Before I knew it, there were only three months left in my assignment to the PI. Sometimes, I felt like I was there forever; yet every day seemed to provide a new adventure or discovery. We lined up for guardmount like any other shift when I received my Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. The flight chief was conducting roll call and when he got to my name, I responded as usual with my assigned post, “Nighthawk 13.”
Then I was ordered, “Front and Center.”
I proceeded to the front of the formation and was handed an envelope. My flight chief looked me straight in the eyes and said with a snicker, “Don’t freeze your ass off!”
I returned to the formation while he finished with roll call and the evening's briefings. A few seconds later, guardmount ended and I headed to the parking lot across from the armory to await a vehicle to take me to post. Rather than wait, I braced myself and opened up the envelope to see where my ass was heading next. I felt a sudden surge of nervous excitement. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the PI; but I was curious to see where my next journey would lead me. I opened the …show more content…
Hell, I would venture to bet that they were never even looked at. Maybe the Air Force would consider preferences; however, the overriding deciding factor was not what would make me happy; but where the Air Force needs people the most. For me, the Air Forces’ needs failed to coincide with my preferences. Both times I filled one out, I requested bases in the southeastern part of the United States. The first time they got the climate correct but the country wrong; the second time they got the country correct but the climate wrong. Damn, I would have rather walked through fire being chased by a jaguar than leave the place I had called home for the last 18 months. But that was what I signed up for. I sucked it up and continued my quest to learn as much as I could about my new
Then I was ordered, “Front and Center.”
I proceeded to the front of the formation and was handed an envelope. My flight chief looked me straight in the eyes and said with a snicker, “Don’t freeze your ass off!”
I returned to the formation while he finished with roll call and the evening's briefings. A few seconds later, guardmount ended and I headed to the parking lot across from the armory to await a vehicle to take me to post. Rather than wait, I braced myself and opened up the envelope to see where my ass was heading next. I felt a sudden surge of nervous excitement. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the PI; but I was curious to see where my next journey would lead me. I opened the …show more content…
Hell, I would venture to bet that they were never even looked at. Maybe the Air Force would consider preferences; however, the overriding deciding factor was not what would make me happy; but where the Air Force needs people the most. For me, the Air Forces’ needs failed to coincide with my preferences. Both times I filled one out, I requested bases in the southeastern part of the United States. The first time they got the climate correct but the country wrong; the second time they got the country correct but the climate wrong. Damn, I would have rather walked through fire being chased by a jaguar than leave the place I had called home for the last 18 months. But that was what I signed up for. I sucked it up and continued my quest to learn as much as I could about my new