A FOND FAREWELL U.S. NAVY!!

Update #2: It's over! As of 1 October 2008, I am a U.S. Navy Veteran after 5 years of active service. I received my second Navy Commendation Medal on my last day in uniform from CAPT Nelson, Commanding Officer of Naval Health Care New England. It's onward to a private practice orthopaedic surgery group in CT for now. It's been a slow and prolonged process transitioning to civilian life, but we believe it's the right choice for us and we couldn't be happier. I've been blessed to have met a lot of good people in the Navy and I can truly say I'm a better person today because of them. I wanted to thank LCDR Chad Deaton for all of his help during my transition process. I hope to post periodic updates on how things are going later.

Take care,

Doc Tally

UPDATE

Greetings to everyone. After browsing over my blog from last summer, I thought it might be a good idea to give you a quick update. Things are going well. The little guy you saw on my right shoulder in my last entry (Matteo) is walking, babbling and exploring every corner of the house. My little girl, Mia, is progressing so well in school, we can hardly believe it.

As of today, I'm getting out of the Navy and moving on the either private practice or a 1 yr fellowship and then practice. We'll see. We may stay in East Lyme or relocate, probably to the mid-Atlantic region.

I saw the link to the CNN article about Lex, the dog many of us featured in our blogs after his young Marine handler was killed. It's good to hear that they retired him and he could return home.

Well that's all for now. I hope to hear from some of my old TQ shipmates soon.

Take Care,
Doc Tally

COMING HOME!!!

DADDY & THE KIDS
I FINALLY KNOW I'M HOME

THE NEIGHBORHOOD DECORATIONS "THANKS"

RITUAL OF HANGING BOOTS AT CAMP LEJEUNE MEANING END OF DEPLOYMENT

OVER 70 IN OPEN BARRACKS IN KUWAIT
CDR PINELLA AND LCDR CARR FIND A JACK DANIEL'S AND COKE DRINK IN GERMANY
ENJOYING MY FIRST BEER IN GERMANY
HEADING HOME

LOADED C-17 HEADING HOME

HAPPY BUS RIDE FROM TQ

MUCH LOVE AND A BIG "BRAVO ZULU" TO TQ ORTHO CLINIC STAFF!

The long 8 month journey is finally over. We arrived home on Monday, September 17th, 2007, after 3 flights and a tremendous amount of waiting. We returned to a hero's welcome at Camp Lejeune at Michelangelo's Pizza place. After spending 3 days in Kuwait 70 deep in open barracks, we started out on what was a very long day getting to Ali Alasem Air Base to go through customs. This process took us roughly about 5 hours. I've never been through a customs check so thorough. They make you unpack all of your bags and empty your pockets, then you have to re-pack everything in front of the customs agent. You're also scanned several times and well as your bags. After customs, we were sent to a holding area on base that actually was quite nice. We stayed there for about 7 hours. Our flights back were great. We stopped in Germany where I had my first real beer in months. I slept most of the way home. We arrived at Cherry Point at about 10am local time and were joyfully reunited with family at Camp Lejeune about 5 hours later. I was met by my tired but happy family. After 3 days of check out we drove back home. Amazingly, we suffered a flat tire on the New Jersey Turnpike!! With the help of a kind driver, we changed the tire before roadside assistance arrived, but managed to run right into the heart of New York's evening rush hour traffic! We just chalked it up as part of my enriched deployment experience. To my wonderful surprise, all of my neighbors (some old, but many new ones) lined our street to greet us as we returned home! It was a wonderful homecoming complete with banners, presents, and even sparklers! We are blessed to have caring people so close to home. I also want to thank the nurses at the Same Day Surgery Center at Backus Hospital in Norwich, CT for sending me a great care package while I was gone. Everyone in our company enjoyed the homemade cookies.

I'm quite overwhelmed with how nice Tanika has decorated the house. She's truly made our house a home. It sure does beat 120 degree heat and dust storms. Well, I'll end my blog now that I'm back home. I'll send out some updates in the coming months to update my shipmates. I hope to get some updates back from them in the future. I want to give a final BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO CHAD AND LAURA DEATON FOR THE BIRTH OF THEIR BABY BOY BORN SEPTEMBER 7TH. TAKE CARE AND STAY SAFE!!

