All Around Lufkin

Rita Rush called me with the sorority pledges. At University of Texas at Austin pledging were Taylor Rush, Kappa Kappa Gamma; Jenna Waggonner, Chi Omega; and Amiee Webe , Chi Omega. Erika Weber at Texas A&M University pledged Pi Phi. Katrina Peitersen at Oklahoma University pledged Pi Phi. Jennifer Fougerousse at TCU pledged Chi Omega. Good Luck to these girls.

Rita Rush said that our vacation to Banff, Canada, reminded her of a trip with Jim Rush, Pat and Cindy Aldred to Canada. Rita and Cindy drove over to Lake Louise and had lunch at the hotel.

Margaret Dillahunty, volunteer with American Legion Ladies Auxilary, received this letter: "Thank you VERY much for the wonderful boxes of goodies you and the gang there at ALA113 have sent to me during my stay here in Rustamiyah, Iraq! I absolutely love the things you've sent...especially the Atkinson's Chick-osticks! They've always been a favorite of mine...probably too much so :-P Oh, and I didn't have the last package open 2 minutes before I was munching on a delicious brownie made by the kind folks at the Methodist church in Burke (Diboll?). I'm supposed to lose weight when I deploy...it ain't happenin'!!! Let me tell you what I'm doing over here so you can pass it along to the gang. As an instructor of computer science at the Air Force Academy, I was on the short list to deploy over here in a teaching capacity, so I volunteered to join the staff here at the Iraqi equivalent of our Officer Training School for a 6-month assignment. Now, it sounds grand, but it's still a very small operation. We destroyed the Iraqi Air Force first in Desert Storm and again 10 years later in Iraqi Freedom...we literally started this rebuilding effort from scratch. So, they're recruiting youngsters out of college and high school by the dozens and sending 'em to our small contingent here to teach for 8 months. We teach them both "airmanship" (i.e., how to be a "world class" air force officer) and English as a second language. They have to speak English at a certain level to qualify as a pilot. In fact, the Iraqi AF is so desperate for pilots; just about any young man can fly if he can speak English! Anyway, we have a staff of 9 US Air Force Officers plus a couple US civilian English teachers, and we work closely with the Iraqi Air Force staff to provide the training. We're now about 3 months into our program with our current class of 139 cadets. Those cadets are divided into "flights" of about 15 to 22 cadets each--we have 5 flights learning English and 5 flights learning airmanship. I'm the senior Flight Commander on the airmanship side, so I'm responsible for about 86 cadets. My flight of 22 is called "Charlie Flight." I carry a pistol in class every day for personal protection, but I have a very good rapport with my guys and feel if I ever use this thing it'll be in their defense. Most of these young men have experienced the worst life has to offer--they've been on the receiving end of either Saddam's brutality or US firepower since they were babies; they've lost many friends and family to war and to the ongoing insurgency; every weekend when they leave for home they're targeted by the bad guys and have to keep a low profile to survive. Nevertheless, they return every week with a smile ready to learn more. I can't think of a more exciting job than to help them rebuild their Air Force. Very soon they'll be leading it, so every hour in class with them is an hour of my life invested in their lives and the future Iraqi armed forces. I live on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Rustamiyah, about 6 miles south of Baghdad. On the FOB, I spend my time in a small enclave carved out for NATO advisors. There are a couple thousand US soldiers on the other end of the FOB, and in the middle are the Iraqis. We are self-supporting in our enclave with the exception of mail...for that we travel up to the "North Camp" every day. And what a joy it is to see one's own name on a package!! (who doesn't like to get mail! :-D) So, I want to thank you and the gang for thinking of me. What I don't use, I share with my buddies here, and they appreciate your generosity. The American people have been very, very supportive of the US armed forces during this war and follow-on insurgency...and the positive effect that has on the mission can't be overstated. When our morale is high, we're more efficient. When we're more efficient, we get the job done quicker. And, of course, the sooner we complete the job, the sooner we can come home for good. So, you all are a key ingredient in the overall mission of building a democratic nation from the ashes of war right here in Mesopotamia, the heart of the Middle East, the cradle of civilization! I appreciate your support, and I know Charlie Flight will appreciate it for years to come. Please pass along my most sincere thanks to the gang at ALA113. In Christ, Darin Williams, Major, USAF Air Advisor, CAFTT/OL-D".

Happy Birthday belated: Millicent Irish, Jaime Hensley, Jordan Nutt, Laura Jo Welch, Rick Meredith, Suzanne Miller, Patress Schaeffer, Elizabeth McNeil, Jerry Whiteker, Cathy Kettering, Jamie Zayler, Kay Gunn, Jim Carswell, Jane Horn, Mary Jean Maroney, Mary King, Debra Brown, Shelby Jumper, Stella Frances Naranjo, Amanda Ronane, Iva Johnson, Carol Looney.

Happy Birthday: Jewel Stevens, Nell Hensley, Doris Harkness, Anne Fenley, Beth Hopson, Nancy Hicks, Carolyn Haney, Jan Markle, Robert Poland, Jr., Joan Rankin, Josh Zeleskey, Arvenia Church, Lynda Zimmerman, Amanda Johnson, Wayne Brown, Tommie West, Kay Wilkins, Frances Atkinson, Benjamin Hicks, Ashley Mc- Carty, Little Wayne Brown, Jim Waters.

Belated Happy Anniversary: George and Martha Chandler Duncan and Carlyn Garner, Charles and Joy Fredrick, Bill and Phyllis Royle, Jimmy and Jody Tinkle, Joseph and Mary Jule Tatum, Burnice and Rosemary Blackstock, Ray and Bettie Scott, Thomas and Nancy Moore, Gene and Jo Ann Nerren, Robbie and Betty Warren, Don and Sue Jones, Jeannene and Newt Courtney, Nancy and Michael Herde.

Happy Anniversary: Peyton and Barbara Mathis, Mack and Linda Coward, Cookie and James Yeates.

Minnie Jones with Oncor told me that she is a grandmother. Carter Jones was born May 10 to Marcus and Sherri Jones in Atlanta, Ga. Marcus is a sales rep for Osstem.

We have been on vacation with Nancy and Michael Herde and grandchildren Hannah, Isabelle, George and Sarah for almost two weeks. They have been a joy to have here in Texas and to show them what Texas has to offer. We will get into that later.

Catch you around town. Janice Ann email: roweja@suddenlink.net