Planning to write a book soon.

Its all in good faith.....

Back in DRC again

Hi Folks
The Architect of this blog is back in DRC again. Hope to keep you posted about the happenings once in a while

Bac on Air

Been missing for a long time. Am back on the web. will recommence posting
Doc

At the Controls, Cleared for Takeoff and Wheels Up: A Typical Sortie in an AH in DRC

In my previous post I wrote about the life of a Co-Pilot. Here is the latest on how a typical sortie is from a Captian's perspective.

0600 hrs and still hustle bustle…….

On the million map Goma is a small magenta dot you can cover with a single Rajma or Soya bean. To the left is a broad splash of Blue that represents Lake Kivu and to its right (with the map oriented to the north if you please) is a blue rectangle which signifies Goma Air Field.

After the morning met briefing, I'm driving out of the IAC Camp to the Air field at early hrs on a Saturday morning for a fire support mission to troops carrying out Cordon and Search operations (CASO) at Walikale. It's a perfect day for flying: light breeze, cool, stable air. My AH the MI-25 -- a three crew, winged helicopter -- sits in the parking area. The MI-25 is great for its ruggedness and the punishment it can take, as an armored helicopter, is tremendous. To top it all the militia are genuinely scared of this machine.

At 0630 hrs (UTC), the UN dispersal is already abuzz with activity -- what with five different types of helicopters operating form one tight dispersal. The hustle bustle of the dispersal is compounded by the MOVCON (Movement Control) vehicles conveying passengers and load to the MI-26 and the Civil MI-8 parked in two different corners of the dispersal. There is a faded sign of Goma International Air Port reminding one of Goma’s lost glory.

Pilots talk with their hands. They can't help it...

As I approach the dispersal I notice two MI-17 pilots going towards their helicopter. Pilots have this tendency to talk with their hands. They can't help it. I see these two going to the Aircraft talking about the sortie profile which to an untrained eye would appear as some kind of a combination of salsa and samba.

Ask about a particular maneuver -- and a hand shoots out at eye-level, banking and turning like an aircraft to show the effects of particular maneuver. Ask a pilot about his/her chopper and you've got some good stories. Ask about the weather and you've got a conversation.

In the meanwhile, my engineering officer calls to tell me that the last night’s rain has lead to shorting of some component in the electrical system during the morning inspection and the aircraft has to be changed. I tell myself that this couldn’t happen to me – I now have to send my co-pilot to the ALO(coordinating officer who coordinates the flying), Air Ops (a UN component which tracks all UN air traffic) and ATC (Air Traffic Control) to change the aircraft number and fill up the forms again. Many times as a pilot, a planned sortie goes haywire due to unserviceability, a trip gets cancelled due to lousy weather and once in a while a technical snag does tend to keep you down.

Being an attack helicopter pilot is largely about guts and glory. These “SMALL” frustrations don’t discourage you from moving ahead and you need to be a little obsessed with the idea to keep going. And it’s true that AH pilots are a little obsessed. To get to where we are today, we’ve gone through the grind what with all the tests, medicals and checks at regular intervals.

Anyway, My co-pilot expedites the paperwork and we are soon ready to start the engines. Obtaining startup takes some time because the change of tail number has not reached the Air Traffic Controller and with a lot of difficulty I explain in my broken French that we have filed a fresh flight plan. I hate to criticize someone but I would like to speak a little on the role of the various ATCs in DRC. Far from being a tool for maintaining smooth traffic flow, the controllers here are clueless to say the least, their prime concern being to maintain their own flight logs of aircraft movements. So the responsibility for listening out on R/T and maintaining the necessary separation would lie entirely with the pilots. To add to the confusion, expect a lot of R/T natter in French/Russian/swahili/Lingala and other languages. A rudimentary knowledge of French would be helpful. The Air Ops however, is a little more helpful and we soon are ready to start.

In my car, I use… maybe two or three gauges while driving. In a MI-25 there are more than a forty....

I get into the cockpit and strap the helicopter onto my back and commence my preflight checks. In the meanwhile, my Flight Engineer checks the serviceability of all instrument readings off the gauges in the cockpit and checks the position of the switches. In my car, I use maybe two or three gauges while driving. In a MI-25 there are more than forty. The main set—a six-pack of gauges just below eye level—are the important ones: the altimeter, airspeed indicator, attitude indicator, turn coordinator, heading indicator and vertical speed indicator.

