Change of Command

Today was our squadron's change of command. That's where the commanding officer is getting transfered so he hands control of the squadron over to the new CO. I've attended three of these during my time in the Navy (I'm sure I'll attend many more) and they have varied from extremely long-winded and boring (VT-6, thanks to one particular speaker) to extremely short (HT-8). This one was actually pretty short and to the point.

There was one key difference between this one and any other I've seen. Usually the change of command is a good reason for everybody to put on their best dress uniform and generally be very uncomfortable for several hours, albeit while looking quite sharp -- unless you're in the Air Force since their dress uniforms look like they were designed by some 70's lounge singer, but I digress. Anyway, since we're in a combat zone, nobody has any dress uniforms. The uniform of the day was our Desert Camoflauge. Except for the alert flight crews (which I happen to be today). Our uniform was flight suits. This is also perhaps the only change of command that I'll ever go to while carrying my 9mm pistol (alert crews generally have our weapons on us just because it's one less thing that we have to grab on the way out to the helicopter if we get called out). Like I said before, the change of command was short and therefore good. We also had cake afterwards which is always an added bonus.

As I said, I'm on the alert again today (2nd up) so maybe I'll get my first medevac today. The only one the squadron has gotten in the last several days was one that came up at about 0200 this morning (nothing serious). I'd rather not have one of those. We'd probably be about 20 miles away before I even woke up.