The cliche is time flies when you're having fun. With that measure my life has been living in Disneyland. It is hard to think that a year ago I was still commuting between Nevada and Colorado. In fact this weekend marks the year anniversary of the big move. The move concluded on Memorial Day last year. This year we'll need to have a get-together on our ranch.

Well, today I received my first official "additional duty" as a WOJ. I am in charge of the Bravo Company fridge. This sounds trivial but is not. It is the most visible duty in the company. The pilots and crew take a well stocked fridge very seriously. If something is not there, it comes down on the fridge guy.

Our fridge has been run extremely well in the past few months so I have big shoes to fill. In fact, other companies shop at our fridge. We actually make money selling snacks and drinks out of the fridge. The turnover is so high that I am going to wind up shopping several times a week to keep it properly stocked. If I do well, I will get the respect of the entire Battalion. If I do badly . . .

I am looking forward to the next WOJ arriving sometime in June so I can pass this job on to him. Perhaps I will be flying by that time.

Other that the new job things are about the same. I am getting to know my co-workers and think we will get along fine. In fact, I am going to a promotion party tonight for three of them who just went from WO1 to CW2, leaving me as the only WO1 right now.

As usual, the only thing constant is change and uncertainty. I was sent home early on Tuesday evening to prepare for Air Assault School on Wednesday. On Tuesday night I got a call telling me I would not be attending school because I had not completed the necessary prerequisites. I knew that soldiers had to complete a 12 mile road march within a few months prior to school. I hadnt done that but it is usually is overlooked by command. Our commander, however, is new and wanted to play things by the book.

Since I am not going to Air Assault and not flying, I am doing odd jobs and taking care of administrative matters. I went and got all of my new digital pattern ACUs (army combat uniforms). The best part about these uniforms is that the boots are brown suede and do not get polished. I have helped in the maintainance shop with odd jobs also. The rest of my time is spent studying and convicing the other pilots to quiz me on subjects that I will need to know when I fly again.

There is a good chance I will fly in about two weeks. I hope so. It looks like my progression training will be conducted by a relatively new female Instructor Pilot. She seems like she will be a good teacher. She has already started helping me with my studying so the flying might progres a little bit faster.

I am attaching two photos of the new airfield. Each of the three companies has 10 aircraft. You might also see that we share the airfield with some Apaches. I am sure you will notice that there are no orange doors. These helicopters are the real deal. Note the horse head on the nose. That is my company symbol. We are "The Lancers".

Last Saturday Keystone Academy in Sandy Valley hosted a job fair for all in the Sandy Valley area. Employers including Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Primm Outlet Stores, Trail's End, the US Army and more were present with information about their workplaces. In addition to the employer related exhibits students from Keystone Academy put on demonstrations of stage fighting (in the photo above). Complimenting the old west acts like some precision bull-whip work, the Las Vegas Viper club brought out their beautiful collection of Vipers.