Destination Sitka

I arrived at the ferry station outside Sitka at 10am.  Petty Officer Pickard called just before I arrived giving me directions to the Air Station.  Once arriving on base, he quickly took me into the hangar and introduced me to the Aviation Engineering Senior Chief as well as some of the other crewmembers.  They were all very nice and helpful.  Since I hadn't planned on showing up until Monday, when he took me through to meet certain individuals I was less than comfortable.  Being in civilian attire and having a beard is not necessarily the look you want when first meeting your higher-ups.  After checking into housing and being shown around the base, I was wondering around the helicopter hangar waiting on AMT2 Pickard when I heard, "are you lost?"  Immediately I turned around to see 2 of the 1st Class Rescue Swimmers with confused faces.  Taken aback, I told them I was their new airmen.  They quickly introduced themselves and asked me out to lunch with them.  We went to a local Asian eatery, ate and hung out.  It was a good time.  Their current airmen, whose name escapes me, was there.  He filled me in on some of the training among other things concerning station-life.  Once we got back to base, he took me around to the gym and the barracks.  Consequently, we were roomed together.  Barracks #29.  At first, I was hoping for a room to myself, but I was happy to be shacked up with him.  He was nice and forthcoming with information.  A good guy to have around.  

When meeting with Senior Chief, I was given an option to begin tomorrow or take leave until Monday and start then.  I took the leave.  I figured that a little time to see the area and settle in would be good for me.  Sitka is different than the other areas of Alaska that the ferry stopped...mainly, it's rainy.  They told me it would be like this for a while.  There's snow on the ground from an earlier fall, but rain is the only thing coming down now.  Either way, I'm excited to be here and even more ready to begin training.  As it turns out, two of the previous airmen, almost fully through A-School, believe the airmen program at Sitka to have been more difficult than the school.  This was very good to hear.  That means this program adequately prepared them for the grueling 4 months in Elizabeth City, NC.  Very good news.