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As I type this, Bryan is someplace between here and Illinois. He had to go "be the rent-a-crowd," as he likes to put it. Some big general is getting some big award from the enlisted, so the Air Force sent people from many (all?) bases to witness the proceedings. I think they are also going to be there for a change-of-command ceremony the following day, but I'm not sure on that part.

I really can't count how many of these short TDYs Bryan has been gone for, but I do know this is the first one I thought was really dumb. I'm not complaining, really, just pointing out the fact that it's dumb. Here is why:

1. The general is not going to personally meet every airman there. They could all be from the same base, and I doubt he would notice. (The "Who Cares" Factor)
   
2. Approximately thirty people from our base are en route to this function. While this hardly makes a dent in the base population, I'm sure the loss will be felt at their respective jobs for the days they are gone. (The "Time Waste" Factor)
   
3. Imagine the cost of flying roughly thirty people from California to Illinois on military transport jet, or worse, a cargo jet. There are roughly 44 bases in the contiguous United States. How many more are sending troops to this ceremony, and at what cost to taxpayers? (The "Money Waste" Factor)

So, I think it's dumb. My personal motto, which I came up with years ago, is "It's the Air Force, it doesn't HAVE to make sense!" (All the Army wives I've met seem to agree it's the same way in the Army.) But, even though it's dumb, it's Bryan's job and so it is.