PeaceSun Story
One of the RSAF's McDonnell Douglas' F15 Eagles. Don't ask how we got a picture like this!
We don't ask and we don't tell...
How it all started....
Starting back in 1980, McDonnell Douglas began a training program to teach members of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) the maintenance of the Kingdom's newly acquired F15 Eagles. Operations were set up in Taif, Khamis Mushayt, Dhahran (Al Khobar) and were head-quartered in Riyadh.
The men went to McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, MO where they got their certifications to go to Saudi. They flew off to Saudi Arabia and settled in for their new adventures. Sometimes they had families who followed and then joined them a few months later. Others came in single and, in a country where there is no dating allowed, somehow found a soul mate, fell in love and got married. Others just settled into the Singles Lifestyle and, as one man told me, "It's like living at a country club where you have to put in 8 hours each work day but then you get to come home and play! Swimming, Bowling, Tennis and more!"
Sometimes it was Hot! And sometimes it was AWFUL DAMN HOT!!
And some times it was great fun and other times it was horrible!!
We traveled to places we had never heard of or only dreamed of going and we made new friends everywhere we turned....
And we learned new ways and a whole new culture. We met new people and ate new foods. We learned to haggle while we shopped for bargains in a place called the souks for things we never knew we needed before. We learned about honking your car horn before you entered an intersection to get the right of way. We learned how to make wine. And we learned that we really could survive without bacon and pork chops.
And we learned how to keep our own inner faith strong as we learned how to survive military actions in nearby countries and wars and evacuations and separated families and bombings of our own compounds.
We learned to work our schedules around 5 prayer calls every day. And we learned how to respect others who were fasting and yet keep ourselves entertained during the long months of Ramadan. And after Ramadan we partied and celebrated during the Eid festivals. And we learned to make our own special Christmas celebrations in the desert so far from our families back in the states.
And eventually we learned that sometimes friends become your family.
And after a while, we learned that Our Homes were in Saudi Arabia and that the rest of our families lived Overseas. Because Home is Where You Make It!!
We learned to work together, laugh together, cry together, play together. Families and friendships were formed, babies were born, kids grew up before our eyes and sometimes friends and loved ones died and all in all... It was just Life - but it was exciting and fun and would we do it all over again?!
YOU BETCHA!!
The men went to McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, MO where they got their certifications to go to Saudi. They flew off to Saudi Arabia and settled in for their new adventures. Sometimes they had families who followed and then joined them a few months later. Others came in single and, in a country where there is no dating allowed, somehow found a soul mate, fell in love and got married. Others just settled into the Singles Lifestyle and, as one man told me, "It's like living at a country club where you have to put in 8 hours each work day but then you get to come home and play! Swimming, Bowling, Tennis and more!"
Sometimes it was Hot! And sometimes it was AWFUL DAMN HOT!!
And some times it was great fun and other times it was horrible!!
We traveled to places we had never heard of or only dreamed of going and we made new friends everywhere we turned....
And we learned new ways and a whole new culture. We met new people and ate new foods. We learned to haggle while we shopped for bargains in a place called the souks for things we never knew we needed before. We learned about honking your car horn before you entered an intersection to get the right of way. We learned how to make wine. And we learned that we really could survive without bacon and pork chops.
And we learned how to keep our own inner faith strong as we learned how to survive military actions in nearby countries and wars and evacuations and separated families and bombings of our own compounds.
We learned to work our schedules around 5 prayer calls every day. And we learned how to respect others who were fasting and yet keep ourselves entertained during the long months of Ramadan. And after Ramadan we partied and celebrated during the Eid festivals. And we learned to make our own special Christmas celebrations in the desert so far from our families back in the states.
And eventually we learned that sometimes friends become your family.
And after a while, we learned that Our Homes were in Saudi Arabia and that the rest of our families lived Overseas. Because Home is Where You Make It!!
We learned to work together, laugh together, cry together, play together. Families and friendships were formed, babies were born, kids grew up before our eyes and sometimes friends and loved ones died and all in all... It was just Life - but it was exciting and fun and would we do it all over again?!
YOU BETCHA!!
