Epilogue

Class picture - Major Haigh is in the back row, far left. I lost about 7 pound from the time that picture was taken until I left... My roomate, Bryce Coombs is standing to my left (your right)

Looking back, my five weeks at COT were some of the greatest days of my life. I held my own with people less than half my age, and pushed myself to do things I never thought I could do. I learned things about myself that didn’t make me proud – but I am inspired to work on them. I learned so much from so many people, from Major Haigh to my roommate, Bryce Coombs. I developed a whole new understanding of religious pluralism and found that experience did wonders for my own religious identity and convictions. In so many ways, I wish I had done this twenty five years ago. I believe I would have been a better person, a better husband and a better father. 

 

Coming home was weird. I found myself walking with cupped hands and turning sharp corners. One of my children claimed he was keeping a count of how many stories I recounted of my experiences. I saw things from very different perspectives, looking for structure and order were there was very little. I chilled after a while, but I view things very differently. 

 

Coming back to my Guard unit was even stranger. I had been told countless times that the Guard is just a different animal than active duty Air Force – but I had no idea. The first day I came back I made a bee-line for the base commander’s office (Col Montgomery). He put out his hand and I preempted him by standing at attention, snapping a salute, and said, “SIR, Chaplain Captain Friedman reports!” – he laughed and said (with his heavy Southern drawl), “Boy, we’re gonna have to unstarch the crap outta you!” So many of the customs and courtesies that had been drilled in to my head – NEVER standing with your hands in your pockets, haircuts to standards, proper greetings, of course saluting – are not really a big deal here. At the first Commander’s Call (the roll call for the wing leadership), I was congratulated for completing the course, at which point Col Montgomery announced, “Watch it – he’s all fired up!” to which I responded, “SIR! The Kool-Aid was blue and I drank of it copiously!!” It’s really how I feel.  I am so proud to wear this uniform; I wish I could wear it every day. So what will happen when my four years are up? Who knows? I will be (God-willing) a functioning attorney – will I have time for this? 

 

Next up will be my six-week Basic Chaplain Course (BCC). I am supposed to finish it with 24 months of my commissioning (Dec ‘11). However, the dates of the course have to work with my law school schedule; this year, I couldn’t have done it.  I was assured that next year they will have more dates available – but if not this year, they will give me a waiver to take it when I finish school in May ’12. My dream is finishing school, studying for the bar exam, taking the exam in July/August and then leaving for a 6-month deployment (covering the High Holidays and Passover). I REALLY want to go… 

 

We’ll see.