Lana's Surprise Visit

Yesterday after a long day's work, I returned to my dorm room a little after 9. After putting my things down on the counter and taking off my jacket I heard, "Hey Babe" from somewhere. At first I thought I had left the TV on or was imagining things. It took me a few seconds, but I realized Lana had surprised me and was getting some rest in bed after a long flight in from Munich. She had actually worked the Lufthansa flight to Seoul, checked in at the crew hotel and then took a two hour high speed train to visit me for a day here at Kunsan. It was a great surprise after a long difficult week! We slept in, got some exercise, ate some chicken bolgogi and then went for a hike at a nearby resevoir. The weather is still fairly cold here, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I just returned home after taking her back to the train station as she flies again with Lufthansa tomorrow. A short but great visit! I love you Schatz...danke!!

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Korea - Mar 09

Instructor Pilot Upgrade / Japan Cross-Country

The day before leaving on the cross-country to Japan, my squadron commander told me I had been selected to start the instructor pilot upgrade (IPUG). This was great news since one of my main goals while here in Korea is to finish the instructor pilot upgrade before moving on to another assignment. I'm looking forward to teaching younger pilots how to use the F-16 to its full potential...something I'm still getting better at myself. I'm actually starting the upgrade a little sooner than expected since some are here almost a year before starting. Timing plays a big part as it depends on how many instructors the squadron has and how many will be moving on in the near future. So, in a few months I'll be a new instructor pilot in the F-16!

The cross-country through Japan didn't exactly go as planned. Our route of flight was to Misawa Air Base on Friday and then to Kadena Air Base on Saturday stopping in Iwakuni Navy Base on the way. Saturday morning one of the jets had a maintenance problem which we were initially told would be fixed by the next day...well, that turned into the whole weekend. Our leadership here at Kusan wanted us to stay together as a 4-ship, so we enjoyed good sushi and Indian food (yes, there was a great Indian food restaurant right outside the base gate!) over the weekend as well as some good March madness games on TV. I had some time to hit the gym as well before flying back to Kunsan on Monday. Hopefully I'll get a chance in the future for another cross-country to Kadena since I have a cousin stationed there now and also because it's warmer and nicer than Kunsan.

Well, that should bring me up to date on all the latest from Korea...I've submitted paperwork to stay here through the summer of 2010, and I think it's been approved. So, only 15 more months and I'll be on to a different assignment. Most are probably wondering why I did that, but the short of it is US Air Force F-16s are slowly being retired to make way for the F-35 replacement. There are also other planes many pilots are being assigned to these days (UASs, RC-12s, etc) to help in the Iraq / Afghanistan wars. I want to keep flying the F-16 and this should help when I'm considered for my next assignment. Lana and I would like an assignment where we can settle for awhile and start our family together. We realize it's all in God's hands where the Air Force takes us, so I'll do the best I can with the abilities He's given!

Weekend Trip To Jeonju (전주시)

Last weekend Lana and I took a day trip to Jeonju, a town about 40 minutes to the east of Kunsan. Jeonju is known for good food, sports and festivals. It's also known for is good strawberries, even during the winter months. This was indeed the case as we bought and enjoyed fresh strawberries from a roadside stand. The weather for our trip was great, and on our list of things to do was visit another Korean palace, check out a European like church and a well known shopping center. It was nice to get off the base and enjoy a little Korean culture together.

The name of the palace we visited was called Jeonju Gyeonggi-jeon, another palace which was lived in by royal families in the past. It was similar to the one from Seoul, but much smaller. Right next to the palace was the Catholic church...for a second Lana and I thought we were in Europe again, only if that were true! By the time we finished looking at the church, we were both quite cold so decided to get some tea in a nearby cafe. Near the cafe was the shopping center, and after a little time looking around it was time for dinner. We ate at an Outback Steakhouse of all places...the steak I had tasted great and was a nice change to some of the Korean food I've had.

Well, that's it for now...I'm going on a cross-country trip through Japan next weekend so I'll update everyone when I get a chance after we get back.