Page 11 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt 10-9-15

Thunderbolt
http://www.luke.af.mil
YOLO (from Page 2)
allowing it to detract from what
should have been enjoyable times
with my family.
I would have been more patient
and understanding with those clos-
est to me. Why I found it easier to
accept last-minute changes, minor
mistakes and oversights, and per-
sonal inconveniences at work than
at home is equally incomprehensible
and indefensible.
I would have made better use of
the leave afforded me choosing to
travel back home to see family more
regularly instead of hastily planning
leave as every Sept. 30 approached
simply to avoid losing it.
I would have asked for help when
I needed it.
Our middle child has struggled
for years with severe mental ill-
ness which at its worst threatened
my marriage, the well-being of my
family, and my child’s very own
life. Those are words that to this
day I have not spoken out loud
RXWVLGHRIIDPLOLDOFLUFOHV/LNHRWK-
ers who have had their priorities
wrong, I made the situation about
me internalizing how it would
make me look as a parent and as
DQ RIÀFHU :H WDON D JUHDW GHDO and family, leave your work at work,
DERXW&RPSUHKHQVLYH$LUPDQ)LW-
ness, about taking care of ourselves
and seeking help when we need
it. During that time, I would have
IWIWanatnTtoTBoeBReeRceyccylecdle.dor.ogrg
practiced what I so often preached.
Finally, I would not have made my
wife wait 20 years for me to take her
to ballroom dance lessons. Year after
year, I had an excuse and year after
year she pretended to understand.
Eventually I relented. Who knew
I would have liked it so much, let
alone be so darn good at it.
The demands placed on us by vir-
tue of our service are many, and they
are great, and they are such that we
must never allow personal desires,
agendas and comforts to take prior-
ity over accomplishing our assigned
mission or the needs of those under
our charge. However, service before
self does not mean forsaking our
responsibilities as spouses, parents,
friends, siblings, sons and daughters
and contributing members of soci-
ety. Far too many times, I have lost
sight of that.
, KDYH EHHQ FDUU\LQJ &RORQHO focused only on making sure the facility is main-
Blum’s words around with me for
more than 18 years. If I had it all to also drawing down,” Naughton said. “We’ve had
do over again, I would have referred
to them more often.
As he so artfully said, “The object
for all of us is to make sure we run
out of career, before we run out of
family.” So put in your leave paper-
work, surround yourself with friends
take a trip or maybe go dancing, and
for goodness sake do not wait until
next September to do it.
*You only live once
NEWS Oct. 9, 2015
11Facebook.com/LukeThunderbolt
AEW MDG (from Page 3) a lot of victories in removing unneeded or excess
materiel or transferring equipment to meet
ation mission; we keep patients here until they retrograde requirements. We are balancing all
are healthy enough for transportation to the next of that and still meeting Role 3 capabilities.”
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&HQWHUZKLFKLVD5ROHKRVSLWDOµ According to Naughton and Hatch, it was
rewarding to be a part of the mission to provide
According to Naughton, Hatch and his team extraordinary Role 3 medical care here.
have been part of some big successes to keep
patient care moving forward. “For me it’s rewarding to be here and be part
of this mission,” Hatch said. “I get to see the
“There were a few times when maintenance impact of my work. You see patients come into
issues came up in the middle of a mass casualty the facility, go into the operating room, see
HYHQWDQGWKH\PDGHUHSDLUVRQWKHÁ\µKHVDLG them in the ward a few days later and then see
“They got the repairs done quickly and got the them transported to Germany by the AE team.
doctors their equipment so they could continue It’s humbling and amazing to be a part of this.”
to provide care.”
Naughton says he loves the mission and be-
Naughton said it would take some time to ing there also.
highlight the great things done by Hatch and
his team. “We get to help people with life, limb and
eyesight medical care,” he said. “As support
“Sergeant Hatch has done a great job here,” he personnel we get to see the medical operations
said. “It would take me an hour to walk around as providers seamlessly care for patients. I
with you to show you all the improvements he like that I get to see patients come in, see the
has done to make this a better facility. We aren’t amazing things our medical providers do and
then get the patients moved on to higher ech-
tained and ready to go at a moment’s notice, but elons of care.”
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