.... As far as the comment I made.. You specifically stated that these flights were "NO MISSIONS, JUST SCREWING AROUND". I know that you have orders to fly the airplane and it is over your head, so I am not accusing you personally of wasting or unethical spending/flying....Still trying to figure out how being an artist in "american BBQ" is protecting me from the "evil doers"????
Av8tor, the flights you're objecting to because Semore made them sound frivolous are actually
training missions. (My husband flew the F16 for 15 yrs so I do know what I'm talking about). Flying skills erode when pilots spend too much time on the ground. Military pilots risk their lives in combat zones so the least we can do as taxpayers is to send them well prepared/trained. Surely you wouldn't have complained had Semore accurately described those flights as training missions? As to his choice of meal when he landed--so what?! He had to eat and every bite was well deserved.
When we were stationed in Germany my husband had lots of good meals after training sorties--all over Europe. When he was flying in Iraq every flight hour paid off and his "jaunts" (comparatively speaking) around Europe were more than balanced out by living in the desert in a combat zone--just as Semore had been doing until recently.
In fact, that explains how our resident artist in American BBQ is protecting you from the evil doers. Semore has been there done that already and he's working with pilots that are headed to the desert for their rotation. After the stress of war, I'm sure that
regular training flights do feel like "no mission, just screwing around" to a pilot used to flying in combat zones. Having personally observed lots of military pilots talking with their hands at squadron dinners, I bet Semore passes on some damn good advice over the BBQ.
Semore is one of the NJ pilots that I corresponded with during his deployments. I saved excerpts from one of our exchanges because it was a somber snapshot of life for our NJ pilots serving in the war. I'm sharing it now as a tribute to our military and a look at the serious side of Semore. He wrote to me:
"
I'm sure people are getting sick of me always talking about the "wars" like I'm John Wayne or something. ..It's called a "Fallen Comrade Ceremony". There are way too many of them. ....it is difficult to watch a coffin that you know has a dead female soldier in it....never take freedom for granted.... Nobody comes here thinking they will die...Hoist one for me....
After reading that I was praying he made it back to the States in one piece. And my response was:
For the record, Semore,
Your letters from the front are read with pride--
They bring a lump to our throats for those who died.
A medic, dead female, another Fallen Comrade--
It is a loss, a terrible shame, and so very, very, sad.
John Wayne? Hardly! He's only a hero on TV--
You're a real soldier, showing us Freedom isn't free!
