Happy New Year!

Among The Joshua Trees

It was a pretty good year……………….

The day at sea on USS Ronald Reagan CVN-76 with OldAFSarge and The WSO was a major hi lite! I managed to complete another revolution of the Sun……………………..

I watched my niece get married to a really good man………………………………………..

The disruptions……………………………………….

My friends………………………………..I miss them

Lionel Gendron

Buck Pennington

Here’s to a splendid New Year and a Toast to those no longer with Us.

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2014 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 120,000 times in 2014. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 5 days for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

In History, It’s The Things We Barely Know That Interest Me

Getty Images via Smithsonian Magazine

Despite the manner (names & dates to memorize) in which virtually every teacher and professor approaches history, I have managed to have a fascination with the subject. In spite of them, I guess.

Perhaps it is due to the efforts of one Professor, Professor Norman Graebner of the University of Virginia, who taught me what would normally be considered one of the dullest areas of history in a field most consider dull to begin with.

Christmas Weekend on California’s Central Coast

California’s Central Coast.
We love this place.

Among The Joshua Trees

The VQ at Vandenberg was our headquarters.

The Monarch Butterfly Grove is an obligatory stop during the time the Butterflies are here.

The Ocean was making just enough noise as well…………………………………….I think of my departed friends, Lex, Buck and Lionel when I see the sunset from Oceano Beach south of Pismo.

Lex, Buck and Lionel……………………..Yeah……………..that’s them………………..Dusty in here

Butterflies………………………Lots of Butterflies

We love Pismo Beach!

The next four are some Oceano Beach Rule Five……………

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Carroll, Buck and Lionel……………………….

Among The Joshua Trees

Wish you were here………………………………………

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Here’s to Buck and Lionel

Among The Joshua Trees

Missus ORPO and I are at Vandeberg AFB on the California Central Coast. We decided to do Christmas a bit differently. The dinner was last night. We had Garlic Butter Shrimp and Long Grain and Wild Rice.

Tomorrow we are planning(Loose Definition) to head over to Solvang………………..Scandinavian…………………………………….

I had to take at least one picture on “The Verandah.”

If you followed Buck Pennington, you will know……………..

VQ Vandenberg AFB with a White Owl New Yorker and Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop IPA

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What can you say to a 13 year old boy….

…whose father was murdered for the sole reason of being an NYPD cop?

I’m trying to think of something.

But there really is nothing you can say.

One of us is gone

Sad News for All Of Us.
One of Us is Gone.

Among The Joshua Trees

It is sad that one of our number has left this life.

Buck Pennington, aka MSGT Buck passed away this past week. The news was posted on his blog, Exile In Portales by his sons, Commander Pennington and Major Pennington.

http://exileinportales.blogspot.com/2014/12/last-callyou-dont-have-to-go-home-but.html

Damn. I am gonna miss him terribly.

Christopher Goodrich has a most eloquent post at his place………………………………………

http://oldafsarge.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-candle.html

So Long My Friend

Someday, we will meet again

At Fiddler’s Green

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Belgian royals mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes in snowy weather reminiscent of wintery conditions of the battle

My hat is off to King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. G-d Bless Them.

Among The Joshua Trees

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde participate in the ceremonies commemorating the Battle Of The Ardennes Forest otherwise known as the Battle Of The Bulge. I tip my hat to them for showing up even in a strong winter storm. Bravo Zulu to The King and Queen.

• The Battle of the Bulge was one of the bloodiest of the Second World War
• Saw thousands of Nazi troops descend on Ardennes without notice
• U.S. Army soldiers defended heavily forested region in Belgium
• Belgian royal family turned out to greet veterans and commemorate war

King Philippe lays a wreath at a monument commemorating the Battle of the Bulge or the Ardennes Offensive fought by American troops and Nazi infiltrators 70 years ago

Queen Mathilde braved the wintery conditions to pay respect to the thousands of troops killed in the battle

In homage to the U.S. Army General Anthony McAuliffe, who responded: ‘Nuts!’ when…

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Flying a Jet in the Los Angeles Storms, December 12, 2014.

Jethead has some really good stuff about the life of an Airline Captain. Check it out.

The JetHead Blog

“That’s some catch, that Catch-22.” –Captain Yossarian, Catch-22

Here’s the deal, captain: you’re flying a 65 ton jet into Orange County airport, the famously short 5,700 foot runway. The stopping distance required there is increased drastically if that runway is wet–and yesterday, “wet” was an understatement: Los Angeles was drenched in a ten-year storm dumping inches of rain in a matter of hours.

And here’s the catch: you want to have the least amount of fuel–which is weight–on board for landing to permit stopping on the short, rain-slicked runway, but at the same time, as much as possible for a divert if necessary to Los Angeles International Airport or to Ontario Airport, both of which have long runways.

But it gets worse. The best bet for a diversion is Ontario, because the inbound air traffic is light compared to always busy LAX. But you’ve been watching on radar two thunderstorms…

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