Throughout life, you meet people, make friends- sometimes they stay for a lifetime, others come and go... after graduation, after they get jobs, after your lives move in different directions and you simply grow apart. However, for a military wife, friends are always moving away and that fact will never change. I've attended 3 track selects and 1 assignment night and the anxiety, excitement and hopefullness never changes as my friends' husbands line up and are told which way their career is headed. I'm already nervous about when I'll be in their shoes when it's Daniel's turn!
For non-military readers, here's a quick breakdown of what I'm talking about:
Track select: USAF pilots have 4 options after they finish training on the T-6: T-38s or T-1s (which train in Enid), T-44s (which train in Corpus Christi, TX) and Helicopters (which train at Ft. Rucker in Alabama).
Assignment night: This happens the week before graduation and it's when the pilots who are about to get their wings are told what they'll be flying. I've only been to one, but it was a great night for everyone (except Anna who didn't like the clapping and cheering- thankfully, she'll be a year old when Daniel has his assignment night.)
Here's what my friends' hubbies have found out so far:
Track selects:
Allison :: Jonathon :: T-1
Bonnie :: Daniel :: T-38
Tessa :: Tim :: T-1
Maggie :: Darrin :: T-44
Kristen :: Josh :: T-44
Jamie :: Michael :: T-38
Sam :: Brian :: T-44
Assignment Night:
Emily :: Matt :: C-17 (McChord AFB- Washington)
Michelle :: Dan :: F-22 (Florida) - I just found out about this via Facebook. He originally was given the F-16 at Assignment Night and he got surprised with this change of assignment at graduation today. This is huge news since this is the newest fighter the Air Force has!
As excited as I am for my friends who are moving to Corpus Christi and to their new assignments, I can't help but feel a little sad for me. These are the ladies who welcomed me into their circle and made me a part of this base community. They threw me an "All Pink" baby shower when I had Anna and always offer rides to Playgroup, Coffee and even doctor's appointments when Dan is busy. It's hard to say good-bye but thankfully, with the AF scheduling things there's always a bit of time to get used to the idea before they're packed up and moving away.
With technology the way it is, it's also easier to stay in touch with friends who are far away, so that helps out a lot. Hopefully, as time goes on, I'll adjust to it but I don't think it will get any easier as friends come and go... right now, I just have to enjoy the time we have together here in Enid, America and trust in God's plans for all of us.
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