Retirement!
     Yes, that's right, folks... Dad has finally reached retirement age!  For those civilians out there, that doesn't mean 65... that means 20 years.  As of 1 Feb 2001 (yes, that's a military date... I promise to quit using them soon), I'll have 20 years and two days in the Air Force, and that's enough!
     That's my official retirement date, but because I took very little time off during my last year in service, I actually went to work and wore a uniform for the last time on November 2nd.  Take a good look at the picture to the fight... It's the last time you'll ever see me in uniform!!
I know! The page is out of date! I'll do something about it soon!

Merry Christmas From Our Family to Yours

I've always been REALLY terrible about keeping family and friends up to date with what's going on with our family.  I do apologize for this, and hope to turn a new leaf over now that I'm (re)entering the new world of civilian life.  Hopefully this newsletter will be the first of many more to come, and at intervals of less than a few years apart!

Anyway, we wish you all the best of holidays... Especially those serving our country overseas.  It can be tough being away from family and friends, but rest assured our thoughts are with you as always.  I could rattle off the old, "been there, done that", but that sure doesn't make it any easier or bring you any closer to home... but I can thank you for your sacrifice.

     Don't I wish I could really retire.  But no, folks, retiree pay won't quite support a family... so off to work I go!  But as the wifey would say, I was blessed.. I walked out the door on my last duty day, and walked in the door about a half mile away exactly 11 days later as Mr. Lloyd!
     Not only did I get a job right away, but I couldn't be happier with it.  I work for a company called Veridian, as a contractor in the AFCERT.  For those of you not in the Air Force, and for those of you who are in the Air Force but have no idea what I'm talking about, the AFCERT is the Air Force Computer Emergency Response Team.
     We're the ones who monitor every Air Force computer network worldwide... plus a few other computers here and there.  If they listen to our recommendations and instructions, they don't get hacked into.  If they don't listen, then they get hacked into, we stop the hackers and take appropriate actions, then proceed to club the idiots who got broken into with... well, we wish we could smack them around a bit, anyway.
     It's really fascinating work, and I couldn't be happier... now I actually get PAID for dinking around with computers all day!