Dress rehearsal: final UTA weekend
When I was in the Boy Scouts every high adventure outing was preceded by a shakedown weekend. It was unwise to take a group of teenage boys directly to a place like Philmont Scout Ranch or the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Inevitably we would pack too much or forget something critically important. A practice trip to a local state park was a good, low risk, way to find out who was ready for the main event. There was still time to offload the unneeded items, or to run to the store and pick up any last minute supplies.
The July unit training assembly is serving as the shakedown weekend for the deployment. After spending the July 4th holiday in Chicago, Lily and I came straight to St. Louis for the drill weekend and my final outprocessing. We are already living out of suitcases and will continue to do so until I get on the plane later this month. From here we are going to head to visit my family in Iowa one last time. On the other hand, there is enough cushion in the schedule that we will be able to head back to Dexter for 48 hours before my actual departure. If I have forgotten anything, or need to send anything home with Lily, there will still time to handle the situation.
Besides the chance to go through my checklists a few more times, this weekend also gave me a chance to meet some of the redeployers (military speak for people coming home) who have been in some of the same parts of the world where I will be. It was extremely helpful to learn from their experience and pick their brains. As a result of our conversations a couple of things were added to my packing list, and a couple of items were subtracted. More than anything, I appreciated hearing their perspectives and the reassurance that this is indeed a doable thing.
OPSEC disclaimer:
As the time for my government sponsored camping trip grows ever closer, I need to mention a concept that the Air Force refers to as OPSEC, or operational security. Essentially, it is a modern way of saying “loose lips sink ships.” My travel dates, my destination, and the details of what I am doing are all going to remain unsaid in this forum and on social media. Instead, I am going to occasionally share generalized “day in the life of a chaplain” posts and news stories produced in conversation with my unit’s public affairs folks. Please understand if there are certain questions or topics that I refrain from discussing in this particular setting.
Niece and nephew disclaimer:
Two of my nieces and nephews are old enough to understand the meaning of deployment. On the other hand, four of my nieces and nephews are still young enough that what I am doing is hard to comprehend. One of my goals with these posts is to give them a better understanding of the experience, but to do so in a way that is age and OPSEC appropriate. Many of my posts will include pictures of stuffed animals, pets, and their favorite action figures. This approach is by no means meant to downplay the seriousness of the job that our Airmen are doing. It is intended to help four particular young people understand why their uncle is going to disappear for a while, and give them a sense of what I, and the people with whom I serve, will be up to.
