Below is a copy of an e-mail sent to some of the family by Hillary. I thought everyone should have access to this....

Hillary - "Attached is an article that Air Scoop (the monthly paper that is published for the base) did for Al and another link to an article that appeared in our local Sunday paper, The Springfield Republican. The ceremony took place at the base, Barnes, to honor recent Community College of the Air Force graduates, and to salute the dedication of those that served overseas in Iraq, as well as the families that supported them. It was a pretty big deal—about 1,200 people attended including mayors, senators, and state reps. The ceremony concluded with the formal recognition of the work that Al has done for the base in the past four years in the position of Command Chief. He was honored with plaques and medals (Massachusetts Medal of Merit, and Meritorious Service Medal) and some very kind words from Colonel Brooks—Wing Commander, Brigadier General Rice—Vice Commander of the Air National Guard, and Major General Ackey—Commander of the Air National Guard as well as being included as a Hometown Hero. We (me, Hannah, Regan, and Nolan) had the distinction of being included in Al’s speech and being summoned to the stage to be recognized by the Big Wigs that I just mentioned.

No, he isn’t retired just yet, but he has been relieved of all the extra work he has been doing for so many years. He was in charge of over 1,000 enlisted men as a liaison of sorts— on top of all the other stellar things he handles on a regular basis as Chief Master Sergeant. Several people have said, “So, you get your husband back…” which isn’t entirely true. He will find another niche to fill or opt to devote his “free time” to his boys out in AMMO—his first love.

This has been a bittersweet last month for him. One: because presenting a pretty package of Command Chief to his “disciple” took a lot of time and energy to tie up loose ends and make the transition for the next person as smooth as possible. Two: The presentation of Hometown Heroes was a massive undertaking that, (surprisingly!) Al seemed to manage single handedly. Three: He really wants to get back to his “baby” (AMMO) because he feels he hasn’t been able to devote as much time over there as he would have liked. Four: With Command Chief status he experienced a lot of perks (private jets, top-floor accommodations, and front-row honors) that will be sorely missed. I know this letter comes to you late but I wanted to note that though he really wanted each and every one of you to be there, it was simply too much to handle; he would have felt terrible that he couldn’t have spent time with you because he was (literally) running around to see to all the details and accommodations for the other family members that were there to support their own families. He has a way of downplaying his own accolades and he felt that his time and attention should have been placed with the members of the 104th—that to devote his energy to all those who have deployed overseas and the families that supported them, not to mention “handing over” a Command Chief position to a (untrained!) family of four was where he wanted to spend his time. That might sound a bit insensitive but the truth of the matter is that you may have only seen him for a few seconds (if at all) and he couldn’t bear that you travelled such a distance and he couldn’t spend time with you. I hope you understand. Also, please be aware that this was not an easy decision for him to make. He still wonders if he did the right thing and second-guesses the process."