Cargo Lift Update -- Delay

The cargo lift arrival has been delayed and is now scheduled to arrive KANEOHE at 9:00 PM, Monday, June 1st. No information on the cause of the delay is currently available.

Airlift #2 Update -> Arrival Slid One Day to the Right

The arrival time for the second airlift has shifted one day to the right. The new estimated time of arrival is 8:15 AM on Sunday, May 31st.

This change was apparently caused by the contractor flying the airlift and could not have been foreseen. Check back often for any updates that come in.

Kaneohe Information for Meeting Airlift #2

The second Airlift will be arriving at Hangar 105 at MCB Hawaii. The two maps below show how to get from the main gate (H3) to Hangar 105 and where to park. There special event signs and VP4 personnel to assist in getting you on base and to the parking area starting one hour before the scheduled arrival time of 8:00 AM, Saturday, May 30th.

The Pacific Fleet Band will be on hand to help welcome our Sailors home, and there will be a shaded area, light refreshments and a keiki bouncy house to help keep everyone's spirits up before the plane arrives. Come early to ensure you get the best view of your hero landing.

Aloha airlift #1!

Airlift #1 touched down at Hickam AFB as predicted and the first round of Skinny Dragons made quick work of reconnecting with their families. There were new family additions and old friends in the waiting crowd, but mostly there was pride. Pride on behalf of the Skinny Dragons for having done a tough job well and pride on behalf of their loved ones for being part of the support network that buoyed their service and sacrifice. Thank you to all of you who have supported the Skinny Dragons through our deployement. Enjoy your reunions and making up for lost time.

VP-4 Duty Office Phone Number

It's been reported that using the automated menu to get the VP-4 Duty Office does not work. To get to the Duty Office, please dial 808-257-0612 x7087. That will do the trick.

Airlift #1: still waiting to find out where it will land

The big question on everyone's mind is where Airlift #1 will land. The prospect of landing at Kaneohe looks promising, but has not yet been confirmed. As soon as the decision is known to us, it will be updated here.

Tent Time!

Tent not exactly to scale.

At this time, most VP-4 personnel are in tents or on their way home. Why it may not be the most glamorous, it is a necessary stepping stone for us to be able to come home. Many of us braved the high heat today (somewhere in the 100s) and managed to move into our new dwellings. At least the bathrooms and showers are closer. Anyway, more to come about our final days in the desert.

Safety at Home

Even as we start our movement out of theater, we continue to think about making good decisions on duty and off. This edition of our safety newsletter is primarily focused on off-duty safety when we get home. Read through it for some hints and tricks to help you and your Skinny Dragon continue to make good, safe decisions during our homecoming and throughout our home cycle.

What we love about this deployment

During our time here, we have noticed that there are some perks on this deployment. Here are some take-aways of what we will miss the most:

1) The all-you-can-eat buffet:
Yes, although the food is not like a home-cooked meal, everyone has a favorite meal. Steak and lobster day, jambalaya, turkey wings, and Cornish hen are some of the favorites. You get to try different things that are unique to this area as well. For example, the Arabic food at the main dining facility is amazing. The Arabic-style chicken and the Thai-style rice are excellent. Not to mention all of the drink mixes, MRE pieces, and rip-its you can drink!

2) The Gym:
Everyone needs a little pt and with the gyms being so close, it's easy to stay in shape. Most of the gyms have an adequate selection of equipment. You just have to be smart enough to avoid the peak hours.

3) The Ur Market/PX Shops:
We all seemed to have a good share of down time out here. What better way to fill that time than with your favorite TV shows and Movies, especially ones that get leaked here before they ever see a U.S. theater. The shopping here offers discounted rugs, hookah, hard to find cigars, and every once in a while; camel rides.

4) The Ziggurat:
On the way to the HAS, it is a site to behold. It was built around 2100 BC as a temple for the Sumerian moon god and stands approximately 100 feet high, which is about 100 feet taller than anything else out here. Also, the area around the Ziggurat is believed to have been the house of Abraham. You can still see a dwelling with more than 25 rooms. Having the Ziggurat nearby gave us all a little more appreciation of this area's history.

5) The Sigonella Det:
Bonjourno! Whether we spent two weeks or two months out here, Sig was a great deal. We had the good fortune to be surrounded by a lot of spectacular wineries (Gambino, for example) and having authentic Italian restaurants nearby. There were many opportunities to go site seeing to Taormina, Siracusa, Palermo, and Catania. A lot of us were also able to visit Rome, including the Vatican. Sig also offered mini dets to Greece and Scotland. We all at least got a taste of what a P-3 deployment should be.

But most of all, we love the fact that it's almost over.

Hot off the Press: Airlift #1 Information!

As promised and eagerly anticipated, here is the latest information on the Skinny Dragon's first airlift to Oahu.  This airlift is currently scheduled to arrive Oahu on May 21st at 4:30 PM HST.  This flight could arrive at Hickam or Kaneohe, that has yet to be determined.  Below is a list of the projected passengers with the member's rank and first four letters of their last name.

