Promotion!

Well, today was the day... I finally qualify for the single CHU I have been living in this whole time! Promotion seems a bit anti-climactic after the initial excitement of the selection announcement nearly 14 months ago... but, still, it is an important event in one's military career, so it was nice that my Army Family took the time to put on a proper ceremony complete with flags and the oath of office and the pinning. In this uniform the ranks are held on with velcro; this certainly makes the symbolic (and actual) changing of the ranks a fair bit easier than the pinning that previously occurred.... and thank goodness, I think my chest is skinny enough that I would get a pneumothorax with any of the "traditional" pinning ceremonies! Funny, but this is actually my first real promotion ceremony. The day I graduated medical school PEg and the kids and I went down to the recruiters office in downtown Pittsburgh (I was in nice civilian clothes post-graduation) and signed a piece of paper and took and oath, but it was mostly a quick formality. (BTW, that promotion was from O-1, ensign, to O-3, lieutenant; there is a special name for that besides promotion, but it escapes me at the moment.) My next promotion occurred just before leaving Maryland to move to San Diego; I just walked into an office, signed a piece of paper and was on my way, nothing to it. So, again, nice that the Army made more of a deal about the whole thing than I would have expected.

I think the bit I am most excited about is that I will now get a chance to wear the CDR insignia that JP gave me so many years ago--that will be worth the 14 month wait.

Anyway, I am now officially much more handsome, significantly smarter, and all around improved!