Going through the preflight checklist, I can’t see which switches are which because for one thing, the labels are worn off from 20 years of use, but the fact that I have over 1000 hours on type and the fact that I’ve been flying these machines for 10 years now helps me to read them with a high level of comfort.

While on the subject of instruments I must tell you all about Navigation instruments. All flying here is on the GPS, so ensure their serviceability but be cautious about cross checking the coordinates of a place on the map before following the GPS blindly. The thumb rule is you might forget to take the helicopter when you go for a sortie. But don’t forget the GPS.

Kick the tire and light the fire……..

I start up the helicopter and suddenly everything in front of me starts jiggling—the engine gauges and the fuel gauges are bouncing all over the place. I talk to my cojo(copilot) through the intercom in my Flying helmet. It’s rather tight in this helicopter unlike a MI-17 with all the instrumentation and equipment stuffed in the small area.

As I ask for taxi, I see the MI-17 taxing out. I tell my cojo, “Let’s wait for this guy,” and he points out the windshield at another MI-8 on base leg. Once these two have done their T/O and landing, I taxy out and line up for R/W 36 and ask for a T/O.

Fortunately this time there is no altercation with the controller and we are smoothly on our outbound course. As I roll out, I notice how the volcanic lava has spread all around the runway and the way it has devastated the small town of Goma. Next I see the tall trees all around, the volcanic mounds all over and a wall of green. Who in his right mind flies here, I wonder.

There’s a weird intimacy in an AH. You feel as if you are all alone, speaking quietly through mic and headphones while defying the tendency of the churning machine to plummet....

At 115 knots or about 210 km/hr, as we clip over the trees and mountains west of Goma, we start bouncing around up to 8,000 feet heading for Masisi leaving the Goma airspace. There’s a weird intimacy in an AH. You feel as if you are all alone, speaking quietly through headphones while defying the tendency of the churning machine to plummet....

Inspite the three crew environ, you feel as if you are alone (primarily due to the fact that the aircraft has tandem seating and none of the crew can converse face to face with each other). I level off at 7500 feet and commence my cruise to Masisi. During this phase, among the things you have to think about are; other traffic, airspeed, altitude, rate of climb/descent and a constant lookout for a field to put down the aircraft in case of an emergency.

From 1,500 feet Above Ground Level, the terrain looks like a painting of a country landscape —A green carpet adorns its vast lands interspersed with hills all over with a sprinkling of quaint little villages, seeming to nestle comfortably at the base of the hills. The frequent thought again comes to my mind – why do people fight when there is an abundance of everything. But then thinking of such things are beyond my mandate!!!

“Get a feel for what to expect.”

As I settle down for a flight of leisure, an AN-2 (a small, primitive aircraft) suddenly whizzes past me in the reciprocal direction at the same level and my heart misses a beat. Fortunately it’s missed my helicopter by 200 m. This is not the first of the near misses but I sincerely hope that it’s the last. Such near misses are a regular feature and the MONUC is trying its best to rein in these bush pilots and indoctrinate the controllers in ensuring that at least the reciprocal traffic is passed to the aircrafts. Is this what I’ve dreamed about—or perhaps dreaded? Flying out here in the bush with unguided bullets flying around!!! Sorties flown in this sector need something more than airmanship. I have coined a new phrase for it-- “hyper vigilance”. And do remember there is only one sky and “seating is limited.”

At this point, I hand over controls to the cojo and commence scan for any hostile activity on the ground at Masisi. I see some uniformed personnel walking in a file towards Masisi. These men turn out to be the FARDC (local govt troops)soldiers which we had been briefed by the ALO about. By the way I forgot to mention something about my ALO. His communication skills are fabulous and he believes in keeping briefs short like a skirt—short enough to be interesting but long enough to cover the vitals.

“Use flight following, and if there is a need to put down………., do it after you inform somebody”.

Every 20 minutes or so I give a an ops normal call to the Air Ops where the Flight Following keeps tabs on the all the UN aircrafts. The Flight following system of MONUC is a very effective tool for keeping track of all the aircraft movements. Basically, half hourly position reports are to be passed to the Air Ops on VHF/HF frequencies. My own Ops room also maintains the same frequencies to keep track of own aircraft. This procedure needs to be followed meticulously. Another important aspect is calling up the Air Ops to inform them of an emergency. Use flight following, and if there is a need to put down the helicopter, do it after you inform somebody. If possible inform the Air Ops as they man the R/T throughout the period of ac operations.

Here come the heli……..