LTJG ALBE	AWFC HOLC	PR3 RUTH
AWF2 ANDR	AT2 HOTA	AE2 SALM
LT BALL	AD3 HUFF	AWO1 SCAR
LT BEAT	PS3 HUGH	YN2 SEMO
LTJG BERG	AT3 HUNN	LT SHAN
AT1 BLAY	PS2 JACK	ADCS SHOR
LT BOGU	ADAN JOHN	AWO2 SHRA
AM3 BOLE	ATC JOHN	AWO3 SICK
AWO1 BROO	ATAN KELL	AO2 SILV
AM3 BRYA	AME3 KESS	SKC SIMP
SK1 BUMA	AWO2 KREG	AT2 SPAN
AWF1 CAST	AM3 KRON	AO2 SPEA
AMAN CHRI	AT3 KUSA	ATCS STAN
AM1 CLAI	AWO2 LACH	AWO2 STEE
AWF3 CLEM	ADC LEE	AME1 STEP
AWV2 CODY	AEAN LEMI	AZ3 STIP
SK3 CROF	AWV2 LOPE	AT3 STON
AD2 DAWS	AE2 LOVI	LCDR STRI
AZC DEAN	AE3 MAHA	AM3 SWAN
YNSN DUHO	AEAN MART	AWO3 TELL
AZ2 DULD	AWF2 MART	AD2 THEE
AD3 DUSA	AMC MIGU	AD3 TODD
LTJG ELLI	AWO1 MOOR	HM3 TURN
AWO2 ESTR	LT MORG	AT2 VALE
AWO2 EUBA	AM1 MOUS	AWO2 VAUG
AME2 FOWL	LTJG MULC	AOAN VICK
LT FRAN	AE2 MYRI	AE2 WALK
AM1 FROS	CDR NEWL	AT2 WALL
AWF1 FUQU	AWV3 NIES	LTJG WALR
ATC GARC	AT2 NYES	AWO2 WALT
PR1 GONZ	AD3 ORNE	AM2 WATR
ADAN GRAN	AWF1 OSTE	AD1 WATS
AME3 GREE	AO3 OTT	AWO1 WATS
AM2 GROV	AWO2 OWEN	AWO2 WILS
CS2 GUAR	IS2 PENA	AD3 WINI
AD2 HALL	AZ3 PHIL	LCDR WITH
AD3 HARR	AWF2 PITT	AEAN ZACH
AWCS HART	AWF1 RHOD
AM3 HERN	AE2 RUDO

Growing Pains and Going Nomadic

The addition of our relieving squadron is not without some pain. Buses will be packed, chow lines will be long, and there will be arm wrestling matches to determine who gets computer access. No matter how chaotic it gets, we are still glad they are here. The faster we get them settled into their living quarters and offices, the sooner we can start getting home.

With that being said, about half of VP-4 have moved into tents to facilitate VP-40's arrival. While not the most ideal living environment, it is yet another sign that we are almost out of here. Most of the personnel going on the first airlift are "camping" in tents at the moment. Luckily, most have already packed up their personal belongings to be sent home, so they've essentially turned into a nomadic horde. We're still awaiting word on the specifics of the first airlift.

Above is a picture of the whole team taken just a few days ago. A good looking crowd, wouldn't you say?

The Marlins are here! The Marlins are here!

Starting this morning and continuing throughout the day, the first group of Fighting Marlins from VP-40 arrived here in country.  They are a little travel weary, but after some chow and rest, they will be ready to start the turnover process.  It's really good to see them.

Squadron Return Information

As was recently advertised in the Family Careline email, this blog will be updated with the most current information regarding the squadron's return to Oahu. Please check back frequently for updated information.

To kick things off, here is the information we have now:

What we know:
There will be three personnel airlifts, one cargo lift and one P-3 bringing the squadron home from Italy and Iraq. Two of the personnel lifts and the cargo lift will leave from Iraq. The first passenger lift should arrive Oahu about May 23rd, and the second should arrive about May 30th. The cargo lift will have a few people on board and it should arrive Oahu about June 1st. The third personnel airlift and the P-3 will depart from Italy and should arrive on Oahu about June 4th and June 5th respectively.

What we do not yet know:
The final manifests for each flight are not yet complete. As they become final, they will be posted here by rank/rate and the first four letters of the member's last name. Also, the flight itineraries are not yet finalized. There is a chance that some or all of the flights with the exception of the P-3 will land at Hickam although we are pushing to have all of them arrive at Kaneohe. Again, once the details are finalized, they will be posted here.

Please keep in mind that this information is dynamic and much of it is beyond the direct control of the squadron. Checking back here frequently is the best way to get the most up-to-date information.

More to follow soon...

The Skinny Dragons are always focused on safely executing our mission both deployed and while at home. Our Safety Department produces an outstanding monthly newsletter named the Safety Skinny which has a lot of useful information. I thought some of our blog followers might like to see it. Enjoy!

Almost time to break out the cake!

It may not be time to crack open a bottle of champagne just yet, but our brothers from another island should be on their way to the desert by now. From here on out, it's going to get mighty hectic around here with people moving in, out, and around the base. At any rate, we are starting to get excited and you should be, too. Congrats to Mr. Mahaffey, he is the Warrior of the Week and the AEs were the shop of the Week. Also, the Sports Day yielded some breakout performances in the HAS Body Armor Race and the Long Drive Contest. Winners received a Special Liberty Chit. The Command Photo was also taken.

The Home Stretch!

Have no fear, the Skinny Dragons are still here! However, not for long. Our relief is coming soon. We are boasting a new Skipper and XO and kicking the old one out (as seen above) since the last posting and we have been working tirelessly, putting in the hours to piece together how exactly we are going to come home, while safely executing our normal missions. Today, we are having a Command Photo on the Flightline and copies will be available as soon as possible, after we get back. More posts to come, but until then, know that we are still thinking of you all. These next few weeks will go by fast.  Watch the video below to see Skipper Johansson's plane from Skipper Thomas' plane.