Major Steps Forward

It's been all Air Force all the time around here, as our move draws closer.

We're down to 46 days before we drive to Baltimore, then catch our flight to Germany the next day.  Now, if we were footloose and fancyfree non-pet owners, we'd just fly up to Baltimore and after a layover, hop on the overseas flight.  However, the planes that fly from Charleston to Baltimore are too small to send dogs in the cargo hold.  So.  Enter complications.

After a great deal of head scratching, price comparisons, and not a little whining (on my part), we've come up with the following plan.

Early May 14th: Load the car and make the 10 hour drive up to Baltimore, check into a hotel around 7 pm.

Early May 15th: Split up after breakfast.  I'll take the shuttle to the airport and pick up a rental car that will fit all of our crap, including aforementioned animules.  Colby will take his car to the port to have it shipped to Germany where it won't arrive for another 6 weeks or so.  I'll take the rental back to the hotel, do another round of loading, then head to the port to pick Colby up, and back to the airport where I'll drop him at the curb with all of our stuff, bring the rental back, then God willing and the creek don't rise, check in to the AMC terminal with plenty of time to spare before our last possible check-in time.

First order of business when we arrive in Germany will be to buy something fuel-efficient that Colby will use to drive to work and we can share until his car arrives by boat.

The joy of this all, is that the Air Force would have covered our flight from Charleston to Baltimore, but the best we're going to get out of them in this scenario is if they MAYBE cover our rental car.  Seriously, after having dogs I don't see how kids won't be an absolute breeze.

So, it'll be a hassle, but at least the plan has been made and solidified and it's not hanging over our heads anymore.  Next order of business is getting the dogs vaccinated and micro-chipped, and I have an appointment to get that ball rolling in a couple of weeks.

The other big excitement lately is that the Air Force major promotion list came out yesterday, and Colby made the grade!  We weren't really too worried about whether he'd be selected or not, but major is the first rank where a promotion board meets to review the candidates and more than just a pulse is required from the eligible ladies and gentlemen.  Colby and all of the other captains who commissioned in 2003 submitted their Promotion Recommendation Forms at the end of 2011, and we've just been waiting around these past few months to hear the results.

I'm so proud of him that he was one of the 90% selected from the pool of applicants, and eventually there is a nice pay raise that will come with this promotion.  Unfortunately, due to the way Congress budgets for military salaries, we won't reap the benefits until mid-2013.  Each officer who is selected for promotion is given a line number based on their date of commissioning, and that line number dictates the order in which they are allowed to "pin on" their new rank and begin receiving their pay increase.

It's all very confusing and much more labrynthine than it probably needs to be, but alas, tis the way of the military.  Now it will probably be another 6 years or so before we have to run another promotion gauntlet, so Colby will be able to just sit back and relax with his oak leaves for a little while!

The crazy thing is, I can remember sitting in my ROTC classroom in college, watching while our Commandant of Cadets taped cardboard bronze oak leaves onto the shoulders of our instructors who had just found out they made Major, and I just thought they were SO OLD.  So.  I guess that makes us old now.  Rank and forehead wrinkles don't lie.

Comments

[Jas]

Congratulations to Colby! Also BWI is a great airport. I'm so excited for your Germany life. :)

[bill]

Wait a minute. Something there sounds familiar. just wait until you're looking back on when you had the gold leaves pinned and it feels like it was a long time ago! How does that happen?! =)
Our logistical adventure to Germany was exciting like yours but noting compared to the return...went over with one dog and a pickup truck. 3-years later returned en route to California with one dog, two car shipments and twin 4-month olds!!! Enjoy the adventure. It ends too soon and makes the "real" world seem monotonous and boring. Safe travels and best of luck to you and Colby!

[Casey]

Congrats to your hubby! My hubs will pin on Captain in May! He found out he made the cut 4 months ago, but has to wait till his commission date too. Annoying, but thankful it's coming nevertheless! Hearing your stories about getting ready for your move to Germany reminds me of our journey to Deutschland just 9 months ago! Hard to believe we've been here that long...but I promise, all the running around and moving headaches will be worth it when you finally get here! You guys are going to LOVE it!! Especially now that the sun is out and it's warming up!

[margaret]

Congratulations to Colby! Glad you have gotten things figured out...good luck in the execution.

[A Super Girl]

Major!! Woo! I remember when my father was a major in the Army. I thought he was old, too :-) He probably was 5-10 years older than us, so no worries, you guys are still very very young!

[Molly]

You've got to be so relieved to have a plan in motion - even if that plan is as complicated as yours has to be. Just think, once you and the doggies are in Germany all this crazy will be behind you and there will be plenty of pretzels and beer to celebrate!!
And cograts on the hubby's major promotion to Major. (see what I did there?)

[Melissa]

Congrats to Colby! Awesome! That does sound like a hassle but i hope it all goes very smoothly! I would have to have my dog every step of the way, so i get it! :)

[Thoughts Appear]

May I recommend the Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore for Captain Crunch French Toast?

[Kate P]

Major congratulations to Colby and best wishes on the moving plans. Being organized is half the battle, right?

I love breakfast anytime--looks as if Thoughts Appear's recommendation gives me yet another excuse to visit my great-aunt in Baltimore (even though we have to take her to the Cheesecake Factory!).

[erin - heart in ireland]

Congrats to Colby!

And logistics are the worst - especially when it involves complicated things such as pets and travel!

Can't wait for dinner on Friday! Woo!

[Lynn]

Congratulations to Colby! And thank goodness that you have your logistics figured out. What a pain in the butt.

[Kendra]

Traveling w/dogs is a pain when you PCS here. We drove to Baltimore too, instead of flying and they paid for our mileage only.

Congrats to Colby!

I cant wait until you get here!!! YES, I do want you to nanny for us if everything works out. I actually have an informal job interview for a PT position on Tuesday! Start date sometime in July!

Do you have my contact info? Our good friends are moving on base, likely in May and are looking for new tenants in their current house in Weilerbach. Great house and under your cap. Let me know if youd like details/pictures.