation ceremony and presentation of the coveted Air Force silver wings, and an evening formal banquet. It was a full day. Katie pinned CJ's wing on after the graduation in front of the T-1 trainer he spent the last several months mastering. On Thursday and Friday we had the privilege of "flying" the flight-simulators used to instruct pilots here.
Saturday we loaded the truck and finished cleaning the house and then had our own family presentation ceremony. Finishing pilot training is an all-around team effort and CJ knows he could not have done it without Katie. Her support was essential to his finishing the course. The family gathered at our RV to give Katie a gift of pregnancy massages and CJ a statue of an eagle in flight. The eagle is to remind them both of the realization that we can't do anything in our own strength, but only as we "wait upon the Lord will we renew our strength and mount up with wings like eagles" (Is 40).
The baton has truly been passed. It was a year ago to the day (1 Oct) that I officially came off the roles of the Air Force. Like ours, CJ and Katie's event marks not only an end, but a beginning. We are looking forward in anticipation to all that God will do in and through them as they commit themselves to him.
We said our tearful good-byes this morning and are already looking forward to a January visit to Fairbanks where we will greet the newest baby Elmes.