The Square Peg

As I write this, my husband is readying his uniform for work tomorrow. He's been in the Air Force for just under 20 years. I've watched him get a uniform ready many, many times throughout the past 20 years, but today I realize that there are fewer opportunities to witness his pride and meticulous scrutiny as he irons and straightens ribbons (medals) than ever before. We're definitely on the downhill side of this journey.

As I mull the approaching 20 year anniversary of Brian's enlistment, a few things stand out in my mind. In no particular order, they are:

• Our second son Drew was born eight months after Brian enlisted, at Fairchild AFB in Spokane, Washington. It cost us $16; eight dollars for each day I was in the hospital.
• For our first base, Brian listed only bases in the southeast on his "dream sheet". We were assigned to Washington state. Gotta love the AF sense of humor.
• Military families are often known for having equal numbers of "stripes 'n brats". Brian was in 20 months before the number of stripes on his sleeve matched the number of arrows in our little quiver.
• The single greatest benefit we've had as a military family has been the commissary. I'm not sure how we would've made ends meet without it. For those who don't speak military, that's where we grocery shop on base. And the prices increase every January. This is in conjunction with the small raise we get every January.
• Considering our world has been filled with men who have the same haircut (for the most part) and wear the same uniform day in and day out, not a single military house has had even remotely the same dimensions as any other military house. This meant new curtains, rugs, blinds, etc., in every single one.
• Brian came home from tech school one afternoon and said he wanted to be an instructor someday and teach new recruits to do their job. He attained that goal 9 years later.
  When he went to Airman Leadership School (ALS), he took home the John Levitow award; the highest given in professional military education.
• When he went to the NCO Academy, he came home with a Distinguished Graduate (DG) award.
• He took 5 US flags with him when he flew a mission over Baghdad. He gave one to his mom, one to mine, he's saving one for each boy, and keeps one for himself.
• We've called Illinois, Washington, North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas home. Georgia twice. They say to bloom where you're planted. Military folk bloom where they're transplanted, and transplanted, and...well, you get the idea.