Last Flight At Shaw

Today I flew my last flight here at Shaw AFB.  This was my third fini flight (Aviano fini / Kunsan fini).  Seems just like the other day Lana and I drove in the front gate, the two of us, and now we're departing for Germany as a family of four!  It's tradition that the squadron pilots wrestle those flying their fini flight to the ground, duck tape their hands and feet, and then spray them with water.  Lana, Liam, and Lilli were there as well to celebrate a great assignment here in South Carolina.

Tomorrow Lana and I will put our final cleaning touches on the house (renters move in on Monday) and I have some outprocessing appointments to attend before leaving next week.  Next Monday I have my final out appointment where I finalize all the departure paperwork...Tuesday we're on a Lufthansa flight, flying business class to Munich!  Before that day arrives, our dinner plans are booked each night with friends as we say one last goodbye.  Thanks to all those who make this assignment a good one...fly safe, check six!

Family Visits One Last Time

Since Lilli was born and because we're leaving for Germany soon, most of my family has been able to make it down for a quick trip.  It's been great seeing everyone and look forward to hopefully having them visit Europe!

Short Trip to Hilton Head, SC

Two weeks ago we sold Lana's car and this past Friday we took our BMW to the Charleston port for shipment to Germany.  Thanks to our neighbors and friends from church for letting us borrow their cars!  Since we were already at the coast, we decided to make a short holiday out of it and spend a couple days in Hilton Head, SC.  It was our first trip as a family of four and an enjoyable time.

While there we rented bikes for a ride on the hard sandy beach, had great food, and enjoyed relaxing by the pool (until storms arrived).  This was our last trip in the USA for a few years while we're living in Germany.  We move to Germany in only two short weeks!

Selected For Major

Today I received word I was selected for the rank of Major.  Along with that, I was also selected to attend Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) in residence (some accomplish this online only).  Major is a little different in that I won't pin on the rank for another year or so.  The Air Force can only have so many Majors, so I have to wait until either enough retire or get promoted to Lt Colonel.  It was June of 2007 when I pinned on Captain rank while stationed at Aviano (click here).

As a Major, I'll continue to do my Weapons Officer job at Spangdahlem for the next three years.  After our assignment in Germany is when I would attend ACSC and then do a staff job (usuallt no flying) after.  It is also the point I could get out of the active duty Air Force and join the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserves either part or full time.  After I completed pilot training in January of 2005 I incurred a 10 year commitment to the active duty Air Force, which is up in 2015.  So, we'll see where God leads us in the future...more traveling and seeing the World in the meantime!

Germany Soon...

In a little less than a month we will be on our way to Spangdahlem, Gemany to start our next assignment, enjoying Lufthansa business class enroute (Lana is still on flight attendant maternity leave).  Before then, we have to drop a car at the Charleston, SC port, pack up our house, and receive Liam and Lillian's passports in the mail.  Thankfully, the extent of our packing is essentially organizing our things for the moving company to pack.  We have three different shippments starting the 3rd of April and our house should be empty by the 11th.  Thankfully we already have renters for our house, who move in on the 16th of April.

Lana and I are really looking forward to being in Europe again and look forward to the many travel opportunities.  Castles, the Alps, gasthof's, schnitzel and more await us!  Our first stop will be in Munich to visit Lana's family there.  I'm taking three weeks off so that we can relax a bit and spend some time in the German Alps before getting back into the work routine.  I think I mentioned this previously, but it is a blessing to be stationed at Spangdahlem.  I know of other F-16 pilots who have not been to Europe at all, and we'll have been at both European F-16 bases.

Once at Spangdahlem, we will be living on base until we're able to find a house off base we like.  So far Lana and I have a town we think we'd like to live in, but we'll have to see what it's like in person first.  We'll also be buying a second car...we just sold Lana's this past Sunday after advertising it on the internet for one day.  The Air Force will only ship one of our vehicles overseas.  Once we're somewhat settled, I'll start flying in the 480th Fighter Squadron and eventually take over as their Weapons Offcer sometime mid summer.  My job title will be "Chief of Weapons and Tactics."  While here at Shaw I've been instructing a lot, but have not been a squadron "patch" yet.  As the schedule stands right now, I have 3-4 flights left here at Shaw before we move...the time is passing fast!

