Passing Time

Officer and enlisted alike, when we're not flying we've got to do something to pass the time. Tonight as I walked back from dinner I saw that the Skipper had joined LT Wyman and Petty Officer's Canady and Cortopassi to relax and brush up on some guitar playing skills. The guitar is a popular way to relax out here. I've seen as many as 10 or more people outside playing together, comparing what they know and helping to teach some of the people that are just learning. It works out well for me, I end up with live music right outside my door most afternoons.

LTJG Brad Roberts
Assistant Public Affairs, VP-4

Just Add Water

In case you haven't heard we really don't like it when it rains out here. To explain why, I first have to tell you about the sand. The kind of sand you usually see in the movies is made up of giant grains of sand, kind of like sugar. If you picked up a handful of it you could let it slip through your fingers and fall to the ground with maybe a few grains still on your hand. The sand out here is much finer and more like flour. If you do anything with flour it is generally everywhere in no time. Just like the sand out here. So back to the rain. When it rains the water mixes with the powder like sand and before you know it we've got mud that is the consistency of cookie dough but when it dries it's practically cement. I spent a while stomping around and kicking cement barriers trying to get the mud off of my boots and I'll leave you with a picture of how successful I was.

Posted by LTJG Brad Roberts - Assistant PAO

Over the Hump is Coming...........

Thanks for all who have sent us supplies in preparation for the Over The Hump Party. The Pinewood Derby Cars, T-shirts, etc. Keep the fun stuff coming. The OTH Party is tentatively scheduled for March 7, 2009, so there is still time to send us any supplies that will aid in the good times that we will have. We will have activities such as volleyball, horseshoes, and basketball. There will also be a Skinny Dragon playing the role of DJ, some funny videos, and lots of food. An Over The Hump Video for the folks back home has been completed and should be available for your viewing pleasure soon. If you would like your own copy please let me, LTJG Wyatt Beyer, know at your earliest convenience. They will cost around $5 each + shipping and will be available on mini-dvd (should play in most dvd players and computers). Please email me at WyattBeyer@gmail.com if you are interested after viewing the video.

Congratulations

Congratulations goes out to AWO2 Walters on her re-enlistment ceremony today. Shake and Bake!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

From all of us here in Iraq to all of our families, friends, loved ones and adoring fans, we here at Patrol Squadron Four want to wish everyone back home a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!  Things out here have been a bit busy, but overall, the Skinny Dragons are making their names known throughout the entire base!  And not only here, but in Italy as well.  That's right, we also are operating out of Italy, holding down the fort in the Mediterranean part of the world, and establishing our "Skinny Dragon" reputation in yet another sector of the globe.  As a matter of fact, in some of their limited spare time, some of our Sailors and aircrew got a chance to see the culture of Italy.  Here's a quick excerpt from CAC-10 and their (mis)adventures in the land of spaghetti, the Sopranos and gondolas:

CAC-10, along with the supporting Admin staff, took an MWR trip to Taormina.  Besides walking the cobble-stone streets of this historic city and enjoying the abundance of Christmas lights and decorations, these Skinny Dragons toured the ruins of the Greek Theater, sampled the locally produced almond wine, and took advantage of the delicious food this seaside town has to offer.

 

Originally founded by the Greeks in the 9th century B.C., Taorimina continues to occupy an important role in modern Italian history.   Perched approximately 300 meters over the Ionian Sea, the town is a regional tourist hub, attracting visitors from throughout Europe during the summer and serving as host to one of Europe's most important annual film festivals.

Looking great everyone, hope you enjoyed Italy as much as we all here enjoy having you back for the holidays.  We here in Iraq enjoyed our Christmas holiday as well.  So much so, that we got a quick picture of two of our favorite leaders enjoying one of Santa Claus' many gifts to the command...too bad they wouldn't let anyone else play!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year again everyone!  Thanks for stopping by, and keep those timers running, we're making our way towards being "over-the hump!"  

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

A Special Day for CAC-1

Welcome back!  It's been just over a month since we all graced this fine piece of land and started operating at full speed.  In that time, all of our crews have experienced many different things.  For our first entry in our multi-parted series of crew entires, CAC-1 tells us about one special day for their In-Flight Technician:

Today was truly a special day for Martin, as well as one the most historic days in our nation’s history.  Today , the 67^th 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