Graduation Week

The 52 week wait it up! Chad finished pilot training and received his wings yesterday! We had a very eventful weekend.

My parents showed up early on Thursday and we went and ate at one of the local Mexican food restaurants...Union Cafe! Then we went back waited for Chad's parents and got ready to go to the Retreat Ceremony. This was the first of the many ceremonys that weekend. The Retreat is where they stand and salute the flag as they lower it for 5:00 and they have a flyover of the T-6,T-38, and T-1.
After the Retreat Ceremony was over we went to the Officer's Club for Border Buttermilk where they presented awards to the class and the instructor pilots. That night, being that is was Valentine's Day, we had a triple date to one of the only nice restaurants in town, the Herald.

The next day started off with a graduation breakfast in one of the flightrooms followed by the wings ceremony. After he received his wings from the brand new Wing Commander everyone went outside by the planes for the "pinning" ceremony. It was very informal. I pinned on his wings for the first time and we took many pictures with family by the planes.

Another tradition in the Air Force is to break your first pair of wings in half. In which one stays with you and the other half goes to a loved one and they should never come together again until your death.

After the pinning ceremony we went back home and made some burgers and got ready to go to the simulator where we would learn how to become a pilot in a short 20 sessions led by Chad. He attempted to show all of us how to fly the T-1. It was a lot of fun.

Later that night we went to the semi-formal dinner. We had a choice of stuffed chicken, prime rib, and manocotti. This dinner was very nice. There they presented some more awards and showed a few slideshows. One of the awards presented was for the wives, "For our fine talents of procedural knowledge, bold face quizzes, and patiently endured long hours of waiting..."The Lady Who Stands Beside the Silver Wings", this was what part of our award said, we received our own pair of wings (on a necklace) and our Honorary Pilot Certificate. It was very sweet. After dinner we enjoyed a few bottles of wings that the Val Verde Winery made with Chad's class' logo on the label. Again, I was able to listen to stories of the "new" adventures they would partake in....the C-17. Pilot jargon never ends...

After all the excitement from the weekend I think I need a nap! :)