Dave, Sandy, Yours Truly, and Jim. What an Opportunity for me to reunite with 3 Retired LN Chiefs!!! Wouldn't have missed it: this truly capped off a memorable experience here at Fort Dix!!

Retirement.....what I am now looking forward to! As luck would have it, mysteriously, the Army and the Navy actually did something right: the timing of my training here at Fort Dix allowed me a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend and participate in a Dear Friend's Retirement Ceremony. Although Jim (Anderson) and I have had our share of disagreements over hockey (He's an AV's fan and me, a Wings fan) it has really enforced the camaraderie between us. Jim has always been there for me as I "grew" up and became a Chief and a Senior Chief. He's always been my sounding board and voice of reason - when needed - on more than one occasion. After more than 21 years of most honorable service, Jim retires so he can now spend more time with his family and the necessary time in his new job at work. Life if certainly going to change for him, as it will for all of those who were fortunate to have worked for and with Jim. He deserves nothing short of the best of wishes and his wife, Karen, like every other military spouse, deserves the recognize she received at Jim's Retirement. It was great to see her again and finally meet their children. They have a beautiful family and I only wish them the best of luck as they move on to Jim's new "set of orders." Being a part of the Chief's Mess which "manned the rails" as Jim retired was a once in a lifetime opportunity, which I feel most fortunate to have witnessed and participated in. I wouldn't have changed it for the world. In my mind, witnessing Jim's retirement capped off a month of difficult training in the best way possible. As an additional bonus, Jim's retirement gave me the opportunity to see two other LN chief's who retired a few years ago. Honestly, I could not have asked for a better ending to what began as an extremely difficult day for me: I had to say good bye to my husband and kids for nearly a year..... It's always nice to experience Joy in my family (even if it's my Navy Family!) when another part of my family (my immediate family) experiences a difficulty.
As those in the Navy know......the Navy has a mysterious way! One might say that God made Jim's Retirement happen at a time when I was eontionally down, so Jim, Sandy, and Dave could be the shoulder's I needed to lean on. An irony I will not soon forget!!!!
Best of Luck to Jim and Karen! Congratulations on your Retirement!!!