As usual, the only thing constant is change and uncertainty. I was sent home early on Tuesday evening to prepare for Air Assault School on Wednesday. On Tuesday night I got a call telling me I would not be attending school because I had not completed the necessary prerequisites. I knew that soldiers had to complete a 12 mile road march within a few months prior to school. I hadnt done that but it is usually is overlooked by command. Our commander, however, is new and wanted to play things by the book.

Since I am not going to Air Assault and not flying, I am doing odd jobs and taking care of administrative matters. I went and got all of my new digital pattern ACUs (army combat uniforms). The best part about these uniforms is that the boots are brown suede and do not get polished. I have helped in the maintainance shop with odd jobs also. The rest of my time is spent studying and convicing the other pilots to quiz me on subjects that I will need to know when I fly again.

There is a good chance I will fly in about two weeks. I hope so. It looks like my progression training will be conducted by a relatively new female Instructor Pilot. She seems like she will be a good teacher. She has already started helping me with my studying so the flying might progres a little bit faster.

I am attaching two photos of the new airfield. Each of the three companies has 10 aircraft. You might also see that we share the airfield with some Apaches. I am sure you will notice that there are no orange doors. These helicopters are the real deal. Note the horse head on the nose. That is my company symbol. We are "The Lancers".

Despite the First Amendment, America has anything but a free press. Despite the ever greater power of the media in America, truth and freedom seem less apparent. Special interest groups, including but not limited to, the big corporations that own most mainstream publications, exert direct and indirect pressure over the images and words that appear. ... To be able to regularly photograph or write from the heart for an American magazine is a rare privilege these days.

Galen Rowell, 2001

In his 1993 book From Freedom to Slavery Gerry Spence outlines the new government-corporate conglomerate that is eroding the under pinnings of American democracy. The consistent willingness of many in our country to give up their rights to corporations and to sit idly by as citizens are stripped rights in the name of patriotism.

A. O. Scott suggests writes in Monday's New York Times that there ishope the new Star Wars movie Episode III - Revenge of the Sith might not be a complete loss. Actually Scott goes further and says it is the best Star Wars movie that George Lucas has directed, topping even the original Star Wars and approaching the ranks of The Empire Strikes Back. I haven't decided yet if I'll let myself be taken in. Episodes I and II were so bad as to have made me hesitant to be optimistic.