Friday was all about James. Around lunch time, some friends and I went out to the squadron to welcome him back from his final ("fini") flight in true Samurai style. Then, later that evening, we all returned to the squadron for our First Friday potluck dinner and farewell for James. After so many chapel farewells, it was nice showering James with some love and attention for all he's done here in Misawa.
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| taxiing back from his final flight |
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| Me with the ladies who came out to support my hubby. It was pretty cold out there |
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| the guys couldn't wait for him to climb down so they could tackle him |
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| He made an unexpected escape attempt underneath the jet |
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| He almost got away but he stumbled |
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| Samurai pile!! They taped him up and threw him in the snow before "showering" him with wet well wishes |
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| They may have taped him up, but they also cut him out afterward. He was just a little cold |
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| "Congrats, man!" |
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| final photos in front of an F-16 with a yellow tail. WOOD! |
James' farewell at the squadron that night was really nice. The commander had nothing but praise for all the work James did to help prepare them for the deployment this fall. His peers complimented him on his exceptional understanding of/briefings on the mission they fly. Many of them thanked him for sharing the briefing materials he worked so hard to compile and credit him for their success as they've worked their way through flying upgrades. One friend said that he accociates the word "excellence" with the Wentzels because, in his estimation, we are always committed to giving 100% in all we do. High praise! I'm so proud of James!
After they had said their piece, James got up there and delivered a great farewell speech. He worked his way down the chain of command, addressing specific people he wanted to thank and sharing stories, starting with God and his wife, then wing and squadron leadership, his peers and the new guys. This has truly been a fantastic assignment, we've loved our squadron, and will be sad to leave.
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| James adding his nametag to the wall of former bro's in the bar |
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| James hanging out with the Samurai one last time |
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| his farewell gift from the squadron - a Samurai tail flash for the wall with his name on it |
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| Commander thanking James for being awesome |
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| James' farewell speech. We were disappointed he didn't add a little Walken voice in there... |
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| One final toast!! "SAMURAIIIIIIIIIII WOOD!" |
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