Flight Surgeon Graduation and Alabama Visit

It's been a long time since I've posted a blog....I almost forgot how.

I graduated from the Flight Surgeon course on 09 November.  It was nice because my brother Chris, his wife Tabitha and their son Lucas as well as my Mom-mom came down for the graduation (a long 14 hour drive!) and Malisa and Collin flew over from Germany. 

Here's my squad, 3rd squad.  We had quite a mix..Coast Guard, Air Force, Army and civilians. 

And the class photo...we absolutely couldn't get organized...nobody really cared enough to have a nice class photo, so it was just a pile on right before lunch.

Fort Rucker, Alabama has the US Army Aviation Museum, so Collin was thrilled to be able to check out the different planes and helicopters that have evolved in Army aviation history.  Here's some pictures of him at the museum.

Here's a couple of pictures of Collin and Malisa checking out the Sikorsky, a cargo-lifting helicopter.

 Some photos of Collin and his cousin Lucas.  This was the first time they'd seen each other in almost a year and they had fun playing together.  Collin calls Lucas "Yucas". 

 

I had a few days of class left when everybody arrived, but on one of the mornings, we were doing some "water crash survival training" where you have to be flipped over in the water and learn how to unhook yourself from the seat and egress from the helicopter out the window.  I brought my brother Chris with me and he was able to participate in the training, so that was pretty fun to do some "army stuff" with my bro!  Here he is getting out of the pool after learning how to come up for air if the water surface is on fire from burning fuel.

Here I am in the "SWET" chair, which is what they flip you over in to train you for the DUNKER chair which is an actual simulated helicopter that flips over into the water.

Me and my brother Chris!  A couple of handsome bastards.

My Mom-mom....I love her so much!

Collin and Lucas hanging out and playing in Alabama.

When I graduated, I was handed my Flight Surgeon wings that are worn on the uniform.  I asked Mom-mom to pin them on me, and part of the tradition is that when they are pinned on, they have to be "punched" onto your chest hard enough to draw blood, aka "blood wings" so that you don't forget that you got them.  She thought that idea was pretty funny, as you can see here.  I had a hard time convincing her to punch me, I'm sure there are plenty of volunteers out there that would have jumped at that chance......

Hope you enjoyed the pictures...keeping this one short and sweet.