I was filled with such pride at Nick's Soft Patch Ceremony and didn't think my heart could handle any more happiness and pride. Boy was I wrong!!!
Friday, August 23, 2013 was one of the proudest days of my life. I think I was filled with more pride than I was on the day Nick graduated and commissioned from the United States Naval Academy. You see, USNA was not a dream of Nick's. Not to say he did not love his time there (he genuinely misses his USNA days) or that he wasn't happy he went there. He's very proud of himself for being accepted, much older than his peers, and for excelling while there. But USNA was not his dream, it was just a step along the way to his dream. His dream was to become a Naval Aviator. And on this day, that dream became a reality. I feel so blessed to be his wife and be alongside him throughout this journey. It has been an honor and joy to watch him throughout the past two years as he busted his ass to get to today.
Becoming a Naval Aviator is no easy task. These men and women are among an elite few. Pilots make up only a teeny tiny portion of the military. It might seem as though there are a lot, but Nick was winged as the 32,138 aviator of the United States. Their training is difficult, taxing, and time consuming. Nick pulled 12 hours days on base only to come home, incredibly sore and covered in sweat, to spend many more hours studying and preparing for his flight the next day. But he worked hard and did so with a smile on his face every single day. When I hear the saying "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life" I think of Nick. He thoroughly loves his job. No matter how tired, sore, or frustrated he is, he's still loving what he does and enjoys going to work and flying. There is nothing more you can ask for in life!
But enough rambling, here is account of the winging day and of course lots of photos and videos:
Blessing of the Wings
The first event for the day was the Blessing of the Wings. Following Mass, each winger was called up to the front, with their name and follow-on aircraft displayed on the wall, as they picked up their wings. Once all the wingers were up front, a prayer was said and their wings were blessed with holy water.
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| Nick picking up his wings |
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| Nick picking up his wings |
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| {I just can't get over how cute this boy is! And that he's mine!} |
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Winging Ceremony
After the Blessing of the Wings, we headed across the street to claim our seats and wait for the Winging Ceremony to begin.
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| Last photo of him without his wings!!!! This is the helicopter he flew in training these past six months, the TH-57. |
The ceremony is very simple; guest speaker, pinning of the wings. And that's it!!!
Each winger is called up individually. They announce where they're from, where they went to school, who is accompanying them on stage, and who will be pinning on their wings. Their wings are pinned on, everyone poses for a picture, and you exit the stage. Short and sweet!!!
(I have a video of this, but cannot locate it at the time. It's probably on my other hard drive which is in storage. Therefore I will have to upload that later! So check back for that!)
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| Pinning his wings on!! |
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| Proudest moment of my life. |
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| Words cannot express my happiness here. {Especially because as I tried to pull away, he held me just a little bit longer, whispering "Thank you, I Love You" in my ear.} |
I was so nervous to pin his wings on because it usually takes people quite a while to pin them on (a full one to two minutes, which might not seem long when you read that, but imagine standing up there in front of a large auditorium of people). You can see how visibly nervous people get as it takes them a while and they struggle to get it through the thick fabric of the uniform. (And some think they get them in and when they let go, they fall to the ground!!) I was just fearing I'd be that wife! But I'm pretty proud of myself seeing as I did it in just a couple of seconds!
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| He did it!!!!! Newest Naval Aviator!!! |
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| The entire winging class. |
Afterwards we took a few photos with family and friends. I'm really happy that Nick's family and sponsors were able to attend. I'm upset my mother wasn't able to come (Dad and brothers couldn't get vacation) and Nick wished he could have shared this accomplishment with her, but we all understood why she wasn't there. Her place was at home with Grandma during this difficult time of losing Granpda). Thankfully Kyle and Leah made it in from Ft. Rucker for the ceremony. Kyle has become a close friend and brother to Nick and it meant a lot to him that Kyle was able to attend.
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| so shiny! |
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| Nicholas and I with my Leah and Kyle (Army Warrant Officer in Apache training) |
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| Nicholas with Naval Academy Sponsor Parents |
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| Nick with his aunt and uncle, his second parents. |
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| Nick's family! |
After we took some pictures, we headed to Sike's Hall for a small little reception where they provided lunch and beer for everyone. After everyone ate, they gathered the wingers at the front to give a toast. Some were thoughtful, some were funny :) Here is a video of it (Nick is the one who toasts to the air crew):
(you can click the box looking icon on the bottom right corner to enlarge the video)
And some photos for your viewing pleasure:
Nicholas, you have made me so incredibly proud these past seven years through your enlistment, the Naval Academy days, and flight school. It has been an honor to have been on this beautiful journey with you and witness your dreams coming true. There's no one that deserves this honor and celebration more than you do. Your hard work, dedication, and true passion for flying shine through in your every action and every spoken word.
Today, you are no longer a student. Today, you become an Aviator for the United States Navy. Today, I could not Love you more and I have never been more proud of you.
That night, Nick's winging class had their party at Fish House. We went early and had dinner there and at 9pm, when the party started, we went outside on the deck for the patio. Being a light-weight wife, I didn't get to reap the benefits of the free alcohol. Every other winging party we 've attended (which as been a lot) I've enjoyed the free booze. But this was Nick's night so of course I stayed sober while he drank. {Don't worry, I'm not an awful wife that always makes Nick DD. He doesn't really drink much, ever. So it's always his choice not to drink. And who am I to let a good DD go to waste?!} We had a great night on the deck with beautiful weather, a great band, and even better family and friends!
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| Nick and his helo partner, Dallas, on who knows what number shot |
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| Two of the most important role models in Nick's life: his Uncle Scott and his USNA sponsor Dad, Kel. These two have helped shaped him into the amazing person he has become and he strives to have to be like them every day :) |
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| Our amazing family |
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| Debbie and Lisa dancing |
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| The last time I saw Elizabeth before she PCSed to San Diego a few days later :( This girl became one of my closest friends while here in Pensacola and I'm going to miss her greatly. I can only hope our military paths cross again one day. |
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| (humidity is a great look for my hair, don't ya think?!) |
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| His classes winging shirts. |
We now start the daunting task of house hunting, packing, and moving to Jacksonville. We are beyond excited for our next adventure.
So what now you ask? Well, check back in a few weeks (after the whole moving ordeal) and I'll gladly fill you in. Well, as best as my limited Pilot Wifey knowledge will allow.
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