DOC TALLY

FAREWELL TQ/BYE BYE IRAQ

Well, our time in Iraq is over. Today we left TQ for Kuwait. It's been a long and rewarding 7 months, but it's finally coming to an end. Reality finally sets in once you're boarding the plane heading out of country. We had a short flight returning us to Camp Virginia, Kuwait where we'll stage our return home. Our replacements came on August 31st and we've had several days for turnover including mass casualty drills and inservice presentations. My replacement is CDR Eric Pagenkopf. His presence here confirms that it's truly a 'small Navy' in that we were both partners for two years in Naples, Italy. Therefore, my turnover responsibilities were a breeze. Eric is a Orthopaedic Trauma Subspecialist so most of the injuries he'll see out here will be down his alley. I wish him all the best for a good tour and a safe return home. I also wish his wife, Mia, son, Chris and daughter, Skylar, all love and support during what I know will be a tough time.

Our last few days at TQ were interesting. I got to see the base as a tourist would for the first time in 7 months. After turning my duties over to Eric, I had the opportunity to travel around the outskirts of the large base to see Lake Habbinayah and the Lakeside support facilities. The support facilities include a separate dining facility and exchange. We also got to soak our feet in Lake Habbinayah. I got some great pictures from a gorgeous palm tree near the lake and three wooden crosses perched on a small ridge next to the lake. Every Easter the chapel has a sunrise service at the crosses.

Finally, we are naturally all very excited to be heading home. I can't wait to see my little guy, Matteo. I left him when he was just 2 weeks old and I can't believe how big he looks in his pictures. I also can't wait to see Tanika and Mia too. It's a little strange going back home after all this time, but I'm sure with alittle time, I'll adjust. Tanika is planning Mia's birthday (Sept. 28th) celebration along with my homecoming on September 29th in East Lyme. I'm excitingly looking forward to seeing many family members there. They may be alittle surprised at my appearance as I've lost about 30 lbs., but it's still the same ole' me.

I'll post another blog in the coming days. See ya soon.

Doc Tally

RECOGNITION LONG OVERDUE...

Uncle Lay
Family after graduation

'NANA' with Matteo,Mia,Jamie,Erin

Mom and her 4 boys (l to r) Ted, Harry, Hardy, and Me

One of my favorite pictures of Tanika and Mia

Embarrassingly so, it has been brought to my attention (by my wife) that I haven't mentioned anything in my blog about some very important people in my life, my in-laws. Unfortunately she is right. I feel bad about this, because they have given me nothing but love and support since Tanika and I met each other six years ago. I regrettably forgot to wish them Happy Mother's and Father's Day via the blog. As you might have guessed I sometimes get self-absorbed into what I'm doing. Overall, I probably haven't mentioned my family enough since I started the blog. Therefore, without further adieu, I would like to send my love and thanks to my mother-in-law, Ruthell (Nana) and Tanika's grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond and Bernice Hood, my father-in-law, Rev. Reuel B. Williams, and all of my brothers and sisters-in-law (Lamar & Katrina, Derek (MSgt-USAF), Gregory, Cara, and Dale) and my nieces Jamie and Erin. I would like to also like to thank my mother, Patricia, my Uncles (Clyde, Hardy, and Frank) and my Aunts (Martha Raye, Mary, and Mae), my brothers Harry, Hardy, and Ted, all of my many cousins, and all of my nieces and nephews for keeping me in their prayers while I've been deployed. Finally, I would like to thank my loving wife for taking care of home while Daddy's been away. I certainly know it's not easy taking care of a 3-1/2 year old and a 6 month old by yourself, but you've done it seamlessly during this tough time and I appreciate and love you for it. Sorry I don't have pictures of everyone. My family pics are limited out here.

I LOVE YOU ALL AND I'LL SEE YOU WHEN I GET HOME!!

Doc Tally

THE HOME STRETCH!

Well we are finally in the home stretch! Only 4 more weeks or so in Iraq and we all can't wait to get home. We are all getting pretty tired of walking to the bathroom, the shower, and the chow hall, but we're not complaining.

A lot has happened since my last posting. We finally completed our FMF Officer Qualification. We'll have a pinning ceremony in a couple of weeks. We all had to individually sit for an oral board in front of 3 qualified FMF officers (mostly Marine) and answer 100 questions related to Marine Corps history, structure, mission, and tactical situations. My board took 1 hour and 20 minutes which is about average. Needless to say I'm glad it's over, but it's a great accomplishment for our crew, and one that is well earned and appreciated.

