David is nearly done in Kuwait, according to his phone call today. He has about another day's worth of paperwork to (re)do to army specifications, and then wait.
He could be on a plane in four days, or another three weeks. It's the Army schedule and it waits for no man or woman - - only for its paperwork.
We talked about the big gala greetings in the gym that are elaborately if sometimes not quite exactly planned. I know some of his men arrived at McCord AFB near Ft. Lewis, Wash. on Sept. 13 and then were bused to Lewis to waiting families. Except -- their plane arrived earlier than expected (the planners are not told the arrival time until the plane is well into the air) and not everybody made it on time. Craig and I see this flurry of confusion second-hand through a series of apologetic e-mails that come from the Family Relations Group (FRG in another one of the endless acronyms.)
David would prefer we not meet him for a tearful welcome in the gym, but wait until the weekend after he gets back. He's told us several times there's hours of more paperwork and equipment check-in after a long, long flight, and if he's not checking himself in, then he will be supervising some of the check-in for his men. So, there's not much chance of the big-hugs-and-walk-off-into-the-sunset scenario.
I understand the logic, and I even understand that he will want to decompress, find a place to live, unpack, shower, find his car and his belongings (not necessarily in that order), but part of me wants to see as soon as he steps into that gym at Lewis.
But don't worry, David. We'll be good, and wait till you're ready for us.
Just expect to be crushed by a hug -- and yes, I will cry.
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