Chinook Crash 28 June 2005

Well by now just about everyone has heard about the crash. As far as I know so far all 17 aboard did not survive.

Does this make me afraid to fly? No, I still have faith in my crew members and the person who will be on the controls with me.

Does this make me afraid to deploy? Still the answer is no.

Though you cannot always believe in the "Big Sky, Little Bullet" theory, I still think that it is safe. Just take a second to think about how many people die on the U.S. roads each day. I would wager to say that there are, on average, more deaths (other than natural) in the U.S. than there are with the deployed soldiers.

Now I know that there are some out there that will bring to point that there is nothing in the U.S. that a normal citizen would go through like that of an infantry soldier fighting on the front lines (unless you are in Fort Bragg, NC and down on the "Merc" around midnight, just kidding) . But not all jobs within the military are infantry type jobs. There are many jobs in the Army that the soldier may never fire a bullet unless they are on a firing range.

So, what do I think about the crash? I don't like it. I feel sorry for anyone who dies in combat, especially when it is someone who I share a similar job with. But it will not deter me from doing my job. Never in my career has anyone twisted my arm to join or re-enlist (other than my wife). I volunteered to join the military and even got to pick my job. I love what I do and couldn't ask for anything better except to win the lottery and become an even bigger couch potato.

Well enough of my blabbing, you will see more of this type of writing once I am in the dust.