DATUM MACS! I got to Kuwait ahead of ya, but it was too dratted hot to wait for you (yeah1 right!) so I left, and went to Souda Bay and Malta, and came home! We were on a surge deployment, not the traditional six monther, but we're scheduled to go on one of those in March, so I wont be able to go to Cigar Fest, or RTDA next year! :-( there's a "messdecks rumor" we might do another surge after the first of the year, if that happens, I might be back for those! (NOTE, I haven't given any exact dates or operational plans or capabilities away here!). I would like to point out the we left the shipyards after a major overhaul, had a two day sea trial, and a week or two later found out we had three weeks to prepare for a three-month underway. we completed our basic training phase while surged, and completed FEP (Final Engagement Problem) two days before our return! So we are now qualified to do what we did! (this will mean something to those of you who have been there and done that!)