I finally arrived home on Wednesday, 29SEP2010 after spending a week in San Diego completing my "processing." I got a 5 minute physical and did 10 minutes of paperwork and had a 10 minute meeting with the personnel dept during that week. No one every accused the military of being efficient. I did get to have one last dinner with my friend Rob who is doing some training in San Diego. We went to his favorite Mexican restaurant in San Diego from 1989 when he was in training there! It was fabulous, and needed after 9 months of no Mexican food!
I also got to go see family on "liberty" over the weekend and attend a UofA football game. It was great seeing family and some friends from college.
I got the opportunity to put an entire airport terminal on lock down while they "re-checked me" after screening me the first time. I was wearing my uniform (see the pic above) and could not take my boots off without removing my pants because they were tied/bloused up under the cuffs. I offered to take off my pants and they just decided to "wand" me instead. After going through that process, getting a diet coke at McDonald's, and sitting down to read at the gate, I was approached by a couple of TSA workers. They told me they needed to bring me back through security as there was a problem. I walked with them back through the terminal and wondered why I didn't see anyone. As we rounded a corner, I found out why! Over 100 passengers were being held back by a dozen TSA agents. We walked through the crowd as it parted, and then I was escorted by a dozen agents. I went back to the security/x-ray station, and saw that they were holding everyone there, too! How embarrassing, as I had to go behind the screen, take off my pants and boots, and have them all re screen and me patted down again. Then they took down some information, and explained that a supervisor did not think I was screen properly the first time and a "breach" had been committed. I guess it made my last plane flight more exciting.
Oh well, in any case, I am home. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
LCDR Butler
