Some of you may remember that our older son joined the Army a few years ago and did a tour in Afghanistan.
He came back home after his tour, got married and finished his college degree. He was offered a great job selling various things to Special Forces etc in NC and SC but found that he missed the Army so he joined the Reserves in VA and he just called me about an hour ago to tell me that his unit has been called up and will be going to the Virgin Islands for a couple of months to provide security and other humanitarian efforts.
He was pretty excited to be able to do something to help those people down there and as I said to him at least there shouldn't be anyone shooting back at you!

Fortunately the company he works for is almost exclusively ex military and there will be no problem getting the time off. They have his back!

I'll keep the SF updated as to his efforts there if you want to hear about it.

Glad to hear he's able to help, and that he has the correct attitude going forward.

If I was deployed to the Virgin Islands, I would bring my spear gun and make make good use of any time off.

I hear conch taste very good, almost as good as lobster. So I would bring something for conch as well.

For the third time in just over as many weeks, members of my ANG unit are again being deployed for hurricane humanitarian relief operations.

This is just one example of what the your "home town Air Force" does best.
http://www.af.mil/News/Article...a-relief-operations/

Prayers for his safety, especially that they make a huge difference and are able to offer relief.

We (the WV ARNG) have some people down there right now. If your boy sees anyone with a circular patch with a hatchet/musket/powderhorn on it, tell him to tell them SFC Cowan says "hi".

I asked him how he thought we was going to get there and he didn't know.
It makes sense that the ANG would have to get in there first and get the runway operational so that the rest of the Calvary can come in and do their job.

I just read where the main SAN Juan airport is(will soon) be open to military and humanitarian flights.

I'd think the airports are very high priority.

All the best to your Son.

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:
If I was deployed to the Virgin Islands, I would bring my spear gun and make make good use of any time off.

I hear conch taste very good, almost as good as lobster. So I would bring something for conch as well.

Maybe I got multiple bad batches, but the samples of conch I have tasted were quite chewy and not in the same league with lobster. Hope YMMV.

Let us know if he need anything once he gets ther and if there is a way to get it to him. We'd certainly put together a care package of items for him/his platoon.

Cool! He'll enjoy it. Katrina (lower 9th ward, NO) was hot, smelly, and miserable...also the best NG deployment I've done.

OP, I like the sounds of your son's attitude. May God bless him and protect him.

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:
If I was deployed to the Virgin Islands, I would bring my spear gun and make make good use of any time off.

I hear conch taste very good, almost as good as lobster. So I would bring something for conch as well.

If the Most Interesting Man in the World was deployed to the Virgin Islands they would be renamed the Islands.

May God Almighty bless him and keep him and his platoon save from harm during this deployment. Let him help the poor souls down there.

quote:

Originally posted by Rotndad:
Let us know if he need anything once he gets ther and if there is a way to get it to him. We'd certainly put together a care package of items for him/his platoon.

Thank you for your kind offer. You may not remember but some members of SF contributed to a "Dirty Santa" package that we sent to his platoon when he was deployed down range in 2014. It was the absolute most satisfying thing we did for him and his people while they were there as a couple of them were orphans and didn't have any family back home supporting them. The thank you notes we received brought tears to our eyes...
This time I think things are going to be much easier but thank you for your offer.

My wife's company and mine are in the process of filling 2 20 ft shipping containers with supplies to be delivered to people we both know down there who are struggling to survive. We're buying generators, cases of water and various pallets of canned goods to be distributed as they see fit.
The word we hear is that they will be without power for several months. One of the containers is going to PR and the other to St. Thomas.

Safe travels to your son. My son is being deployed from Fort Bragg. No clue about his destination yet.

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
Safe travels to your son. My son is being deployed from Fort Bragg. No clue about his destination yet.

My DIL works at Bragg supporting MARSOC.
Safe travels to your son as well.

Good for him. Best wishes to him.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Good for him. Best wishes to him.

Couldn't have said it better. The people down island really need somebody to help out. Good for him.

Me to. (VANG). SRP and MOB process begins tomorrow morning.