The rest of the sortie to Walikale is uneventful and we reach there in time to marry up with the INDBAT troops conducting the CASO operations. There is a minor confusion when the Gd Cdr call up on the ICOM(air frequency) “ Heli aa gaya ab koi Darr Nahi……chalo kaam shuru karain.” instead of doing so on the Motrola(ground frequency). However soon things are soon set right and we establish an orbit overhead while INDBAT troops commence the search. It’s our lucky day as the affair turns out to be a tame one and the Fire support requirement ends within twenty minutes, with nothing untowards being spotted.

Good copied next call on ground…

We set course back for Goma directly when the need for fire support is over. I am keen to go back to the crew room and plan my R&R(local holiday) along with another colleague of mine. As I approach 10 miles inbound to Goma, I inform Goma Tower about my intentions to rejoin. The tower replies “Good Copied, next call on ground.” As I approach overhead, I find that I am third in line to carry out landing and none of the traffic was told to me. I realise for the nth time that no matter which route you take you— and almost everyone else—will end up converging over. Who wants to risk life and limb mixing in with a swarm of helicopters all intent on landing in the same place at approximately the same time? We do our own tying up and coordinate the landing based on need and proximity to the helipad.

All is well that ends well…..

Well, we land back on the apron at northern end and taxi back to the dispersal and switch off after which I unstrap the helicopter off my back. I am happy coz All's well that ends well.

“Don’t let my monologue intimidate you”. Just follow the common sense and for those more inclined to nature, “horse sense” and you’ll be safe. And once on the ground, it’ll give you a great feeling of accomplishment.” Imagine! Each sortie will give you that- definitely worth the investment.

C'est- La-Vie :A SIC Pilot’s Perspective

Below is an article I wrote, conveying the frustrations and thoughts a SIC would have out here flying for the UN.

SICness (sic) and I…..

I am a SIC Pilot and everyone treats me like one. I dream to some day loose this tag of being SIC and hope to pick up the status of PIC. You must all be wondering if I’ve gone bonkers talking about sickness and Picking on others. Before I am misunderstood, let me put things in the right perspective. My SIC status has nothing to do with sickness or illness and PIC has nothing to do on picking on others. PIC is an acronym for Second-In-Command (a term used in lieu of the more familiar word, co-pilot which we generally refer to, back home) and PIC stands for Pilot-In-Command or Captain Status. Though my routine appears to be dull and monotonous, it has its own thrills and adventures. My daily routine too is full of events and incidents which would make the daily grind of a beast of burden feel tame

The story of my survival……………

My preparation for a sorties starts with obtaining the DFS (Daily Flying Schedule) from the Brigade, the evening prior to the day of the sortie. After this, I contact the PIC and try to convince him to put me on the flying programme, if there is a sortie the next day. Convincing him of the need for me to fly a sortie is the least of my problems. My next step would be to obtain a set of maps of the area to be covered. With limited availability of maps of DRC, this again is a problem of gigantic proportions. A little bit of intelligence (read smart act) and anticipation would ensure that I have at least one set of maps before others “manage” these for themselves. Once the quest for maps is complete, I prepare the route for the sortie and feed in the coordinates into the GPS. This is easier said than done. Most of the times the names of places to be flown over, do not exist on the map. Even if they do, they are approximate (I’m serious mind you-it is actually so and the same is written on the map with an annotation- “places and altitudes indicated on the map are approximate”).

The next step is to obtain the target details and threat level expected in the target area. This is mandatory to configure the ac with suitable armament and to plan altitudes to be flown at. Once this is done, I can lie back and relax. Oh no, not yet! There are other things to be done. I have to calculate the fuel required to be carried so that at the end of the sortie I am able to advise His Lordship -the PIC to rejoin back at N’dromo with a safe specified fuel figure. Once this is done, I inform the EO (Engineering Officer) regarding the fuel requirement and readiness time of the AH. Once this is done, now I can actually relax. But what the heck, I’ve got up early tomorrow and conduct PT for the contingent personnel at 0600 hrs for the contingent personnel (Thank God SICs are not detailed to do guard duty out here in DRC).

Yet another day ………

Early morn, before the sun rises in the east, over Lake Albert, the Vipers are up and ready for the PT. A report at six sharp and we are on our way for a four kilometre jog. Once we reach back at helipad, I conduct PT for the next 20 minutes. I try to keep it brisk and quick by combining SALSA and SAMBA and converting these into some kind of PT steps. This is required you know, in order to avoid pot bellies and obese air warriors. Well, that is as far as the PT goes.

