November 2008
My first detachment in the Navy was out to El Centro, CA in the middle of the desert. We go out there because the weather is mostly always beautiful for flying and there is so much barren land to practice dropping bombs! It was our strike det, which means we do a lot of practicing dropping bombs, dive bombing, shooting our 20mm gun, and working with JTACs (Joint Tactical Air Controllers) for CAS (Close Air Support). JTACS are the men and women on the ground from all services that are attached to an infantry unit that call in air support when they are under fire from the enemy. Being able to provide close air support for the bravest men and women in the military with boots in the sand is the biggest honor for myself and fellow aviators. It's our most important mission and we work on it incessantly so we can be perfect when the time comes to save lives. Our technology has improved drastically as well and our probability of error with our smart weapons is so small!
On the weekends, we drive the 3 hours over to San Diego, and stay in the Gaslamp district. San Diego is SO beautiful!!! Perfect weather all the time, and right on the Pacific Ocean! I was so lucky again that 1stSgt "Johnny" Carson and 1stSgt "Moonshine" Griffith drove down from 29 Palms to hang out with us for a night. They were two of mine and Hall's gunnery sergeants in OCS! Also, I saw my good buddy from my OCS class, Alex Fore, who is an H-60 helicopter pilot stationed out there. The Navy keeps getting smaller and smaller the more places I go! I feel like I know friends from all over the country and globe now! We had a great time and learned SO much!
My first detachment in the Navy was out to El Centro, CA in the middle of the desert. We go out there because the weather is mostly always beautiful for flying and there is so much barren land to practice dropping bombs! It was our strike det, which means we do a lot of practicing dropping bombs, dive bombing, shooting our 20mm gun, and working with JTACs (Joint Tactical Air Controllers) for CAS (Close Air Support). JTACS are the men and women on the ground from all services that are attached to an infantry unit that call in air support when they are under fire from the enemy. Being able to provide close air support for the bravest men and women in the military with boots in the sand is the biggest honor for myself and fellow aviators. It's our most important mission and we work on it incessantly so we can be perfect when the time comes to save lives. Our technology has improved drastically as well and our probability of error with our smart weapons is so small!
On the weekends, we drive the 3 hours over to San Diego, and stay in the Gaslamp district. San Diego is SO beautiful!!! Perfect weather all the time, and right on the Pacific Ocean! I was so lucky again that 1stSgt "Johnny" Carson and 1stSgt "Moonshine" Griffith drove down from 29 Palms to hang out with us for a night. They were two of mine and Hall's gunnery sergeants in OCS! Also, I saw my good buddy from my OCS class, Alex Fore, who is an H-60 helicopter pilot stationed out there. The Navy keeps getting smaller and smaller the more places I go! I feel like I know friends from all over the country and globe now! We had a great time and learned SO much!
We were also in the phase of training where we have to design a class patch for us to wear on our shoulders. Being the only girl of 14 in my class, my vote was overruled and we ended up with this blonde girl and the quote over the Rhino. But it's fun because I get funny looks everywhere I go, and some old Navy traditions (i.e.: pin-up girls) never die! The theme behind "Getting Hammered" was right when my class checked into the squadron, they were doing some renovations around the spaces, and we showed up for the first 3 weeks, not in uniform, but in workout gear to paint, stain, build desks, and haul big furniture around! It was tough work, and we weren't sure if we were here to fly or as contractors!!! But now when we look at the ready room and briefing rooms, we can claim them as "our own!"
This is the crew getting ready for "Live Day." Most of the time, we drop little lightweight smoke bombs when we are practicing, but this day we actually dropped a live 500-lb bomb! It was also the first time we'd ever flown with a fellow student! From left to right: Bryan "Trotter" Globke (my pilot on this flight), Michael "Pablo" Escobar (pilot), Greg "Rocco" Hracho (WSO), and me "PUG!" 
"Trotter" Globke and I in front of our jet. Our 500-lb bomb is behind us with the yellow stripes! 
Flying at 100-feet over the desert...see our shadow?
The Chocolate Mountains
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