Every year about this time I start to hear about my friends at Minot AFB getting orders for another position at another base. As much as it is part of the lifestyle of a military family, it still becomes one of those scenarios; “What scenarios? You ask?”
Well, I have developed an attitude of “Don’t ask if you really don’t want to hear the results?” Or maybe better said, ignorance is bliss. It isn’t that I can’t count to two; it’s just easier if I don’t. My Honorary Commander, Mark McDonald, gave me the tentative date for the change of command of the 91 MW. That would mean that Col McGhee is leaving Minot AFB. Col McGhee has been a great friend of the Northern Sentry.

Both he and Col Hoadley; yep, claiming ignorance on that one, too, have always made themselves available for interviews for the Northern Sentry. It is greatly appreciated. Before we know it, June will be here, and we will be covering two change of command ceremonies. PCS season is always bittersweet. We know that the challenges of Minot AFB prepares those who lead. We don’t take the slogan “Only the Best Come North” lightly. It is tried and true.

Did A Little Traveling
I have been on the road for the past 10 days, with the goal of visiting relatives in Vancouver, British Columbia. On a map, it doesn’t look “too bad” of a drive. But maps can certainly be deceiving. Maybe to put things into perspective; we put Malmstrom AFB in our rear view mirror on day #1 of our journey. And on day #2 we drove by the Fairchild AFB sign near Spokane, Washington.

Not that I would highly recommend such a rigorous travel schedule on every vacation, it’s just that I was working my son on the amount of time he and his wife could “get off” to meet us in Vancouver. As far as Vancouver, British Columbia? It is very Canadian. A little bit of old, mixed in with a lot of new. The 2010 Winter Olympics were held in Vancouver. There is still a lot of that infrastructure that defines downtown Vancouver. Worth a bit of a “walk around” if you have the time.

Less Traffic-I’m OK With That
My daily commute to work is about 7 minutes. I may encounter a North Dakota traffic jam, waiting at a red light for 20 seconds, once in a while, but you only need to get into a line for a busy airport, like Vancouver, to appreciate that we don’t have to deal with a lot of traffic, and I am OK with that. I drive very defensively, and probably with too much caution. However, I figure that it is my job to operate my motor vehicle in a way that does not annoy others. I don’t think that is possible in a lot of big cities. Everyone seems like they are in such a big hurry. I hope to report that between me and my spouse, Sue, we navigated our pickup to Vancouver and back, safely. Less traffic? You betcha! I am OK with that.

Best Kept Secrets
Every year the DBPA (Downtown Business and Professional Association) sponsors a Bunny Hop. It’s kind of like Halloween at Easter, without the costumes. Come Hop into spring with Downtown Minot’s annual Bunny Hop! Moms, Dads, and Grandparents, bring your preschoolers aged 5 and under with their Easter baskets, so we can fill them full of fun! Date is 10 AM to 12 Noon on March 28th on Main Street (and a few other locations) in Downtown Minot. See you there!

Today’s Chuckle
We learned very early in life that there is a higher power: Unfortunately, it was your parents.