JAG recruiting

As you may or may not know the Air Force is drastically reducing the number of JAGs they are accepting. --"DAP Accessions Board Schedule Changes In February 2011, AFPC announced a reduction of the total number of accessions entering active duty for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. The full extent of this drawdown and how it would impact the JAG Corps did not become clear until February. Based on these lower accession numbers, we were unable to make any selections at the February 2011 DAP Board. In addition, TJAG directed that the number of annual DAP boards be reduced from six to three, meeting in October, December and April. This amended schedule should streamline the DAP board process, while still attracting quality candidates. Therefore, the June and August 2011 DAP Boards are cancelled and the next DAP board will meet in October 2011. The ROTC boards will continue to be held in February and the FLEP/ELP boards in March. Updates regarding the DAP boards will be advertised on the USAF JAGC Recruiting Facebook site, www.facebook.com/USAFJAG. Recruits may also call 1-800-JAG-USAF for more information." Keep this information in mind as you wait to hear back from board reviews as the timeline from here on out will be different than what WE experienced. Hope this helps if you are in the beginning stages of the interview process.

Happiest Place on Earth

We took a much needed family vacation to DisneyWorld. What's even better is that we saved a lot of money and received great benefits. Military members get discounts on Disney tickets. Each year Disney offers different promotions. Last year they offered a 3 day park hopper pass for $99. This year the deal was a 4 day park hopper pass for $138. You can purchase up to 6 tickets at that price. Your friends or family can use them as long as the military member or spouse is there on the first day to register the tickets. Awesome huh?? We saved hundreds. My brother and his family came along with us. To top it off we stayed at this FABULOUS military only Disney Resort..........

The Shades of Green is one of four military resorts. The other three are located in Hawaii, Germany and Korea. The Shades of Green is located right across the street from the Polynesian Disney Resort which has monorail service directly to Magic Kingdom and Epcot. It took about 10 minutes to walk there and made it VERY convenient to get to and from the theme parks. For a rank of O-3 (Captain) it cost us $133 a night for a huge pool side room. The rooms are the largest of all Disney Resorts. I am so glad we stayed here. Such a great vacation. The only problem now is that I don't have anything else to look forward to but our move to Germany. So now I feel a lot of pressure to start preparing and getting things in order for our move.

I hope to do a good job keeping you all informed on all the tasks that go into PCSing (moving permanently) overseas. If I do a good job at updating this blog on all that goes into moving overseas I feel like it could really benefit those of you who will be doing so someday. There are passports to get, 3 different packing dates to coordinate, medical paperwork to get cleared for myself and children and soooooo much more. I better get started!!!!!!

Promotion to Captain

I stressed about Top Gun's promotion ceremony more than I should have. I will tell you what we did and then what others have done.

We provided heavy appetizers after his pinning ceremony. We had a large fruit salad, chips and dip, spinach dip in a bread bowl with extra bread along side it, veggie trays and a large cake with punch. Plus I had some pretzles I dipped in chocolate in cute jars just to spruce up the table a little. The ceremony was around 2:00 so I knew most would have just barely eaten lunch. We had tons of food leftover. We did hold it on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving so people were out of the office which had something to do with it.

Another Captain who was single took the other Captains to a restaurant after her ceremony and bought appetizers and drinks for everyone. Another served lunch at their house, subway sandwiches and salad on a completely different day than his pinning ceremony. Another served lunch there at the courthouse afterwards, meatballs, side salads, sandwiches, etc. I think Top Gun said someone bought pizza for everyone once too.

Generally, (which I have yet to see it happen on the Captain level) they say you spend one months increase in pay from one rank to the next when promoting. Top Gun has been to a Lt.Colonel pinning ceremony of a friend of ours from church and he had a full on catered BBQ lunch afterwards. This is not uncommon once you get up in rank like that. Amy, I hope this information helps.

It won't be easy...

...to leave all my friends here in Texas. As a JAG family we will move alot. This could be a good thing if we are in a place we hate (which I don't see ever happening for us b/c we always try to make the best of everything) but it could happen I suppose. I LOVE my friends here and Germany is sooooo far away! I am having one of those days where I am trying to enjoy every second a little more because I won't have these wonderful people to be with much longer. I know when I move I will make new friends and new bonds will develop but it is sad to think that the people I am surrounded by now will just become memories. Do you ever wonder how you can be so close to people and then in a matter of a few years hardly talk to them? I know life moves on, new friendships, new priorities arise. Distance plays a big role too. There will be those few that stay life long friends but overall these thoughts are making me sad today. Tomorrow is my birthday! Tonight we are going to dinner with 5 other couples and then playing charades at a friends house! It will be bitter sweet.

What is Dining Out?

Dining out is a traditional, formal event after completion/graduation of COT and there's another one after JASCO. I did not attend. I had zero interest in flying to Alabama on my own dime. Top Gun said there were some spouses there and all he remembers of the events was that there was a luncheon for spouses one day. Not very helpful huh? He didn't really pay attention to what the events were. Sorry, I can't be of more help. I remember receiving emails and letters in the mail inviting me to COT graduation so look out for those and it should give you more information as to what will happen the week leading up to graduation. I do remember Top Gun giving them my email address right when he arrived at COT so they could contact me with information about graduation weeks' festivities.

Dining Out at the end of COT and JASCO

Hi Eileen!

Do you mean what is the dress for you or for your husband? Your husband (if he's not going to the May COT class) will wear Servicemen Dress. It is soooooo stinking expensive and they don't wear it much. You could say it is equivalent to a tuxedo. They will wear it to any formal military event, including Dining Out.

Top Gun went to COT in the summer (May's COT) with all the "gonna be" doctors. That COT class didn't have to purchase the Servicemen Dress because they figure after medical school all the doctors would not fit in it by the time they actually started working in the Air Force. Which only meant Top Gun got to wait a few more weeks before he had to purchase it while he was at JASCO.

As to what you should wear, well it is a formal event. Usually that means a long dress but if you have an elegant short dress I would say that would be fine too. Good luck and HAPPY SHOPPING!

Summer 2011

EUROPE HERE WE COME!!!