Posted by Sergeant Phrogman on 4/15/2006, 21:49:59 Our squadron has won another major award and in addition we are now the squadron with the most flight hours without a major mishap (over 75,000 hours or 37 years) in the entire Corps and they tell us the Navy is confirming they cannot beat the number either. We flew more hours in our deployments than any other squadron in any service in Iraq. I averaged 14 hour shifts and only received on average one day off every 6 weeks during both deployments. That's not a complaint, just a point of reference for poolees. Many have it even harder than I did. We had a dozen birds that averaged 40 years in service. Most of our pilots were also deployed in Desert Storm. My MOS finally opened up after over two years of waiting and I picked up Sergeant on 1 April 2006. In addition I picked up Collateral Duty Inspector earlier. It is hard to tell you how happy I am to be home and not have to worry about another deployment this fall. In July I will finally be discharged back to the reserves then shortly thereafter I will leave the Corps over 6 months later than my contract calls for. After more than 6.5 years in, over three of which were on active duty I will let others take my place in the Corps. I will go to Fleet Week in NYC however before I pack it in. There is no doubt I will miss my Marines (and sailors), friends whom I have come to know and respect. Until you "see the elephant" it is impossible to explain the bonds that develop in that environment. Thank you to all of the Marines who have helped here on the Board and most of all those Marines who have served in Afganland or Iraq. The landscape there is changing in some interesting ways. At least one very large base in Iraq looks to designated a Permanent Duty Station in the not too distant future. For those who have been through Camp Liberty in Kuwait I can report that it will cease to exist as of next week. We were the final group to be processed through. That is really good news if you understand what Camp Liberty was created for. I have been recruited by private contractors to return to the base I worked at for one year to do exactly the same work for an insane amount of money. Right now I really just want to go back to college and pick up where I left off two years ago. Please remember all of the real heroes who have given their lives and futures in this conflict. Heard that two more grunts were KIA yesterday up on the Rat Line. God Bless them and their families. Whatever you think of the politics of this conflict, please don't let military members and their families suffer for any real or perceived errors made by politicians. For all of you poolees and OC's, good luck to you. You are needed more than ever, but you are also going to face more challenges than the Corps has faced in 30 years. If anyone has any questions about anything I will so my best to answer them whenever I am sober. I plan to catch up on a lot of beer and rum rations I missed out on for two years, not to mention all of the free drinks friends and others have offered (not on duty of course.) Please forgive my bluntness, but Marines will hopefully understand. I am not perfect and not a perfect Marine but I discovered very quickly in the sandbox I have the leadership skills I was always afraid of exercising and I have been at peace leading and caring for my Marines. Thank you to Gunny R and my command for always encouraging me and having patience with me while I matured.
Administrator phrog
I arrived back in CONUS yesterday to an incredible welcome and homecoming party. After two deployments to Iraq (Al Anbar Province) my work there as a Marine is complete. We came home with a very small group of soldiers who had just finished a one year deployment. I am now on leave (and already hung over.) Ireland was great (for the few hours we were there.) 
Semper Fidelis
Sergeant Phrogman
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