So much was going on today (working since 2 AM on two jobs and family stuff) that I am too wound up to sleep.

I didn't know what job I wanted to do so I joined the Air Force ROTC program during my last two years in college. My degree was in Elementary Education but I became a personnel officer (a bit like human resources) and at my first base, one of my extra duties was being the Youth Relations Officer so schools in the community could schedule base tours through me. I lived in the same town I had attended college. One of my ROTC friends also got stationed there and we supported each other (I remember jogging with him next to the Flightline at lunch and watching planes take off.) Our ROTC commander became the base commander. One of my college gfs liked going to the Officer's Club with me on Friday nights.

When I was dating my husband, he got an assignment overseas and we married so I could go. His assignment was to Okinawa, Japan. It was a 3 year assignment but because we really loved it (we liked sailing, camping and scuba diving there plus we always lived off base; sometimes we took free hops to other countries), we stayed nearly five years.

My last two years at that base, I served as the Executive Officer for the Logistics Group commander--I got to work with the people who maintained the aircraft (I just did paperwork ). My POV is that, this is the hardest working career field in the Air Force. People worked to keep the planes safe 24/7. Some squadrons deployed a lot, others worked night shifts. When I worked at the Base Personnel Office, many of us worked on college degrees. Though we did work some overtime, our regular schedule was 7 AM to 4 PM so you could take an evening or weekend class and it was supported. Keeping planes in the air seemed more pressing than dotting the i's and crossing the t's. I would just go find people, take notes and do the paperwork for many overworked people. I tried to make it as easy as possible for them. Though sometimes I also had to pull people up to the office or suspense them for various tasks. I found what was going on in their jobs interesting.

When this assignment ended, both my husband and I were effected by force reductions so we didn't make it to retirement. When I got to my next assignment in Hawaii, I was informed that my time with the Air Force would end at the end of the year. I was pregnant and had purposely taken a job with less responsibility thinking I would get a job at the Headquarters for the Pacific Command after the baby was older. Perhaps my decision or pregnancy effected what happened? Or maybe just not the smartest kid on the block? We didn't even unpack our stuff mostly staying in a hotel on Waikiki Beach until my time in the service ran out. That happened 26 years ago!