After this starts my tryst with met and intelligence. I obtain met briefing from Goma and Bunia at double time and summarise the SIT REP to be covered in the morning briefing for the aircrew. A quick bath followed by a couple of slices of bread and I am in the briefing room. At 0800 hrs sharp I commence by briefing on met, int and other related points.

Up and away my SIC status takes me ……..

About 15 mts before the take off (thanks to the helipad being close to the briefing room) my PIC and I walk to the aircraft. I get a break of about 10 mts in the aircraft where I take a quick nap in the aircraft if it’s my lucky day (the manufacturer of Mi-25 has given minimal jobs to the Cojo during start up and taxi except opening the check list and following the events occurring in the oblivion, somewhere behind me).

Once the take off is accomplished my life is again made miserable, what with handling R/T, keeping a sharp lookout for obstruction and ac, passing ETAs and looking out for hostile intent (whatever that means). The route flying part is relatively easy we climb to sufficient heights and cruise like a fixed wing. The tough part comes in, in the combat zone. Here I have so many jobs that I wish I had four hands, six pairs of eyes, two pairs of ears and at least two brains to collate the information inputs that are available and to make life a wee bit safer.

I have to look out for hostile intent (not against!), militia fire, own troops disposition, likely militia hide outs and HQs, civilians (ROE requirement you see, we have to avoid civilian causalities at all cost and no collateral damage is acceptable), keep in touch with ground force commander (via Icom VHF set), take photographs for AMR (After Mission Report), guide the PIC onto the target, advice him of the areas where own troops are present (no fratricide acceptable at any cost), the list goes on and on but I do not want to bore you with nitty-gritties involved.

Once I have done all this, my next task is to give correct inputs to my PIC so that he can deliver the ammunition accurately onto the target (I have no problems with that but then he gets all the credit for the good scores, and if something goes wrong, I some how get to be blamed).

Once the mission is complete, we route back to base following a tactical routing (which generally is as the crow flies, due to the ac invariably being low on fuel) and we land back at the N’dromo helipad.

One might tend to think my work is over when I get off the helicopter, but hold your horses. It’s not over yet. There is something called as AMR or after mission report, to be submitted before the sun down. This is a consolidated report which covers the salient aspects of the sortie including the number and type of ammunition fired, who the ground commander behaved, how the militia responded, and damage caused by the munition etc.

Well that’s it folks. My AMR has been filed on the Lotus (UN mailing net) and now I can go and relax. But wait, what’s this? The DFS for tomorrow is just coming through and there is a fire support sortie to Loga tomorrow. Guys you will have to excuse me noe. I still have time before someone else reaches the PIC (Dett Cdr) and cajoles him for this sortie. Hope fully, with a little bit of luck, I will be able to convince him for this sortie for tomorrow.

Will write in to tell you if I was successful, till then see you.

PS- Did I tell you that my PIC has nothing much to do here except a few odd jobs like going to the Bde HQ for lengthy briefs, vet my Shoddy AMRs, tie up for the weekly trg sorties with difficult people who do not want to permit any, liaise with the MONUC for all our daily needs from food and water to hygiene needs etc, etc. Actually let me tell you something, on second thoughts I think my Status of SIC is not too bad after all, as uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

A post on the Power of Informal Groups

New Evidence of the Power of Informal Groups

Anyone who's been around organizations for very long knows that the formal "org chart" doesn't tell you much about how things really get done. And for years sociologists and other social scientists have studied informal networks and emergent groups in organizations to develop a better understanding of communication patterns, identify the "real" leaders, and sort out how work really gets done.

Maybe it isn't new, but now a couple of HP researchers have compiled some really intriguing data about informal groups and networks by doing the obvious - studying patterns of email traffic.
The study, reported recently in ComputerWorld, found that informal groups that developed around informal experts and communicated openly about a problem generally outperformed formal experts who were attacking the same issue.

Why am I not surprised? The troops always know who the "real" experts are; often they are far better informed than the managers who "anoint" the people THEY think are capable of getting the job done.

So why don't more organizations open up their problem-solving and tap the power of everyone who cares? I heard of one CEO who woke up to the power of inclusiveness one day and declared, "I just realized that 5,000 people are a whole lot smarter than 5" - the size of his executive committee. And when he created processes that enabled those 5,000 employees to toss their ideas and suggestions into the corporate crucible, the company's performance got a whole lot better.

Why do organizations seem so oblivious to the intelligence and expertise of so many of their members? Sure, it's messy and often time-consuming to get everyone involved - but the results are often astounding.

