Ryan's Home!

Today the girls and I went to Andrews Air Force Base to welcome Ryan as he returned home from his trip overseas. I am so glad we were able to do this for multiple reasons. First, Ryan spent the last week + traveling with about 40 other people, and it was fun for me to get to meet them too. Second, the last time we were at Andrews was when Ryan's parents and I flew home with Ryan from Germany to begin his treatment at Walter Reed. It's fair to say this trip was a little different!!! And finally, along the same vein as the above reason, Ryan and I never really got to experience him coming home from Iraq with the rest of the battalion. So, for us, this was a mini version of the redeployment we never really had. All those things aside, the girls and I are just happy to have him back home with us! We missed him! We're hoping some people from the trip will share more photos with us, but for now, you can see all the pics we have on THIS LINK. The outline below should help to make sense of all the pics...

Ryan's trip:

Day 1- Saturday 5/22

Arrived in Wichita, KS and hung out with some friends from Ft. Riley (Timmy & Corey!) and met up with some of the other people who would be on the Coaches Tour.

Days 2 & 3- Sunday 5/23 & Monday 5/24

Gathered gear for Iraq, prepped to leave- 9 hour flight to Ramstein Germany on a KC-135. Arrived in Germany at 7am, unloaded gear and give away items (Under Armour stuff, and college football souvenirs) and went to the hotel. Went to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (where Ryan was treated in Nov. 2005) so the coaches could do an autograph session and pass out stuff. Dinner (including schnitzel and other authentic German food) and off to bed!

Day 4- Tuesday 5/25

Plane to Bahrain- 5 hours on the KC-135. Autograph session at the PX.

Day 5- Wednesday 5/26

C2-COD plane to the USS Eisenhower (an aircraft carrier off the coast on Oman). Landed (de-acceleration from 135mph-0mph in 2 SECONDS!) Lunch hosted by the Navy personnel, watched jets (F-18's) take off and land from the flight line. Tour of the bridge of the ship (sat in the Captain's chair!), autographs in the hanger bay, passed out gear... Slept in a 2 man state room in a bunk bed!

Day 6- Thursday 5/27

Watched the Eisenhower and Destroyer be resupplied at sea. Mail, produce, fuel, necessary equipment transferred aboard via helicopter and zip line. Watched flight more flight operations from just below the bridge, lunch and departure from the carrier (3 G's!!!- Acceleration from 0-170mph in 3 seconds!) 2 hours back to Bahrain. Waited for KC-135 from Turkey and then loaded and left for Kuwait. Spent the night in trailers very similar to the ones Ryan stayed in when he was deployed to Iraq).

Day 7- Friday 5/28

7am flight delayed until noon. C-130 to Balad, Iraq. Meet and greet at a support unit, lunch, autographs, and a flag football team with the troops coached by the college coaches. Tour of the flight line and saw an F-16 and Predator Unmanned Arial Vehicle. Slept in decent conditions- a 6 man room with running water.

Day 8- Saturday 5/29

Tour of the Air Force Theatre Hospital in Balad, Iraq. Spoke with medical staff and handed out WWP/Under Armour backpacks to wounded Service Members. Tour of the MEDEVAC flight line. C-130 back to Kuwait. Upon departure, all of the coaches, coaches tour staff and flight crew lined up bordering the entry of the plane and saluted Ryan as he left Iraq for the second time- much different than his first departure!!!! In Kuwait, more autographs and flag football- bedtime in the same trailers as Thursday.

Day 9- Sunday 5/30

Morning flight (KC-135) originally intended for the Azores, but due to weather landed 7 hours later in Rota, Spain instead. In Rota, stayed in a Navy Hotel (very nice!) and went to dinner off base at a restaurant right by the Atlantic Ocean. Walked around on the beach...

Day 10- Monday, 5/31

8 hour KC-135 flight to Andrews Air Force Base. (This base is only about a 20 minute drive from our house). Nancy, Jillian & Liv were able to meet Ryan plane side (he was the first one off the plane!) and greet him with lots of hugs and kisses!

It was a great trip!!!

Finally, we would be remiss not to add that the occasion of Ryan safely returning home on Memorial Day from this trip to Iraq is especially poignant... our thoughts are with the loved ones of Mills & Hasse as well as with our good friend Dena and all those missing our dear friend Rob.

To all the families of service members who have paid the ultimate price, we appreciate the sacrifice they and you have made in service to our country.