Still so much to learn...

Guilty party

I am now on my TDY (temporary duty) tour here at one of the nicest places on earth, beautiful Palo Alto, California, serving as a chaplain and learning at the Veteran's Hospital here.  We are right down the street from Stanford University and very near the famous "Silicon Valley".  And just about 40 minutes or so south of San Francisco.

This is quite a place.  Very different than my last two harsh deployment tours (Antarctica and Arabia)!   My mobilty bag (see photo) survived two global deployments....but did not survive two weeks in Palo Alto, CA.  (Rather,  two bored little doggies in my hotel room who chewed through it trying to get to their treats inside...)

The VA Hospital I am happy to report, is one of the most beautiful and modern VA's I have ever seen.  And I am quite lucky to be here, serving here and learning. 

This is a side of the military I have not yet seen much of...all the years I have been in...what happens after the vets get discharged?  What happens to the vets who are injured...and do not fly home with their units, but rather, in planes that take them from SW Asia to the USA...to a hospital or care facility?

They are young and they are old.  Some are in between.  Vietnam vets, Afghanistan vets, Iraq vets, people still on active duty, people who got out long ago.   Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force.  National Guard.  Reserves, and so on.   The veteran's do receive top notch treatment here. 

One vet I was visiting the other day said he had been in 30 years.  I asked him to share some wisdom from all his years in the service.  He said "Don't let the B.S. get to you!"   We both laughed.

Still so much to learn....

Sigh.