Pilot’s retirement ceremony and celebration

Share a review of the pilot’s retirement celebrations. After working in the Air Force for less than 22 years, he completed it!

I’ve started this post a few times and have so much to say so I ended up splitting it into two posts: a look back at the amazing military career of the pilot and everything we’ve done to celebrate + what I’ve lived with my military wife everything.

This is a day we have been excited for some time and we are so grateful to many of our friends and family for being able to celebrate with us.

We love photos of many people we celebrate with:

The pilot retired a few weeks ago and we spent the entire weekend celebrating this important milestone. The family started flying on Wednesday afternoon and evening so we just met the drinks and Zinburger at home. On Thursday, we had a family pickle party at Corbett’s and hosted a lot of apps and some friendly pickle competitions. We returned here for supper and Friday was a big day.

He has the standard “Fini Flight” which is your last flight in the squadron. He led some of his closest friends around Tucson to lead four, and fired a few more times, and we were able to head to the flight line to see his land. Everyone cheered as they flew over their heads, which was really exciting.

He boarded the plane for the last time and waved to everyone Top Gun style.

One of his closest captains came in from Las Vegas, and the day was the last time his crew member had.

We sprayed him with water and champagne

Take a million photos

(I love these ladies very much)

(Pilot’s best friend since 7 years old)

Then head to the indoor ceremony.

I’m not quite sure how they consolidated his incredible career into a short ceremony, but they did an incredible job. Short version: He has 3,400 hours in the A-10, four deployments, teaching at the A-10 school building for 7 1/2 years, Bronze Star and multiple Medals of Excellence Service. He was a coach pilot, an assessor (can check with other pilots), combat search and rescue, and forward air controller.

Even if he has achieved all of his achievements on paper, I have to really see the behind-the-scenes stunts of everything he has done as a squadron commander over the past three years. He kept on the phone and sorting out the issues, working on the computer all night and really caring for everyone in the squadron. He changed others through severe illness and a huge life, helped those who transitioned to find new opportunities and employment, wrote awards, helped retire and transition, and provided constant support to the squadron. He did all of this while working hard to balance everything with family life.

It was an honor to be around him and I was proud of his achievements and leadership.

After the ceremony, it was the time for the party! We headed to the dining room at To The Hawaiin Bros (Ode to the 47th Squadron), the most epic cake and cupcakes from the country bakery, and arrived at the Squadron Bar.

(It has all the patches for each squadron he participates in)

They did more awards in it.

Everyone came home to calm down and reorganize, and then we were open houses in Three Canyon, a local beer garden with live music. I thought friends and family would pop out and say hello and leave when they want to (especially because we are on the basis of the day), but our friends showed up and closed the restaurant with us. It’s epic.

The next day, I planned some optional activities for my friends and family in town: hiking in Sabino Canyon,

P’s basketball game (she won’t miss her club game since she’s participating)

and dinner in Charro.

For our 25-year-old group, El Charro really surpassed it. I booked a few months in advance and they took us to the back room with a setting menu.

Children’s desk:

Everyone has salad, avocado sauce, salsa, fries and green chili cheese chips, and then choose enchiladas, tacos or tortillas. We made the margarita pitcher for the table and everything was so easy, so fresh and nice. This is the perfect way to end the weekend!

I have questions about what pilots will do after retirement from the Air Force. He will take a leave of absence in the next few months before he returns to commercial airlines. For now, he enjoyed well-deserved X-box time with his friends, extra naps and just relaxed. After such a high stressful lifestyle, I’m glad he had the opportunity to relax.

xoxo

Gina

*All FINI flights and ritual photos are amazing Kristi Harris