Day 4

Today was a long but very eventful day. We woke up at 4:30 am and got ready for our day. Amazingly, we were all quick to get ready and out of bed. I guess the adrenaline was pumping. We got to the base about 6:15. We sat thru a briefing about all the dos and don'ts of the base. What our airman could and could not do? He can't walk and drink, can't stand and eat, no PDA, etc, etc. Following the briefing we were all released and basically ran to get a spot on the street for the Airman's run. We stood there for about an hour waiting for them but it was all good. This morning it was overcast and there was a breeze which made it pleasant. We were able to spot Justin on the first pass and he saw us as well. He even looked over and smiled. It was easy to spot us since we had made lime green shirts (Nicole's idea). On his second pass I was able to snap a photo. Following the run we made the quick dash for the stands to get a seat. Now mind you we had a 2 1/2 hour wait til the coin ceremony but I had read that in order to have a seat you must get there early. Luckily we did, because there were a lot of people standing behind the lines and in the sun. When the airmen marched in each flight had a designated spot on the mat. Justin's flight was announced along with the fact that they made Honor Flight, meaning they had scored the most total points over the 8.5 weeks. This is a nice surprise as it comes with a town pass on Sunday. At the end of the ceremony, families were released to find their Airmen. In order for the Airmen to move they must be "tapped out". This basically means that someone needs to touch them, hug them, shake their hand. We stood there looking at him and teasing him but not touching him. It was killing him and me so I finally broke and gave him a great big hug. We spent the rest of the day hanging out on the base, mostly the BX food court where he could eat and it was air conditioned. We finally took him to the ballfield a little before 7pm so that he could find a wingman and walk back to the dorms. Apparently they are not allowed to walk anywhere alone. Tomorrow is graduation. He will be wearing his 3 ribbons that he has earned. He has a town pass for the next 3 days but has to report back to the dorm each night. More tomorrow about graduation