What's next? We don't know yet. And won't for a while. We keep getting this question all the time. Friends and family seemed annoyed that we don't have an answer but imagine how we feel. This is OUR life and we don't even know!!
Nick is still scheduled to wing on Friday, August 23rd. This is the big ceremony where he will get those glorious wings of gold! The Tuesday before (the 20th) he will find out what he's flying and where we're headed to next and then that Thursday, the 22nd we celebrate this at his soft patch ceremony (the soft patch is the patch he wears on his flight suit. It currently just has the Navy crest on it but those will be replaced with wings). It's a little frustrating but that is Navy life. We aren't sure how quickly we'll have to move. Some people get a month, some get maybe two weeks. I really hope we get somewhere between 3-4 weeks so we can take our time packing because we plan to move ourselves again (after the money we made last move and the fact that we have no kids, it just seems logical. Plus Nick has heard too many horror stories to trust anyone with his beloved belongings...he's very possessive over his objects lol. Moving ourselves from Maryland to Florida really wasn't that bad).
What are we hoping for? Summer training 2007, right before his last year at the Academy, Nick went on an aviation training with a squadron out in Norfolk, Virginia. This is an MH-53 squadron (a type of helo) and Nick fell absolutely in love with the aircraft itself (it's a beast), the missions, and the close community. The 53s are a very, very small community. There are only two squadrons in the entire Navy and both of them are stationed in Norfolk, VA.
Nick put the MH-53 as his first choice of helicopter. I'm not too excited to move to the east coast or Virginia, but it's Nick's dream to fly this helo and I 100% support his happiness and his career. (And let's be honest, I'm me. I'm a positive and optimistic person so I'm sure I'll come to love it there. It's just not my first choice of duty station for quite a few reasons.)
Unfortunately, because this community is so small, they do not select for it too often. Being a small community that doesn't need pilots often means there's a chance when Nick wings, they will not have any open slots and he won't be able to get his dream aircraft. (Your aircraft is primarily determined by the needs of the Navy and also your performance. But you could be the best pilot on the face of the planet and if there's not a slot available, you're just shit out of luck). Realistically, he said he'd be ecstatic to fly ANY helicopter, but his sights are set on the 53. I really hope he gets it but even if he doesn't, I'm he'll love whatever he flies. Nick somehow can say "Meh, it is what it is!" and be super happy with any situation. I envy this trait about him.
Seeing as the odds of flying the 53 aren't really in our favor, we have backups. You can essentially choose your location plus a type of helicopter. These are the 10 choices:
MH-60R East (Jacksonville, FL)
MH-60R West (San Diego, CA)
MH-60R Hawaii (Kanoehe Bay)
MH-60R Japan (Atsugi, Japan)
SH060F/H East (Jacksonville, FL)
MH-53E East (Norfolk, VA)
MH-60S East (Norfolk, VA)
MH-60S West (San Diego, CA)
MH-60S Japan (Atsugi, Japan)
MH-60S Guam (Yigo, Guam)
So here's to nerves and butterflies the next week as we anxiously await where the next chapter in our lives will be! I'm nervous to get out into the fleet, but I'm (surprisingly) excited for the change. I can't wait to become a part of his squadron and meet more awesome women!!! (However, I am NOT looking forward to house hunting!)
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