After literally months of working on the concept and hammering out countless details, it began to take shape and finally gelled into one of the most exciting gatherings of old comrades and new friends that any one of us could imagine.

USAFSS Veterans from all over the country punched holes in their schedules and came from near and far to a spot on the Gulf of Mexico to shake hands, share hugs, and remember those times we spent together so very long ago halfway around the world on the soil of a onetime mortal enemy - in Misawa, Japan.

We met old friends and made many new ones. Although most of us knew one another well from daily interaction on the Misawa website, many of us had never before met in person - until Biloxi. Finally meeting in person those whom you already knew so well was a strange and wonderous experience, but nonetheless satisfying and gratifying. Thanks to those who engineered the event, the Biloxi Reunion executed flawlessly.

We'll pause to savor the time we shared there - to remember and smile. But soon, we'll turn our attention toward the next reunion - the next opportunity to gather with those who now mean so much more to us - to gather with Family.