What if the collective intelligence (and energy) embodied in ongoing informal conversations across the entire organization could somehow be tapped to address pressing corporate challenges?

I'll bet we'd see some pretty astounding results if other CEO's were willing to do what Sam Palmisano at IBM has done several times now - hold a "jam session" intense dialogue with thousands of IBM'ers all over the world, all at the same time.

Think about that.

You can find it here:

http://www.thefutureofwork.net/blog/archives/000188.html

Hope it is of some use.

:-0

Taking Fire : On A Wing And A Prayer

My Flying Experiences In DR Congo

I am not a very religious person, by nature, but my experiences in the DRC have given a different meaning to the phrase “on a wing and a prayer”, and has taught me a lot about trusting and depending on forces beyond our control. For a pilot who is trained in a very different setup with a set of rules and regulations that are constantly updated and the monitoring is strict, the ball game in the DRC is very different.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a beautiful country when seen from the air. A green carpet (ironically the color of Peace and tranquility) adorns its vast lands interspersed with hills all over. On the landside lie quaint little villages, seeming to nestle comfortably at the base of the hills. The country has abundance of water and timber, gold and diamonds, copper and Coltan (the mineral from which cell phone chips are made). And yet for all that – in part because of all that – fundamental conditions of life here are pitiful.

Given the vastness of the country and the lack of road and railway networks, there is often no other way of getting around, other than flying. In addition to this it has its own share of woes (may be more than its rightful share). Though the entire country is plagued with strife on ground, there is so much of uncontrolled air traffic that it would make the air traffic over Heathrow airport look tame. Although there are some formal passenger airlines criss-crossing its skies, there appears to be a lot of informal stuff going on as well. Piloting therefore becomes a bit perilous in this region. This is accentuated by other problems like different agencies operating with differing languages, occupying and using the same airspace, lack of Airport infrastructure, a total absence of Controlling Radars etc.

Air Traffic Control

The quality of air traffic services in this strife torn region leaves a lot to be desired. There is a dearth of proficient air traffic controllers. A majority of controllers and technicians who fled the region following the Rwanda crisis and Ugandan intervention have not yet returned and whatever equipment could be salvaged provides the operators with the rudimentary services. Pilots have to rely on their own skills and the equipment onboard to negotiate traffic, weather and obstacles. Exceptions to this are air fields where MONUC has provided controllers’ alongwith the ASUs. An example of this is Bunia where the ATC controllers are proficient and one is reminded of the basic services that we miss so often. My first sortie in the Bunia sector reminded me of flying back home under the control of professional controllers of BANAIR ASU.

Such hazards are inevitable in a country with no decent infrastructure to speak of, no substantial railway networks, for example, in a country that is as vast as the whole of Western Europe. To fly from point A to B within a reasonable time frame you have to take your chances, keeping a sharp lookout and hoping that eye ball mark-1 spots these unguided aircrafts before they can feel you physically and result in what is called a mid-air. If such incidents ever happened in the skies over Europe or America the outcry would have gone on for weeks. Heads would have rolled and safety standards would have been ostentatiously upgraded.

Weather

One of the things that makes flying in Africa such a challenge is that things can and do go wrong. In an age of electronic gadgetry, which has taken a lot of the thrill out of flying, the pilot is often left with nothing but his own knowledge and skill to get himself into a tight corner. The danger that actually exists, and which is always present, is provided by the hazards offered by rough terrain and soft surfaces, and by hidden obstacles. And there are often torrential rainstorms near the Equator and equally violent storms along the edge of the lakes.

All pilots flying in DRC have had their own heart-in-the-mouth moments. Storms, fog and low clouds will bother you from time to time, but once in a while you get yourself into an avoidable situation defying the definition of a superior pilot which goes something like, “A superior pilot is one who uses his superior judgment to stay out of situations which require him to use his superior skills”. This happens when you get caught in a marginal fuel situation due to weather, diversion, enter a thunderstorm or have to put the helicopter down in a place where there is no place to do so due to poor visibility or rains.

Technical Practices

Harsh environment, coupled with weather conditions lead to frequent technical problems and breakdown of components. This adds to the pressures on the maintenance and technical staff who are already hampered by non-availability of established maintenance infrastructure. While the technical staff try and do keep these machines flying, in a long run these aircrafts suffer from facing the vagaries of the equatorial weather. The remoteness of deployment also lends its hand in delays in procurement of badly needed spares and it is a wonder how these mere mortals keep us flying up in the sky despite facing so many obstacles.

