Send-off Ceremony

The embedded training team (ETT) that Phil is a part of was given an official send-off ceremony last week. It was a sight to see.


The drill floor was packed with family, friends and other soldiers. Wisconsin's Lieutenant Governor, Barbara Lawton, was one of the guests of honor (see pic below with Phil) and gave a heartfelt speech.


The team of 16 men is lead by a man I have confidence in. His personality appears to be similar to that of Phil's - laid back and good humored, but focused and determined when there is a job to do. When he speaks, he's easy to listen to and he's real. I'm glad Phil is working for him and with the other men on the team. These men each bring unique assets and have diverse backgrounds and experiences to create a well-rounded group.



Our niece, Kayla, was pretty amazed by the American Flag that served as the backdrop to the event. It was impressive and really set the tone. What a flag to be fighting for!



Here are some snapshots of the day.

Final Countdown

In a few days, Phil will be on his way to training for a couple of months. After training, the group will return to home for about a week and then it's off to Afghanistan. Each training team from Wisconsin that has gone on this project has been split up due to the Army's needs. So right now, we're not exactly sure where Phil will end up, but we do know that he will likely begin in a location closer to Iran than to Pakistan, in the western part of Afghanistan.

When in country, Phil will not have regular access to the internet. He will likely have a type of phone access that sounds pretty reasonably priced. When he calls home, I will be sure to post information from him!

Due to the sensitive nature of military operations, we will not be posting dates, times, or locations. This is to protect our soldiers, not to exclude you! If you have questions during Phil's deployment, please feel free to send them my way and I will do my best to answer them.

I'll leave you with a few photos of Phil from his last day of work with the 641st TCB. Enjoy!

Operation: Pharewell Phil

Thanks for the great turnout at the Operation: Pharewell Phil party!

Wear your camo!

The party planning committee has decided that wearing camouflage on Friday night would be entirely acceptable. Keep in mind this is not a formal affair, however, if you do choose to wearing your camo wedding gown or kilt, we won't look down on you! Check out the ideas below to get your ideas going. See you Friday night in your camo!

Welcome!

Those of you who know Phil, know that if he's not on an adventure, he's planning his next one.

This time around he's off to Afghanistan.

Stop by to stay updated!

-j