Over the weekend a wonderful thing happened. I received an e-mail from my relief! Whoo hoo - he's a real person! We've exchanged a few more notes as I've tried to answer the many questions he (like everyone) had before he gets over here. He's finishing up his mini boot camp in South Carolina the first part of this week (they added a few days from when I went through - ugh) and will head over to Kuwait toward the weekend. Training in Kuwait, a short flight up here to Iraq, and he'll be just down the street attending the one week professional course on being an EWO. And then...here!
"Griff" is another aviator so I don't think he'll have too much trouble fitting into the mold I've established for the Navy here in the Regiment. He too has been busy deploying recently and I know he can't be too anxious about coming out here any more than I was nine months ago. But, the consolation for having to be here is that he will be with an outstanding unit and a great bunch of Soldiers. I told him I am certainly ready to head home, but leaving the guys and gals here will be bittersweet indeed.
19 days until the beginning of the end for me here!
Cheers, Pearl
