Bye Bye Tinker~ She's all MINE now!
I've been organizing the pictures I took from mom's retirement ceremony at Tinker and I have to admit that I get a little teary eyed looking at them.
Her ceremony was very emotional~ Colonel Gentling and her Commander had so many wonderful things to say, and it was obvious that she highly respected and is going to be missed by her unit family...I had no idea what she has been doing exactly at work for the past 20+ years (since I've been around), not to mention the years prior to being married with children. I only knew she was the boss lady...she never really talked about what she did at work when she got home~ she always seemed to want to leave work at work and switch into mom mode once she walked in the door.
Many of the speakers had little jokes about her obsession with details...and I realized that she is still "mom" at work and "boss lady" at home.
Now I know that she was still the mom I have always known while she was at work as well, just to her "other" family.
It warms my heart to know that she has mentored so many Airmen/women and has done so much for her unit...and our country. She got so many medals and awards at the ceremony, we were all very impressed.
My dad, who was also in the Air Force when he and mom met, received special recognition for his support over the years~ and it's interesting to me, because I imagine at these military retirement ceremonies that it's usually the military wives who get recognized for standing by their military husbands over the years...which just goes to show even more so how my unconventional-yet-conventional-by-traditional standards family marches to the beat of its own drum.
In addition to his own job, I grew up watching my dad make sure mom's boots were shined and her uniforms ironed for drill weekends~ I am happy that he was recognized for all the support he has given her over the years.
All in all, the ceremony was amazing. She got the send off she deserves!
Here is mom swearing into the Air Force in 1972 at 19 years old. This picture was in the program for her ceremony (which I saved about 5 of them for keepsake purposes). I had to do a double take because at first I thought it was me...everyone there kept telling me how much I look like her twin in that picture, and that makes me happy. How flattering!
I told her to show me her stripes when we were leaving base~ she's so damn cute!
