ACTIVE DUTY RECONNECT 1

The Corvallis American Legion Post sponsored 4 soldiers from Ft Lewis, WA to come to the Bitterroot Valley for a few days off.  We had the commanders of the units there select the soldiers that they wanted to reward in some way.  We got the community involved and received rental cars, rooms, some meals, and the flight over and back as donations.  Now that is great that our little community helped us sponsor this endeavor.  We also received good discounts on ski passes, rentals, and ski and board lessons at our local ski resort Lost Trail Powder Mountain. The Bitterroot Ridgerunners snowmobile club also took the soldiers on a snowmobile tour in the mountains and this was all donated.  I am very proud of our community here for doing this.  The soldiers are really grateful and this helps them reconnect with the civilian community who they are fighting for.  And many folks have thanked them for their service when learning who they are.

Taxing out to the runway here in Hamilton.

Climb out to our cruising altitude.

Bryan the pilot is a local guy and graduated from the same high school I did but a lot later!  I really enjoyed flying with him and it was the first time I had been in a fixed wing cockpit in years!

Breaking out of the clouds with the runway lined up for landing.  Good job Bryan!

The soldiers.

I must have moved when taking this picture so it did not look focused.

The aircraft at the Tacoma Narrows airport.

Starting our decent and approach back here in Montana.  Notice the ground speed is 326 knots and we are a little over 11 minutes from landing at the airport.  The avionics they have today is just amazing.

One of our members has a hanger at the airport and this is where our legion members met the soldiers and we all had a little to eat.

John(the owner) making coffee.