War Zone

The name Peace keeping/Peace enforcement is a misnomer. These days the UN military forces are involved in an all out war with the renegade militiamen after the 01 Apr 05 deadline of surrender of weapons. The whole of eastern DRC in general and Ituri sector in a particular is what can be termed as a war zone, and Flying in a war zone is inherently dangerous. There is a constant threat from the militiamen who are armed with an assortment of weapons. These range from primitive machetes to modern state of art anti-aircraft guns, and do pose a “small” amount of threat to the attack helicopters which fly over these hostile areas.

Terrain

While terrain is not the least of the problems in the DR Congo, it does impose some degree of difficulty in helicopter operations. The terrain in the eastern DRC is undulating, varying from 700m in the vicinity of the great lakes to over 2.5 kms over the adjoining ridges. These features, coupled with a rapid build-up of clouds, make the flying hazardous. Flying in this region, one often needs t o land on dirt/grass pads. These can often lead to interesting approaches for obstacle clearance. In addition another problem that persists is the non-availability of landing areas to put down the helicopter in an emergency. This is because of the Triple Canopied dense jungles covering most parts of this region. This is discounting the fact that there could be a ‘reception committee’ to welcome the helicopter upon landing comprising of the belligerents.

Environment

Then there are elements, which bother you at regular intervals. These include bird hazard, insects and animals. It is not uncommon to find an elephant or a herd of wild animals finding a convenient resting place on the intended helipad. Feathered birds too time their arrival along with the ETA of the helicopter. Since they have the right of way and also the fact that they were there before Wright brothers’ decided to fly, one has to cater for this menace by keeping them at arm’s length. Insects might appear to be too insignificant, but a million grasshoppers or a large swarm of locusts in the path of the helicopter could result in significant damage to the rotor blades which move close to the speed of sound. Even though we consider the Mi-25 to be “more durable than concrete”, the size and density of these flying bullets does not leave much scope to the helicopter to take avoidance action.

Let not the pessimism in this write up discourage you, because it is under such situations when the pilot is in his elements. Flying in this region often requires hasty improvisations and rapid innovations. The knowledge that somebody out there is all set to shoot at you does not make things any comfortable. The need here is of a Pilot who not only is aware of the situation that he is in, but is on the top of it. That’s the reason the cliché “ On A Wing And A Prayer” holds a lot of meaning to a pilot flying in the DRC

"Happy Hovering to You" - Until We Meet Again

This one is for my Wife

The Air Force Wife

The Air Force wife is a special individual.

When she was a girl, her dreams were bold, as bold as her fine, free gaze; And every gift of grace and mind was hers in her younger days.

When she was a girl, a golden girl, with a soul as fine as fire.

She could outshine the brightest jewel that a rich man's love might buy her.

Yes hers could have been the glittering path through a careless, carefree life.

But she fell in love with an aviator, so she became an Air Force wife.

Away from the home of her childhood she marched at her husband's side, For she chose a wide and winding road when she became a bride.

And sometimes the road was a hard one, so different from what she had planned; And sometimes she wept for the home she had left as she lay in a foreign land; And sometimes her steps would grow weary as she followed the drum and the fife; But she set about making the world her home because she was a Air Force wife.

She learned to build a hearth for them wherever her man was sent; And she knelt to plant a garden every time he pitched their tent.

Yes, she always planted a garden though she never saw it grow, For she knew before the flowers came that she would have to go.

But she left each garden gladly though it cut her like a knife, For she hoped it might bring some comfort to another Air Force wife.

To the hardships in her married life she brought one simple truth, A promise that once was spoken in the ancient words : "Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Thy people shall be my people and thy God shall be my God."

She shared his joys and sorrows as they made their way through life, For she was proud to love a soldier and to be a Air Force wife.

She bore the weight of worrying what fate might hold in store; And the wordless fear of waiting when her soldier went to war; And the nights that she spent fearing that her waiting was in vain; And the pain of wanting someone she might never hold again.

But she bore his children gladly through uncertainty and strife, And they never heard her crying for she was a Air Force wife.

She raised a military family with the faith her love had taught her; And she gave the pride she had inside to her son and to her daughter; And she taught them to love freedom and to know what it was worth, As they helped her plant her gardens in the corners of the earth.

And she never wished for better than the road they marched through life,
Because she was as much a soldier as she was a Air Force wife.

Thank You CMU for being my wife