Today was officially John's last day on active duty in the Marine Corps. That's right, after ten years and two months, John is saying farewell to the Corps and hellooooo to the Foreign Service. Well, technically he already said hello to the FS, but thanks to his terminal leave from the Marine Corps (saved up vacation he didn't get to use over the past ten years), he was able to have a little bit of overlap. It was a fitting day for John to receive his Navy Commendation Medal from the Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, who was John's boss for the past two years.
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| US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Lawlor |
After the Secretary said a few words about John and his career (along with his crazy running), he wished us well on our upcoming adventures in Yekaterinburg. Apparently, Secretary Mabus rode the Trans-Siberian Railway back when he was 19, so technically he's already been to Yekat. He kindly avoided any mention of the weather. He also gave us a coin to give to Jack when he's old enough not to gnaw on it.
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US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Lawlor
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Here I am entertaining the crowd with my charm and wit. Just kidding. I'd say I'm glad these sorts of things are over, but of course there will be plenty of opportunities to embarrass myself in the future. I just wanted to say, for the record, how proud I am of John and his service. It's been an honor to be a part of the Marine Corps family these past ten years for both of us, and we are so grateful for all of the amazing people we've met along the way.
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| US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Lawlor |
Semper Fi!
Ah yes, those are some slightly awkward photos. I know the look well (I have some treasures from Kenya to share with you). Congrats to Johnny! Love you guys :)
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