Share a review of pilot retirement celebrations. After just 22 years in the Air Force, it’s over!
I have started this position sometimes and I have so much to say, so I ended up splitting it into two positions: a review of the pilot’s stunning military career and everything we did to celebrate + my thoughts and experience with military life .
This is a day that we are excited for a while, and we are so grateful that so many friends and family have been able to celebrate with us.
A photo of so many people we love that they came to celebrate with us:
The pilot retired a few weeks ago and we had a whole weekend to celebrate this important milestone. The family started flying on Wednesday afternoon and night, so we just caught the drinks and the zinburger here at home. Thursday, we had a family -run pickleball party at Corbett’s with tons of apps and a friendly pickleball competition. We returned here for dinner and Friday was the big day.
It had the standard “Fini Flight”, which is your final flight to fate. He drove a four -legged of some of his closest friends around Tucson, he took the gun sometimes and we were able to head to the flight to watch him. Everyone was shouting as they threw over the head, he was quite emotional.
Traveled to park the jet for the last time and ran to everyone, Top weapon style.
One of the closest crew friends came from Vegas for the day to be the head of his crew one last time.
We sprayed him with water and champagne,
took a million photos
(I love these ladies so much)
(The best friends of the pilot since he was 7 years old)
and then headed in for the official ceremony.
I was not sure that they would consolidate his incredible career at a short ceremony, but they did an incredible job. The short version: It had 3,400 hours on the A-10, four developments, 7 1/2 years of teaching at the A-10 school, a bronze star and multiple medals. He was a trainer pilot, evaluator (he can give other pilots control rides), fight the search and rescue and air controller forward.
Even with all his achievements on paper, I really got to see the backs of what he has done as a fate commander in the last three years. He was constantly on the check -in phone and problem classification, on his computer all the time of the night, and he really cared about everyone in fate. He helped others through serious illnesses and enormous changes in life, helped those who go to find new opportunities and employment, wrote awards, helped retirement and transitions, and provided constant support to the fate. He did all this while working hard to try to balance everything with family life.
It was an honor to be by his side and I am proud of his achievements and his leadership.
After the ceremony, it was the time of the party! We went to the bar of fate where we had a power supply from Hawaii Bros (an ode to the roots of the 47th Squad
(He had all the patches for every fate that was part of it)
And they did a few more awards in.
Everyone went home to relax and concentrate, and then we had an open home in Three Canyon, a local beer garden with live music. I thought that their friends and family would go out and say hello and leave when they would like (especially after we were on the base for most of the day), but all our friends appeared and closed the restuarant with us. It was epic.
The next day I was planning some optional facts for friends and family in the city: a hike in Canyon Sabino,
Play of P’s basketball
and dinner at El Charro.
For our 25 team, El Charro really went beyond and beyond. We closed the reservation for a few months in advance and had us in the back room with a menu.
Children’s table:
They all received salads, guakamoli, salsa, chips and green cheese sting, and then had the option of Enchiladas, Tacos or Tamales. We made pitchers for the tables and everything was extremely easy, so fresh and so good. It was the perfect way to cover the weekend!
I had some questions about what the pilot is going to do now that he retired from the Air Force. It takes the next two months away, and then returns to the world of commercial airlines. For the time being, he enjoys a little worthy X-Box Time with his friends, extra naps, and just gets it easy. After so many years of such a high lifestyle, I am so happy to have the opportunity to relax a bit.
Xoxo
Tiger
*All FINI Flight and Ceremony photos are from amazing Kristi Harris
