And this was a good idea how?

So, oddly enough, just over a decade later, I find myself doing this again.  Some key differences this time - kids are now a decade older, so my baby (who was 2 when I left) is now an indifferent 13 year old teenager and the rest have graduated high school - #3 is off for his freshman year of college in the fall.  So, that part is easier.  Also, they have made the process 'gentler' this time - I received the call just before Christmas for an early June report date.  Blogging a six month countdown - or even the last few weeks - just didn't seem worth it.  But, now I just wrapped up my first day in Norfolk, VA at 'ECRC' where I am transitioning back to active military.  Yep.

A bit about what I am doing.  My original orders had me going to Tampa, FL (aka Tampastan in mil speak - a somewhat derisive term from those who actually go overseas into harms way) and working at US CENTRAL COMMAND (CENTCOM).  That was a pretty sweet deal, and over the intervening months we had visions of regular family visits and an apartment where they could leave stuff... sort of like a vacation house.  But, that plan blew up a month out... the guy I am replacing called me up and I could tell right away something was amiss - the job was moving to the actual Middle East.  It took a couple of weeks to sort out - oddly enough it was finally settled when the wife and I were in Tampa on a vacation / apartment hunting trip - and during that trip it went from 'Tampa is back on' to 'not Tampa' in the space of 12 hours.... so instead of looking for apartments, we hung out at the beach and enjoyed the Tiki bar.  The change also pushed the start date out a month, so was able to attend son's HS graduation and watch daughter's soccer team win the state cup.

The process was a bit different this time - besides being much longer (from 2 months to almost 7!) they added a lot of checklists / administrivia.  So, it didn't even seem real until the last couple of weeks.  And, having gone though it before, was rather low key - don't even have to go to Fort Jackson this time, just a brief stop in Tampa before heading back to the Middle East.