Lillian Kate Ferguson

On February 24th at 1:11 AM, God blessed Lana and I with a healthy baby girl - Lillian Kate Ferguson!  Lana and I did not know the gender, so as with Liam it was a big surprise.  The delivery was very easy for Lana, and the experience enjoyable since she had the same doctor and same two nurses as she did with Liam.  One nurse came in during her time off and the other worked an 18 hour shift just to be there for the delivery.  Lana became good friends with them after her first delivery and wanted them there for the second.

We were able to leave the hospital a little early on Saturday evening and be home together now as a family of four.  Difficult to believe we have two children now...time flies!  Family will be visiting over the next couple of weeks and the military gives me two weeks off to help around the house and adjust to our new family member.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Crossing The USA, Christmas & New Years 2011

On December 12th Lana, Liam and I started our trip back from Weapons School at Nellis AFB, NV to Adrian, MI.  We took our time along the way, stopping in Boulder, CO for a day with friends and only drove 8 hours / day.  Liam did great while driving and overall kept himself entertained in the little space he had amongst all our luggage.  Thank God for a boy with a great and relaxed personality.  Lana did well too being 8 months pregnant and not being able to recline her seat.  The first half of the trip was more enjoyable than the second as we drove through the Rockies.  East of Denver it's just farm land.

We arrived in Adrian, MI at my parent's place on December 17th after about 2,200 miles and enjoyed the next week relaxing with family and decompressing from Weapons School. Lana, Liam and I have enjoyed more time together during my time off! As I wrote about in the last post, we had a chance to visit family in Canada and take Liam to my Dad's farm where he had his first tractor ride. He and I both enjoyed it since I miss the farm.

After a week in Adrian, we made our way to Mansfield, OH to my Grandmother's place for Christmas. Lot's of family around on my Mom's side with almost every square in of the floor taken by someone at night.

We're now wrapping up our time in Xenia, OH where most of my family lives now. Lots of relaxing, eating, lifting / running with my youngest brother Devin without the routine of work is coming to an end. Tomorrow morning we'll be driving back to South Carolina where I'll return to work on January 4th. Crazy it's already 2012...seems as though that's become my normal response to each New Year's Day. This coming April I'll have been in the Air Force 9 years, and time is literally flying! April also means we move to Germany, which will be done with an additional family member due February 19th. Lots of cool changes ahead as we anticipate returning to Europe!

Jets & Tractors

I have officially brainwashed our son Liam into only thinking about jets and tractors.  A few times a day he'll walk to the computer and say jet or tractor since he's hooked on youtube videos about each.  We had the chance earlier this week to take a short trip to Canada to see some of my family there and see my Dad's farm...Liam also had his first tractor ride.  I hadn't been to the farm since 2003.

Yesterday I took Liam to a John Deere dealership to check out more tractors.  He was so excited when we drove in and saw all the machinery.  He's growing fast and it's quite fun to "hang" out together doing these types of things.

Weapons School...Just Around The Corner

In a little over two weeks, I'll hit the road for the 2,225 mile long drive west to Nellis AFB in Las Vegas for my 6 months of Weapons School. All of the spin-up flights, time studying, and working on briefing guides has paid off and I feel ready for the task ahead. Of course, I'm anxious about the tough days to come, but I know God is in control and His plan is already laid out. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I konw the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."

The course will be tough, but not seeing Lana and Liam much during this time will be even more difficult. The course is so busy that I will have little time to spend with them, which is why they'll be spending most of their time in Munich, and visit me towards the end of my time out there.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this previously, but I know four of the 10 pilots in my class since we were stationed together during my tour at Aviano Air Base, Italy. This will help along the way as we work together as a class to make it through. I also don't anticipate updating the blog much during the course, so we'll see how that goes.

