StaffSgt. Phil

My sister sent me an e-mail over the weekend about her son. He's been in the Air National Guard since graduating from high school in May of 2001. Since then he's earned lots of awards and has been to some exciting places. Well, exciting if you're in the military, I guess, but not so exciting for his wife, mom, dad, grandmother and the rest of the family at home! He just returned from several months in Diego Garcia, which is a beautiful place when you look at pictures, but it is also home to those who fly missions to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Here is some of what she said, "I just wanted to share an e-mail that I shared with some friends. Every one of you are such a support and have been such a tremendously good influence on our sons, you must always know the outcomes. Phil will be deployed to Iraq in August. "

"After that he says he's going on an active duty hiatus, probably for the rest of his guard career (inasmuch as he can control that). While in Iraq he will re-up his enlistment to six more years (he plans on staying in for twenty). "

"Today he presented his dad and I with a very touching certificate and an American flag. The certificate is signed by the B-52 bomber pilot that accomplished an assisted mission with Phil and his team in Afghanistan. The flag flew in that bomber for this particular bombing. We're going to frame the flag and certificate with a picture of Phil beside it. This misson required Phil's team to hedge in some terrorists and pinpoint, via GPS, their position to where the bomb was dropped. Several terrorists .... gone .... courtesy of the red, white and blue!!!! His team participated in 36 missions, while in Diego Garcia. That's more than the ones before them. "

"Before he came home from his deployment he had mentioned telling us a lot of stories. Now that he's home, he has no desire to tell, which shows us his level of growth and maturity. He is the man we had hoped he would become. He only told what I told you all, and chooses for now not to say much more. For now and maybe forever. "

"I want you all to know and not just because I am his mom, but he, like the many other thousands of military men and women represents his country well, with a passion for our freedom and safety in his heart that no ocean can quench. He knows that he is a part of the world's most powerful military and and he knows how it got to be that way. "

"While his dad and I are not over 5'3", he stands tall at about 6' and he stands tall because he knows he is proud to serve the country he has loved for as long as I can remember. Your prayers are appreciated, as for all of our sons and daughters, wives and husbands in the military. "

Good job StaffSgt Phil and to your beautiful wife, Sarah, about whom my sister says our dad would have said, 'she's quite the girl!'. Yes, she is! And he'd be so proud of his grandson, StaffSgt Phil.

Good Job!

My five-year old grandson is an encourager. When we play games together or he's playing with his sister or friends, he will say to someone over and again, 'Good job!'. Well, this weekend and today he can say it to his mom (again!). Last spring she began training for triathlons. She's always been an athlete, in fact, her degree and certification is as an athletic trainer, with an added degree later in physical therapy.

She began training for and competing in sprint triathlons, which can sound gruesome and certainly are, without training. Her dad and I were able to be with her for all of her events except one last summer and it was pretty exciting to see the competitors of all shapes, sizes and ages compete so well. Our daughter also did well, especially for someone, who, although athletic all of her life, hated running! And this from an All-Conference competitor each year she competed in track in high school.

So, at the end of last summer, she joined a group called The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team In Training. The athletes solicit donations that go toward support needs for persons with blood cancers. In return, they receive professional coaching and a trip to compete in an endurance event. The event she trained for was the Jamba Juice Wildflower Triathlon at Lake San Antonio in California. I found out that it's known for its particularly hilly and greuling course and is one of the largest triathlon events in the world with 7500 competitors and about 30,000 spectators! Wow! For a young woman who came from a small high school and private college and lives in a not so largely populated city, well, it was overwhelming for her. But not so much that she didn't compete well.

She estimated she'd finish in 3.5 to 4 hours. Her finishing time was - 3 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds! It's a wonderful thing to reach for your dream and achieve it - so to my beautiful and bright daughter - 'good job!' As always, I'm so proud of you.