A Moving Send-Off

Well, we're off. Today the 779th Engnieer Battalion was sent off for duty in Iraq with a moving ceremony and the gratitude of a city and state. At 1000 this morning we had a ceremony in a big courtyard behind the capitol building in Tallahassee.

I was initially scheduled to be on the platform. Just the governor, the TAG (the Adjutant General -- the two-star commander of the FL Guard), my commander, LTC Jarriel, and me. But at the last minute, the Lieutenant Governor wanted to participate, and there were only four chairs on the platform, so guess who got bumped. I don't mind at all. Instead, I came out to the ceremony with the official party and then took my place with the battalion staff in formation. Then at the end, I tripped all the way up the big stairs before asking God's blessings.

The most moving thing about today's sendoff was the escort. (Well, next to Lori being there, and Mom crying her eyes out.) We left the armory in four busses, escorted by probably a dozen or more motorcycle cops from Tallahassee and Leon County. Following our four busses was an "honor guard" of bikers from the Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcycle group that escorts National Guard and Reserve units deploying and returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

It was hard not to get choked up by their display of support. I was sitting near the front of the lead bus, when the bikers started turning in to the parking lot, one after another, and queuing up. Each bike flew a large american flag. Some of the bikers wore their old military uniforms, and some just wore ... well, biker clothes. Altogether 18 motorcycles and three SUV's lined up to follow us to the capitol.

After the ceremony with the Governor, the Patriot Guard Riders accompanied us to the airport. We drove right up to the flightline and a few moments later we got on the plane, walking past these bikers as they stood at attention with their flags to wish us well.

We arrived at an Air National Guard landing strip in Wisconsin this afternoon, with considerably less fanfare. Then we got in the old yellow school buses and drove to Fort McCoy, where we will prepare for deployment for the next few weeks.