Tuesday, December 16, 2008

A Special Day for CAC-1

Today was truly a special day for Martin, as well as one the most historic days in our nation’s history.  Today , the 67th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, is truly a day that we in the military look at and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. However, even with that in mind, one of our own decided to stick around for awhile longer. Six days after the tenth anniversary of his enlistment, Martin was reenlisted by Patrick on top of the HAS (Hardened Aircraft Structure) while the rest of CAC-1 (Combat Aircrew 1) looked on proudly.  Martin reenlisted for six more years and is looking forward to his bright future in the Navy.   CAC-1 is excited for Martin and looking forward to flying with him for the remainder of deployment, as he is a vital member to the crew and the crew's success. Congratulations!

Well, that about says it all, folks.  A little bit of history from the past, and maybe CAC-1 just made a little history of its own by re-enlisting Martin out here in the desert.  Who knows, could we perhaps be seeing the next and newest AWVC? MCPON? Or, dare I say, LT! In any case, everyone, both here and at home, is very proud of all that you have done so far.  Until our next installment, thanks again for stopping by!

Posted by LT Zach Boguslawski, VP-4 Public Affairs Officer

Giving Thanks Has Never Been This Easy!

Thanksgiving is typically a holiday in which people give thanks for the little things in life: a tasty bird on the table, the super sales at all the local brand name stores, and maybe even the fact that the whole family could get together and share a few laughs around the dinner table. True, all of us here in VP-4 are thankful for many things, but one thing that may be the common denominator between all of us is the gratitude we feel towards all of you back home who support us and shower us with your praise, encouragement and, most importantly, your love.  For that, we would like to give you all a rousing “Thank You!”

Now, onto the “juicy” stuff.

Not long ago, country star Aaron Tippin performed for the men and women stationed here, and that included a few Skinny Dragons.  After he put on an absolutely fantastic show, Mr. Tippin retreated to our Memorial Hall to sign autographs and shake the hands of all of us here.  In fact, after the show, a few Skinny Dragons were privileged enough to be able to snap a picture or two with the “Hardest Working Man in Country Music” after getting his autograph.  Ok, so you don’t believe that celebrities take the time to glad-hand the soldiers and sailors of the military? Well, stay tuned, we'll get that to you once we get a chance and everyone sees everyone else! These day/night schedule changes are killing me!

Of course, how could we forget Thanksgiving dinner!  While some of us were “busy” on turkey day, and the rest of the country was dreading the impending bailout of the auto industry, our own version of the Big Three decided to lend a hand in serving the traditional meal of turkey, stuffing, vegetables and cranberry sauce.  Take a look at our leadership below as they dole out the good stuff at one of our Dining Facilities:



Not sure which one is the turkey? Neither are we, but we think the white paper hats associated with the galley workers should soon become a required uniform item!

That’s all for now everyone.  Things are still rolling along as we approach the one month mark, and as always, thank you to everyone for stopping by to check on the Skinny Dragons’ progress out here in the desert!

Posted by LT Zach Boguslawski, VP-4 Public Affairs Officer

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Gang's All Here!

Well, after months of anticipation, and several layovers around the world, all of the Skinny Dragons have officially arrived in country!  And, as we might have expected, we encountered some of the happiest people this side of Diamond Head: our sister squadron, the VP-9 Golden Eagles.  After several days of establishing the VP-4 presence in the desert, turning over with our counterparts in every department (especially those Operations guys), Patrol Squadron FOUR has taken over the detachment and is ready to continue operating at the benchmark levels we set for ourselves during our home cycle.

Anyways, now that the boring update is finished, let’s take a peek at some of the adventures we’ve had so far on this young deployment:

There was a former Skinny Dragon sighting!  While several members of VP-4 awaited transportation into Iraq, they were surprised to see Lauren, who is now is stationed in Bahrain working with MPRA assets from around the world, especially those involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Always a pleasure to see former VP-4 members leading the charge from the tip of the spear!  Here’s a quick picture of Lauren chatting outside the Dining Facility with some current Dragons:

Always nice to see familiar faces in unfamiliar places.  Great to see you Lauren, and best of luck!

Of course, how could we forget about our VP-9 brethren, or should that read “brothers”?  Handshakes, hugs, and words of encouragement were exchanged between several members of the Skinny Dragons and Golden Eagles, but nothing compared to the “family reunion” between two brothers attached to both VP-4 and VP-9.  Preston of VP-4 and David of VP-9/CMO were able to spend a little familial time together, and trade secrets about surviving a long deployment far away from the friendly confines of Hangar 104 at K-Bay.  Below is a picture of the two brothers, with David on the left and Preston on the right:

Well everyone, that’s about it for now.  Expect that the next blog will include more from our aircrews, as we officially have started executing the mission presented to us.  Many thanks again to everyone for every pat on the back, kind word, and thumbs up; we certainly can use them every once in awhile.  Thanks for stopping by!

Posted by LT Zach Boguslawski, VP-4 Public Affairs Officer

Friday, November 7, 2008

Aloha Kaneohe Bay, and Aloha...well, not K-Bay!

Well ladies and gentlemen, that time has officially come-

Starting in a VERY short time, our first set of Skinny Dragons will make their way to our deployment site, and needless to say, a mixed set of emotions is being felt throughout the entire squadron. Anxiety, fear of the unknown, excitement and nervousness are among the several feelings that each member of VP-4 has coursing through his or her veins. In our haste to get out the door, we did manage to clean ourselves up for a little "photo session":


Now THAT is what I call a good-looking set of aviators, aircrew and combat support personnel, if I may say so (and I hope everyone will agree)! This picture was taken prior to our last Safety Stand-down, where the squadron was able to gather one last time and discuss pertinent information and other topics relevant to the next 6 months of our lives. Afterwards, the VP-4 Officers Spouses Club provided a free lunch of tacos and soft drinks to the entire squadron, so a hearty "thank you" goes out to the entire OSC for the delicious meal and the well wishes prior to our leaving.
In short, as the title says, we soon will bid Aloha to our fair duty station here on Oahu, and will bid a cheery (ok, maybe not THAT cheery) Aloha to a different version of the sand we so love here on the island. Good luck Skinny Dragons and we'll see you at the "tip of the spear!"

Posted by LT Zach Boguslawski, VP-4 Public Affairs Officer

Monday, October 20, 2008

Let's get this started, shall we?

Friends and family of the Skinny Dragons-

Welcome to the newest way for us to communicate to everyone back at home!  We will be posting new information here on the website at least two times every week. Each post will contain something new (and possibly exciting) from all areas of our squadron. Life in Iraq, events we participate in, flights we have flown, and anything that we generally find noteworthy will appear here in bright colors and vivid print. Ok, so it's still just an electronic journal documenting our lives for all to see, but it's better than nothing. If you have any improvements you'd like to see to the site, general comments or questions, please feel free to email the Public Affairs Officer, LT Zach Boguslawski at the email address to the right side of the screen. Thanks again everyone, we are still gearing up and standing by for the word to move out.

Posted by LT Zachary Boguslawski, VP-4 Public Affairs Officer