I've started mailing back all of the 'cold weather' clothes I probably should have never taken in the first place, but this place can get very cold at night during the winter and early spring months. It's amazing how much stuff you can accumulate in 6 months. I have a lot of cleaning and disposing of unnecessary items from my hooch. Some of the folks we've met from other units have headed home including the 2/136 Minnesota National Guard who left last month. They did a great job here while having to endure an extension of their deployment from 15 to 18 months. It's good to know they are getting a much deserved homecoming.

Patient flow has come in spurts. We've been reminded by CAPT Jernigan, our Chief of Professional Services, to stay focused and not to become complacent. We continue to see a good number of casualties related to IED blasts. The wounds still never cease to amaze me at the level of soft tissue damage created. Many of the wounded US military are transferred back to either Walter Reed Army Medical Center or the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. I'm planning on making a brief stop at one of those facilities on my return home from Camp Lejeune. It's my hope to get chance to see a few of my patients recovering and returning to normal life after sustaining such traumatic injuries.

This will not be my last posting as we still have a little more time left, so I'll save my 'see ya soons' for my last message.

I would like to also wish a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my oldest brother Harry (July 26) and my Uncle Clyde (August 8). I hope you guys had fun on your special day.

Take care

Doc Tally

It's Hotter Than July!

LCDRs NEPTUNE AND MEADE SUCCUMB TO THE HEAT

'BUTTER BETSY'

ME AND DR CARR AT STEP AEROBICS
OUR BELOVED AEROBICS INSTRUCTOR BELOW

4TH OF JULY PRAYER BREAKFAST WITH GOSPEL CHOIR

LADIES DAY AT TQ

Sorry for the long delay from my last entry. Patient flow has picked up a bit and we're busier these days. We've finally made it into July! Only about 6-8 weeks to go. We had a festive 4th of July with a large feast at the DFAC (dining facility). Your choice of steak vs. BBQ (or Both!!). We thoroughly enjoyed the decorations throughout the chow hall including Betsy Ross ("Butter Betsy" as I like to call her) and the two incredibly ugly dinosaurs (I have no idea what they have to do with Independence Day). There was plenty of Welch's Sparkling Cider and Near Beer to go around. We also had a TQ Surgical picnic the following Sunday after the fourth, complete with a series of spirited volleyball matches that had heavy officer involvement (including me and I'm still sore!).

Everyone is truly excited about beginning to make re-deployment (return home) plans. The light at the end of the tunnel is looking a bit bigger than the pin prick back in March. Many of us are from commands all over the place. Some will have to fly back overseas (Guam/Naples, etc.) after we return to Camp Lejeune.

One of the things we wanted to do before leaving was have our own American Flag flown over the base. You can buy a flag and have it raised on a special day such as the 4th of July. 2nd MLG will then make a nice certificate signifying the occasion. The certificate has a nice synopsis of the history of the air base at TQ, with interesting facts like the chemical weapons bunkers here and Saddam's plans calling for disassembly, burial, and re-assembling of the MiG fighter aircraft seen parked around the base.

Our FMF (Fleet Marine Force Qualification) course is winding down. We've received lectures on nearly every aspect of the U.S. Marine Corps and had some very interesting site visits and will start our oral boards for qualification this month. I can probably speak for everyone by saying that we're happy it's coming to an end. I think the overwhelming interest in getting back home is alittle too hard to resist.

In true military fashion, everything must change, even our aerobics instructor. He's headed home, so we're continuing with a Marine Corps Staff Sgt, so there's not much let up in her intensity. I've lost about 15 lbs while here, which is great, but the REAL challenge will be the up coming winter back in Connecticut. There's just something about short days and cold weather that makes me want to rest, eat and 'fatten up' like a hibernating bear.

A big thanks goes out to LCDR Neptune for many of the pictures for this post. I can tell I'm starting to wear down as I'm not taking as many pictures as I did in the beginning. Living your life in such a confined space shares a little likeness to prison life (without the fights and open showers Thank Goodness!). I'll try to keep the blog updated regularly as we begin our wind down.

P.S. A big farewell goes out to LT Nicole Stewart, our psychologist, who is back home. She was replaced by LT David Burke from Naples (Welcome Aboard!). Apparently the psychology special leader mandated that all deployed psych docs have their license, therefore LT Stewart was sent home and can complete that requirement. She can also enjoy the comforts of friends, family, and home.

Take care