The 80s Continued

The 80’s Continued

The Reenlistment Period

I’m finally back at the keyboard. I concluded one entry with the “Animal House” in Dale City, Virginia, and my move. I then took a detour to Santa Barbara. Now, I’ll try to refocus after my relocation. It was an intriguing, albeit somewhat perplexing, period for me. So, let’s delve in.

Before I venture too far, I’d like to briefly acknowledge the best man from my wedding and his family. I met them quite early on my arrival in the DC area. We had been on a bowling team together. When I first moved to Dale City, we would occasionally visit each other for barbecues or just to catch up. After I moved out of “Animal House,” I became a more frequent visitor. We even went fishing together. I would help him with his side jobs. I spent a lot of time with his wife and kids at picnics and even short trips around Virginia. I would be at their house almost every Sunday I didn’t travel and some Saturdays. It would be a disservice not to mention them. Now, let’s move on to the move.

There’s an intriguing dynamic when you share a room with someone of the opposite sex. I had a female roommate, but it wasn’t exactly the same. She was my other roommate’s fiancée. Our brief dating history made things easier in some ways and harder in others. We already knew a lot about each other, which created a certain comfort level that might have taken longer to establish if we hadn’t dated. However, it also made us more critical of each other’s dates and reactions when one came over. This eventually led to her moving out, but I’ll save that story for later.

When we first moved in, I wasn’t seeing anyone regularly. We both traveled frequently, which was a given at the White House Communications Agency. We had never traveled together before. I spent most weekends with Amy, my high school friend, a close female colleague, or on several one-off dates. I briefly dated an Italian woman who didn’t speak English. It was an interesting experience. I tried to help her with English, and we mostly conversed in basic French. It was interesting, but it ended quickly. She wasn’t ready to break up, but I had to report it to my agency, and they warned me that if any serious relationship formed, I would be forced to leave. So, I had her sister explain (she spoke near-perfect English). There was no animosity on either side.

My enlistment was coming to an end. It was January 1986. My last day in the Air Force was scheduled for March 1st. I had been accepted back into college in New York. After talking to the school, I decided to take a six-month extension in the Air Force. This meant I would start college late, but I managed to arrange an easy course load for the first semester. The school assured me that I should be fine starting late. The only issue I had to resolve was my lease. I never informed my roommate about my plans.

It turned out to be a relatively slow period. I didn’t travel as much as I had planned. However, when I did travel, I had a great time. I also enjoyed spending time with the friends I mentioned earlier, going to dance clubs in Northern Virginia, and exploring new places in the area.

The only downside was that my relationship with my roommate was becoming strained. She didn’t like my frequent dates and time with female friends. I think I was also being too protective of her. She seemed to be attracted to people with questionable character, such as those who were rude or verbally abusive to her.

We had a party that went really well, but for some reason, it seemed to make things worse. Then, suddenly, things seemed to improve without any apparent reason.

Around July of that summer, I realized that I wasn’t ready to leave the Air Force and my job at the White House. I spoke to the personnel office and the warrant officer in charge of the Audio Visual unit I was a part of. There was a Presidential vacation to Santa Barbara coming up, scheduled for a month-long trip. It started around the last few weeks of August and extended into September.

I worked out a deal to be extended in the White House Communications Agency and was sent on the trip for the entire month. In return, I would reenlist in Santa Barbara for four more years. My officer approved the extension and took care of all the necessary paperwork.

So, around the third week of August, I embarked on the trip to Santa Barbara.

The Santa Barbara trip was an absolute blast! I spent the entire month on the beach and in clubs. Most of the team swapped out after two weeks. I met the person I mentioned in my side trip who lived in San Jose near the end of the month. We did the crazy round trip to take her to dinner. Throughout the visit, I also hung out with the other people I mentioned in my side trip entry. It was a trip that I’ll never forget.

Well, I’ve been going on for a while now. This trip would prove to be a significant turning point in my time at the agency and my life. I quickly rose through the ranks and became a lead, team chief, and eventually, director for AV (they kept changing the title). This new role meant I would be in charge of the sound and light aspects of presidential trips. It also led me into 1987, which was an interesting year. Keep an eye out for 1987—it was the year I met my wife. Here’s a picture of me reenlisting with White House Communications Commander Col. Bogart.