The Best Day at Work

You know how when people have an awesome day at work and they are trying to make an analogy to explain it to someone else and they say, "Imagine if the President of the United States came and visited you at work." Well, my day was kind of like that... actually it was exactly like that. President Bush has been traveling a lot to say goodbye to people on his way out of office. Today he came to my squadron to thank us for eight years of successful take-offs and landings in his helicopter.

I have a really cool job, I can't lie. I have been very blessed to be able to do the things I do, and experience things I have experienced. Most of the cool things I have done, I am not at liberty to tell people. So it's really awesome when I do things I can share.

It was pretty surreal. I have been attached to this unit for about 2 1/2 years. I've been "working for" this man all of this time, but before today I have only seen him twice from a distance. When we travel to a trip site, we are usually there days more than the President is. And for the short time he is on deck, we are usually tucked away in the corner of a hanger out of sight while he is conducting his business. It was nice to be his business for once. We were like star struck idiots straining for a handshake, stretching for a picture or, if you were lucky, pushing for a photo with him. I wasn't able to get a picture with him, but I did get a hand shake. My thoughts? - Soft hands. Below are some pictures I got.

Our commanding officer, Col L'Heureux, introducing our Commander in Chief.

(L-R) XO of HMX-1 LtCol Braman, President Bush, CO of HMX-1 Col L'Heureux and Sgt Major of HMX-1 SgtMaj Nowak

We presented him with a few gifts. In addition to that hat, we gave him this picture. The frame was made out of the actual window from HMX-1.

If you didn't know, President Bush is also a big mountain biker. We also gave him this bike helmet which is modeled after Marine One. It was custom designed and painted by the Marine to his left.

These are my friends Cpl Bebeau and Cpl Polk... lucky devil dogs.