Four and a Half Years Later, Nothing has Changed - and That's Okay!

Meridian, Mississippi or more specifically the Naval Air Station located 15 miles North of the city and founded in 1961.  This base trained a great many of the Naval Aviators who went on fight their jets over the skies of Vietnam, Iraq (the first time) and well, anywhere Naval Aviation has been involved in the last 53 years.  Some of those Aviators had storied careers, some went on to become Admirals, some became Astronauts and at least one was most recently a Presidential Candidate.  However, most of us, members of the Meridian Alumni did not and have had to find other ways to put our skills to use in Society.  Some of these fine Americans, masters of their craft, came back to Meridian to teach, like me, and some came back, never to leave.  Those men are called Simulator Instructors.

So the day I started "Instructor Under Training" (IUT) Ground School, I walked into the Sim building wearing the exact same flight suit, carrying the exact same backpack and, in fact, the exact same spiral-bound notebook that I had as a flight student.  I greeted the same Sim Instructors (I'd say over half remembered me) and went to the same classroom, gravitated towards the same seat only to find it was occupied by an actual student as our syllabi are combined at the start.  His fresh face and newish flight suit was all I had to remind myself that yes, I actually am 5 years older than the last time I was here.

The days blurred and the deja vu continued.  The lectures followed the same progression as previously, to the point where I merely added to my old notes, vice re-writing them.  However, it's a good system and a good aircraft, why fix what isn't broken?

Across the parking lot, where the actual hangars lie, it's a different story.  I met my new Commanding Officer that first day and checked in with the XO as well.  I ran into familiar faces, other guys I knew from the fleet or flight school who've returned as I have or old instructors who haven't left or if they did leave, are back again.  I keep getting told how great this place is, that it's "the land of milk and honey" [for Aviators] and I have to say with how many good people I've seen come back and how much I'm enjoying my time here so far (more so than last time, to be honest), I can't disagree.

I've flown once in the back seat, it was incredible, I pretty much just sat in the ejection seat and let it all wash over me.  It was an incredible mix of strange and familiar coupled with speed and a pace of activity rare in an airplane flown by committee such as the Hawkeye.  I have a lot of work to do to get re-acclimatized to the jet world, but I have a feeling I'm going to have fun doing it.

Currently my training has slowed down some in order to allow space in the simulator schedule for some of the students my squadron needs to complete whatever section their in prior to leaving town on a training detachment.  However, I'm keeping busy studying, working out and getting my new home organized. 

That's it for now, but I'll keep you guys updated and describe some of the more interesting training events the next chance I get!