He did it!!!
Ens Chad Kinser Callender is now the #31,698 Navel Pilot.
(interesting side note: ALL US Navel Pilots would only fill an end zone of a football field)
He is in a very prestigious group of men and women!!
The morning
(which by the way did NOT start at "O'dark hundred" this time...thank goodness!)
started off at the chapel with The Blessing of the Wings Ceremony.
Carolyn (Chad's step-mom), Grandpa, Kiely, Becky, Chad, Grandma, Alan and myself
going into the chapel.
(Jeff, Chad's dad was taking the picture)
We went to the holding room first until mass was over and this is
Chad talking to some fellow airmen.
He is listening to a friend (whom btw is a Citadel grad!!)
tell him about how one of his friends that he rides with
was killed in a motorcycle accident the night before in Pensacola.
Alan, Kiely and Becky
The chapel was beautiful...
...and so was this stained glass!!
Waiting for the ceremony to begin!
These are his wings!!!
Chad is going up to get his wings, which he and the others were reminded that they would have to give them back for the actual winging ceremony!
If you look up at the screen, Chad's name is up there.
They flashed each airman's name that participated in this ceremony as they approached the stage.
I just cannot imagine what he is feeling when he holds his hard earned wings for the first time.
I know that I had goosebumps and tears and could not be more happy for him!!
The Father is now going to bless the wings.
And then the Chaplin said the most beautiful prayer!!!
All I remember is I kept repeating, "Yes Lord!" a lot, while he was saying it.
He was talking about keeping these men safe up there and The Lord being their guide and so forth.
Beautiful service!
Afterwards we headed across the street to take pictures by a helicopter that was like the one Chad trained in.
The interior of the helo
This is Chad standing by a flight simulator.
He had taken a group over to see it and had taken gma and gpa the day before
to try it out...
This is Chad showing Grandpa how to fly it.
Dad said that when he flew it he had to land a plane in a snow storm.
Grandma and Becky crashed their planes!
Back to The Winging Ceremony!!
When the airmen walked in they had a table where they
had to place their hats.
In the auditorium...on the FRONT ROW...waiting!!
Chad graduated two weeks early so there were only 18 in this winging class.
The families were asked to come on stage while the airman had their wife, mother or father pin them.
Here is Becky doing the honors!!
I just want to pause for a moment and say CONGRATULATIONS to Becky too!!
She is the wind beneath his wings and THE best military wife...EVER!!
I really think that wives deserve some kind of "pin" too ;)
After the pinning, everyone lined up with...
Who lives in Santa Rosa County.
He was the guest speaker and loves those military men and women!
So, he is not a "creeper" in the middle of our good time here!
This nice young man was the photographer.
We will be getting professional pictures of the above
pictures that were taken with my camera, later.
BTW...Melody, I want you and Jeremy to start standing like this while you are waiting for
people to gather for a picture! lol!
There were a few Marines that also graduated.
They are dressed in black.
Some of the airmen that will graduate in two weeks.
AWESOME!
Before...
...after with his WINGS!!!
Next, we headed to my hotel room where Chad's present was hiding!
I don't know who was more excited, Alan or Chad :)
Alan shopped and strapped on this bike to his FJ and toted it from Indiana to Florida.
Everyone pitched in and here was Chad's expression...
..."What! No Way!"
Hold on a second...
What's this?
Well...
They have some really nice tennis courts on base and gma and gpa played doubles with
Chad and Becky...obviously, Chad showed gpa NO MERCY!!
No, actually, gpa went up for an overhead that Chad had hit and when gpa's arm came
down he heard it pop and then there was an instant burning!
We will see tomorrow if it is a tear in the rotater cuff...!!
I road down with Alan and Kiely and was planning on riding back with them
(boy was I looking fwd to just sitting in a car with no worries about kids, dogs, or driving...
just sitting there reading a book Julie loaned me in my "cave" and talking to the newlyweds)
but I drove Mom and Dad home ;)
Anyway...back to the bike,
I think that Becky thought of the perfect gift to give you!!
Enjoy it!!
Next, we were off...and so were Kiley's "black sparkly Dorthy heels!" to EAT!!
But first, a toast from their new steins!
MH-60R is the helicopter that Chad will be flying.
Chocolate and vanilla cake!
Newelyweds of 20 days!
After resting we all gathered at The Fish House in Pensacola and had dinner.
Chad, Becky, Kiely and Alan stayed after and met up with other airmen and celebrated!
They listened to a really good band and had a great time!
Before we left the next morning I took pictures of...
...the planes Chad learned to fly and
the helicopters he learned in!
They are being moved to Nashville, TN today because of
Hurricane Issac.
Whiting Air Force Base in Milton, FL is not a big base but it has been training top pilots since 1973!
It was a busy Friday and a quick trip down to Florida and back, but I would not have missed it for the world!!
Thank you, Chad and Becky for everything!!
Now here are just a few more pictures of the weekend...enjoy!
Oh, and Chad and Becky are off to Jacksonville, FL
(which is only 3 hours from Fripp!!)
for a few years!
He has to report September 24 and Becky has already started to pursue her
degree in Physical Therapy!
May the blessings continue!
