Flying While Deployed on Thanksgiving

Clouds and mountains make for some amazing views.

Clouds and mountains make for some amazing views.

I’m not really sure why, but for some reason I am a lot more pensive than I usually am at Thanksgiving.  Maybe it is because I am deployed overseas 10,000 miles away from my nearest relative, or maybe it is just one of those years.

Whatever the reason, I am really grateful to be flying on this Thanksgiving.

It may not make sense to many people that I would be excited to be flying on such an important family holiday, but it just serves to put it all in perspective for me better.  Obviously, I would rather be back home with my family enjoying football and a nice meal eating more in one sitting than any five people should eat in a week, but at the same time I am grateful for the opportunity I have to serve others, and to serve with some amazing people.

I read an article recently talking about how people should stop thanking veterans.  At first glance that is obviously not something I would like to see happen, but the message of the article rang true to me, especially at this time of year.  The author wrote about how saying, “Thank you for your service” has become a bit of a trite phrase that is easy to say with very little meaning.  This is not to say that people aren’t grateful, but that there is a better way to truly show your gratitude.

An amazing sunset between the cloud layers.

An amazing sunset between the cloud layers.

The alternative that the author suggested was to thank military members for what you are specifically thankful for.  Maybe you are thankful that you can live in a country where you could start your own business, or go to whatever church you want, or where you could get an education.  Maybe you are grateful you could attend all of your children’s births, recitals, (insert random events here).  It really doesn’t matter what the reason is, but what does matter is that you took the time to think about why you are truly grateful.

So what does any of this have to do with flying?  Not much really, but I realized last week that I would be on the schedule to fly on Thanksgiving, which was fine with me since it wasn’t like I had a family dinner to attend.  However, it did put me into this pensive mood that I have been in since then.  It really made me think about what I am grateful for since I wouldn’t be with family.  As luck would have it I was able to fly over some of the most beautiful terrain I have ever seen as well as witness some pretty spectacular sunsets this last week.

Engine #4 right at sunset above the clouds.

Engine #4 right at sunset above the clouds.

What I am really grateful for is the opportunity to work with amazing people who share many of the same passions as me.  None of them are as much of an avgeek as I am, but they love to fly.  I am grateful to have a career that allows me to do something I am so passionate about.  I am grateful to have seen some of the most beautiful things I could ever imagine.

I am grateful to be a part of a legacy that was forged over hundreds of years by better men and women than I will ever be.  I am grateful for the opportunity to do my part, no matter how small, to bring the freedoms that I enjoy to other people.

I am grateful for the examples of humility, charity, and compassion that I see in the people I interact with that I want to emulate.

I am grateful for a loving wife and children who keep me grounded, and give me a reason to be a better man every day.  I am grateful that they put up with all of the challenges of my career that I love so much.

The mountains never seem to end here.

The mountains never seem to end here.

It is November 28th already here on the other side of the world, eventually it will reach the states and be Thanksgiving there as well.  Many of you will wake up to play a little football, then watch some football, followed by stuffing your face, followed by more football, and more food stuffing.  Oh the memories.

Thank you for enjoying that time with your family.  Thank you for making our work mean something.

If you have family and friends overseas make sure you tell them about how you celebrated.  It will break our hearts that we can’t be there, but it will also warm them to know that you can celebrate this holiday in any way you choose.

There will be hundreds of us over the skies of Afghanistan today, and tens of thousands more on the ground working.  It truly is an honor to serve in this capacity, and on this Thanksgiving, more than ever before, I am truly grateful.