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Change is in the air
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 03:44PM 
I've been inspired by longtime blogging buddy Irene, who has two fine sons, to brag blog once more about my darling only boy.
Dear Irene (as I always call her) has more pure creative ability in her left earlobe than I have in my entire body, soul, and spirit.
She is a voracious reader but also a writer, and a true artist. Her sons are writers too and she is justifiably proud of them both.
Boys are very different from girls when it comes to child rearing.
Our three girls were a breeze to guide along into adulthood. The number of "scenes" we had among all three can be totted up on the fingers of one hand, leaving a hand free to pat their pretty heads.
And none of the five "scenes" involved Erica. She was a near-perfect child.
She was so good and so special, Stephanie once took her to school for Show and Tell.
I don't understand why Erica's such a curmudgeon now.
Audrey? Well, let's just say she's my clone.
Like for example:
Enough said.
Andrew? A trifle more complicated.
I don't think anyone ever truly understands anyone else but I understand my boy kid less than I get my girl kids.
All I know is, although occasionally capable of playing the knucklehead, he is a man of integrity and energy and action. Handsome, too.
And like my daughters, whom I love unconditionally, I love him, and he loves me.
So naturally we were very proud of Andrew when, six years ago come April, he joined the Tennessee Air National Guard ahead of going to college.
Now he's done with college and the six-year commitment is nearly up, but the Tennessee Air National Guard has presented him with an opportunity that he decided to take.
It will involve re-enlisting for six more years and changing both his unit and his MOS (Military Occupational Specialty).
From the beginning he trained for a Space Ops job, and has been attached to the 119th Command and Control Squadron (119 CACS) at McGhee Tyson Air Base in Knoxville.
When he re-ups he'll be going up for real, like in airplanes.
It is, after all, the Air Force. They get teased, called the Chair Force, because a lot of the jobs do not involve flying but rather sitting behind a desk.
Never mind that while sitting behind a desk, painstakingly-trained airmen accomplish thousands of sensitive missions crucial to our national security.
Be that as it may, Andrew's new unit will be the 151st Air Refueling Squadron, an arm of the 134th Air Refueling Wing at McGhee Tyson AFB.
He will go to school for several months and be trained as a boom operator.
That means eventually he will take his place in the belly of a KC-135R Stratotanker, flying around the world wherever fighter jets and other aircraft require in-flight refueling.
He'll be the one maneuvering the boom so that fuel can be transferred from the tanker to the thirsty jet.
He sent me some videos and yes, I nearly fainted. But I recovered.
Watch another one. This is so cool:
The fighter planes are like bees to blossoms. My boy will be doling out the nectar.
I salute all of the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. I wish Andrew every success and above all (pun wholly intended), safety in each endeavor.
It's a privilege to be his mom and I think the Air Force is lucky to have him.
God bless America.
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Happy Wednesday!
Reader Comments (5)
Hooray for Andrew and God Speed on this endeavor. I'm already praying for him and for you. Which I always do anyway, but this is different. He will be the best little bee doling out the nectar. But those videos made my stomach roll. I don't care for heights. Kudos to the raising of your children, boy and girls, they are wonderful, beautiful inside and out people. You done good gir!!!!!!........G.
You are rightfully proud! You've done a wonderful job of raising up some fine American citizens, the kind who give me hope for the next generation!
Kudos to Andrew - that's quite an accomplishment.
PS - loved that clone shot!
Would it be unusually perceptive of me to say that little Andrew looks uncannily like the other little Andrew? And I think it's hilarious that you have a photo to prove the show-and-tell story! Adn I can't imagine the precision and skill that it takes to refuel jets in the air. Sometimes it's better not to know, eh?
Your Andrew is a good man.
You do some mighty fine work, Miz Jenny. Such a handsome and gentle soul. Congratulations on his latest achievement!
SUCH a handsome and Brave young man!! I Thank him for his Service!!!
hughugs