Until the next time...

Liam's 1 Year Old!

On May 25th, Liam turned 1...this past year flew by! God blessed us with such a great little boy who has a great personality and laughs all the time.

Lana and I are looking forward to another great year ahead!

New Back Patio

A few weeks ago, my parents and younger brother were in town for their Spring Break. It has almost become tradition to have my Dad and brothers help me with a project around the house when they're in town so I can get it done quicker...this time is was putting in a small stone patio in the back.

We started early on Saturday morning with a run to Lowes and the local landscaping store to pick up supplies and were soon on the ends of two shovels removing the sod and digging down to the depth we needed for the crushed stone. I underestimated the amount of stone we'd need, so it was back to the store for more supplies. By 6 pm, it was time to stop with the project 85% complete.

The following Monday while I was at work taking Devin on his F-16 flight, my Dad finished most of it and I gave the final touches after getting home from work. It turned out quite well and handles the water off the roof (no gutters in the south) much better than the grass did!

Large Formation Exercise

This past week we had a phase II exercise on base. A phase II is an exercise simulating we are in the middle of a war and the base is getting hit every now and then with chemical SCUD missiles and ground attacks. This means putting on chem masks and all...not too much fun. However, I flew 8 times in three days so that was good.

On Monday the exercise kicked off with a large formation exercise (LFE) and I was the mission commander (MSN CC). For those who've read the blog for awhile, I went through the MSN CC upgrade at TLP in Belgium back in '08 (click here for that post). This was also part of my WIC spin-up to dust of my MSN CC skills before July. The aircraft involved were:

4 x F-22s (Langley AFB)
4 x F-18s (Beaufort NAS)
2 x F-15Es (Seymour Johnson AFB)
28 x F-16s (Shaw AFB / McEntire ANGB)
3 x KC-135 tankers
1 x AWACS

The "war" took place off the east coast of North Carolina and went pretty well, considering it took the two days prior to plan it all. I was part of the air-to-ground strike package along with the F-18s and F-15Es, while the F-22s and some other F-16s provided air-to-air and SEAD coverage...F-16s also provided adversary support. In the months ahead at WIC there will be many LFEs of bigger scale, so this was a good warm up. Fly safe!

My Brother's F-16 Flight

My brother Devin got the chance of a lifetime to go for a flight in the F-16 on April 25th. He is in the Reserve Officer Trainin Corps (ROTC) at Cedarville University and came down to SC with my parents over Easter weekend. Originally I told him the changes were almost nill, but to my surprise it was relatively easy for him to get a flight as an ROTC cadet...he also wants to be a fighter pilot! With a few phone calls and paperwork signed by our Wing Commander, Devin was good to go!

Before the flight Devin saw the flight doc, had physiology and ejection seat training, and got fit up with his flight gear. April 25th couldn't have had better weather...it was as clear as the eye could see. The flight was a 3-ship with me leading, Devin in the backseat of my #2's jet, and another Lt getting a flight in #3's jet. I gave a briefing similar to those we normally give so that Devin could see the normal flow for a flight...there's a lot more than just showing up to fly.

By the time we finished the brief, my parents, Lana, and Liam were at the squadron so they could go out on the flight line to take pictures and watch the takeoff. I helped Devin get strapped in and then went to my jet. Soon we taxied and were ready for takeoff. The flight went as follows:

- Unrestricted takeoff to 10,000' ft (afterburnner takeoff, accelerating on the deck to 450 kts and pulling up in the vertical)
- Rejoin close for pictures
- 2 vs 1 dogfighting
- 2 vs 1 intercepts at 500' ft / 500 kts
- 3-ship loop
- Shoot the gun on the range

In there somewhere Devin got a little sick, but he didn't mind. He also got the chance to fly a little bit from the backseat. After landing he said, "Someday I'll be flying the F-35 and shooting down your F-16!" Simulated of course, but good on him...he's motivated and set his goals high. It was a great day and one we'll both remember in the year ahead!! Devin is in the backseat of the jet below.