LEAVING AFGHANISTAN

My oldest son Mike, has been on assignment in Afghanistan for the last 3 months, and today, or tomorrow, he boards an airplane, for a return flight to his home in Augusta, GA. Throughout his career as a Military Intelligence Officer in the Army, and now, as a civilian federal employee under the National Security Agency, I've never known exactly what he does. With a top secret security clearance, and access to much of the highest classified material in the country, he has always spoken in generalities regarding his job.

What I do know, is that his temporary duties in Afghanistan are within hours of being over, and speaking for the entire family, we're glad he'll soon be on the way home.

Mike, his wife Amy, and my Grand Dog Tiga. These pictures were taken in the summer of 2009, when Patty and I were in Georgia, on our 12,000 mile loop around the U.S. and Canada.

Mike's still barefoot water skiing, just like he did as a teenager.

Perhaps, the headline of this post should be on the front pages of newspapers around the country. Despite your political persuasion, or opinions regarding our involvement in foreign countries, I'm starting to feel more strongly that it's getting time to get the heck out of places like Afghanistan. My opinions aren't always the most popular, but when this country is rapidly approaching a fiscal crisis, and programs like Social Security and Medicare are soon to be in jeopardy, maybe it's time to re prioritize where our limited tax dollars are spent.

Welcome Home Mike, we're all very proud of your dedication and service to this great country!