A fond farewell

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Kristina McManus
  • 932nd Medical Group
Scott AFB, Ill. --  It's Friday night before the
October UTA, and I've
come to the realization that this
is my last pre-UTA Friday. 

I just attended the pre-UTA wing staff meeting
where I said farewell to our great wing
leaders. I've been a member of the Air
Force for nearly 35 years now: 10 years
active duty, two years Air National
Guard, and over 22 years in the Air Force
Reserve. It's time to go; my high year
of tenure has been extended once already,
and I need to make room for others.
It's part of the Air Force Reserve
cycle of life. 

I'm now staring at my computer
screen with tears starting to blur my vision
and with a burning sensation in my
throat. 

This is an awful feeling. I knew
this day was coming and that it would
be hard to say good-bye to all of you,
but I didn't know it would be this difficult
or this sad. This is odd, but I feel a
little lost right now! 

A previous wing commander of
ours once told me that we stay in the AF
Reserve as long as we do because "we
absolutely love it." Over the years, I've
often reflected on that statement. I've
had the privilege of seeing physicians,
nurses, medical technicians, and various
other professional and paraprofessional
personnel join the medical community
of the AF Reserve. 

I have witnessed their enthusiasm, their commitment,
and their loyalty. I've asked
myself who in their right mind would
voluntarily give up one to two weekends
per month (or more) and endless
evenings away from their family?
Who would voluntarily work to
stay mission ready at all times for possible
contingency deployments or mobilizations? 

Who would voluntarily go on countless TDYs; exercise until
they drop; put up tents until they could
do it in their sleep; don and doff their
gas mask time after time; drag their
deployment and personal bags all over
the place; stand in multiple deployment
lines; keep a personal bag packed in the
closet all the time; write and edit endless
OPRs, EPRs, awards/decorations,
and other paperwork; or take course after
course of on-line classes and various levels
of PME? 

Who would do all that voluntarily?
You all know exactly who would do all of those things...
you would and I would, that's who. 

Why would we submit ourselves to all of this voluntarily? 

Because.....we "absolutely love it", that's why. We love it, and we love
the people around us...they are our second
family...they are the ones with whom
we'd go to war. Admit it, you love it or
you wouldn't be here. Just as I've always
loved it. 

I feel blessed to be part of this remarkable
wing, and I leave here knowing
you are in good hands with your current
leaders. Continue to work hard, but
have fun, as well; teach those around
you what you know; take good care of
our young airmen...they are our future;
constantly look for ways to improve what
you do; always do the right thing; have a
bigger vision; be thankful you are free;
pray for our deployed personnel......and
absolutely love what you do. 

Thank you to my leaders for your
guidance and wisdom. Thank you to my
fellow chiefs; you're truly awesome.
Thank you to all the medical personnel;
it's been my honor and pleasure serving
with you. Thank you to my 932d Airlift
Wing second family; you'll remain in my
mind's eye as some of the best and fondest
of my memories. 

I'm looking forward to spending
more time with my husband, Tom, and
to having more visits with our son TJ and
our precious daughter-in-law,
Mary; and our son Geoffrey. 

I'm remaining in Federal civil
service, and will be working
for the Department of Veterans
Affairs at the John
Cochran Medical Center...if
you're in that neighborhood,
stop in and say hello. 

Blessings to you , farewell
to all, and God bless America.