On 5 April, 2014, Lori and I were honored to be invited to Savannah, Georgia to attend the two-tiered celebration of 1-214th Field Artillery Battalion; this formal event was their re-deployment ball upon their return from Afghanistan, and the Saint Barbara’s Day Ball.
The Task Force commander, Lieutenant Colonel David Casey, was in the Base Defense Operations Center (BDOC) when the call came from the ATC tower that there was a “fallen angel” – an operational term for downed aviator. When a location was obtained, it turned out that I was technically just a little bit in the Italian contingent’s sector. He told me later via email: “Our thought process was simple, an American pilot down deserved an American recovery, regardless of Battle Space Owner or enemy situation.”
Those guys must have set a land-speed record for an MRAP getting to me.
In the pictures below: (1) Lori and me striking a pose at our dinner table (2) Lori and me with some of my heroes from 3rd platoon, Charlie Battery, 1-214th Field Artillery, Georgia National Guard. (3) LTC Casey and me. (Fancy Cane not pictured, and the photographer seems to have cut Lori’s Fancy Shoes out)
#Pamir62
#FiveYearsAgo
