Yesterday was my retirement ceremony. It was a small gathering. This was fitting both because of the location, where fewer special operations forces provide superior quality effects, and also because my service has never been conventional or popular.
It was a special occasion attended by special people. I was honored to have the best commander I have known give the invocation, an outstanding NCO who understands the meaning of public service narrate the proceedings, and the small audience included people I look up to for their defense of this nation. It was necessarily a small yet elite group of public servants.
It was officiated by my wife who started her career protecting me and my crew in a time of war as our intelligence officer, and who has continued to help keep me survivable against the many threat rings from domestic enemies as well. We have gone to war together both figuratively and literally and there is no other officer more worthy to stand by my side as my career was concluded.
There is no reason to recite her comments or my own in this final blog post. The posts here have done that for years.
This blog began years ago at the request of the Air Force inviting airmen to be its voice in the blogosphere. As my service has now concluded, so also has this blog.
May God bless and restore the United States of America.