HomeNewsCommentariesDisplay

Summer is bittersweet time

By Lt. Col. Thomas Couture, 341st Space Wing Judge Advocate / Published September 27, 2006

PRINT | E-MAIL
Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. -- The arrival of summer, normally a joyous time identified with nicer weather, the end of school and family vacations, is also a bittersweet time for Air Force members. Bitter-sweet because it signals the arrival of another "season," one unique to the military: the PCS season. I was reminded of this the other day when, driving up Gumwood, I watched as my son said goodbye to one of his best friends the night before he and his family departed Malmstrom. Even though I wasn't immediately aware of what was happening, from down the street, my son's slumped shoulders and red face told me the whole story. I made sure I gave him a hug and reminded him of all the ways he could stay in touch with his buddy and all the new friends he would make. But it's hard to tell your 12 year old that he may never see a best friend again. In the military we do it all the time. 

Few civilian careers require such a frequency of movement, or turnover in management and employees, as does military service. Of course, our kids are not the only ones who experience such a sense of loss. I imagine many of you have experienced similar feelings, especially during change of command season which is a rite of passage for members and their families. During this turnover long-established relationships are brought to an abrupt end as friends and colleagues head off to their next assignments. Severing these professional and sometimes personal bonds can be difficult, especially when we all know we may never work together again. And these feelings aren't limited to the military. At Malmstrom, like many bases, we are fortunate to have close relationships with our community supporters. Although not rare for a departing member to return to duty here, our local friends recognize a change of command signifies the potential end of a close relationship they have come to appreciate. Sometimes local supporters really don't want you to leave and try to encourage you to retire just so you'll stay here! I guess that's one way to know you've really made a friend. 

Fortunately, all is not sadness. Just as we know that departing members are continuing their own career or life path, we also experience the excitement and anticipation that comes from meeting new friends and colleagues who will challenge us in different ways, allowing us to become better, more effective Airmen. In fact, I see all these career-long relationships as a patchwork quilt each friend we make adds his or her unique scrap of cloth to, enriching the whole of our military experience. While military service requires us to part company with friends on a regular basis, we are also lucky our service allows us to form relationships with people whom we would otherwise never have met. We can also be proud of our ability to thrive despite these changes, making us stronger and better able to accomplish our mission. 

So, like I told my son, cherish the memories of the friends you've made and look forward to the friends you will make. In closing, let me bid a fond farewell to those who have left us; and to those new arrivals, welcome to Malmstrom!
USAF Comments Policy
If you wish to comment, use the text box below. AF reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.

This is a moderated forum. That means all comments will be reviewed before posting. In addition, we expect that participants will treat each other, as well as our agency and our employees, with respect. We will not post comments that contain abusive or vulgar language, spam, hate speech, personal attacks, violate EEO policy, are offensive to other or similar content. We will not post comments that are spam, are clearly "off topic", promote services or products, infringe copyright protected material, or contain any links that don't contribute to the discussion. Comments that make unsupported accusations will also not be posted. The AF and the AF alone will make a determination as to which comments will be posted. Any references to commercial entities, products, services, or other non-governmental organizations or individuals that remain on the site are provided solely for the information of individuals using this page. These references are not intended to reflect the opinion of the AF, DoD, the United States, or its officers or employees concerning the significance, priority, or importance to be given the referenced entity, product, service, or organization. Such references are not an official or personal endorsement of any product, person, or service, and may not be quoted or reproduced for the purpose of stating or implying AF endorsement or approval of any product, person, or service.

Any comments that report criminal activity including: suicidal behaviour or sexual assault will be reported to appropriate authorities including OSI. This forum is not:

  • This forum is not to be used to report criminal activity. If you have information for law enforcement, please contact OSI or your local police agency.
  • Do not submit unsolicited proposals, or other business ideas or inquiries to this forum. This site is not to be used for contracting or commercial business.
  • This forum may not be used for the submission of any claim, demand, informal or formal complaint, or any other form of legal and/or administrative notice or process, or for the exhaustion of any legal and/or administrative remedy.

AF does not guarantee or warrant that any information posted by individuals on this forum is correct, and disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any such information. AF may not be able to verify, does not warrant or guarantee, and assumes no liability for anything posted on this website by any other person. AF does not endorse, support or otherwise promote any private or commercial entity or the information, products or services contained on those websites that may be reached through links on our website.

Members of the media are asked to send questions to the public affairs through their normal channels and to refrain from submitting questions here as comments. Reporter questions will not be posted. We recognize that the Web is a 24/7 medium, and your comments are welcome at any time. However, given the need to manage federal resources, moderating and posting of comments will occur during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Comments submitted after hours or on weekends will be read and posted as early as possible; in most cases, this means the next business day.

For the benefit of robust discussion, we ask that comments remain "on-topic." This means that comments will be posted only as it relates to the topic that is being discussed within the blog post. The views expressed on the site by non-federal commentators do not necessarily reflect the official views of the AF or the Federal Government.

To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include personally identifiable information, such as name, Social Security number, DoD ID number, OSI Case number, phone numbers or email addresses in the body of your comment. If you do voluntarily include personally identifiable information in your comment, such as your name, that comment may or may not be posted on the page. If your comment is posted, your name will not be redacted or removed. In no circumstances will comments be posted that contain Social Security numbers, DoD ID numbers, OSI case numbers, addresses, email address or phone numbers. The default for the posting of comments is "anonymous", but if you opt not to, any information, including your login name, may be displayed on our site.

Thank you for taking the time to read this comment policy. We encourage your participation in our discussion and look forward to an active exchange of ideas.