Myself and my fellow maintainers file into the room, and come to attention as the CO walks in the room, flanked by the CMC. The CMC'c eyes are red and the skipper looks unhappy.
My 'oh shit' meter starts hitting the roof.
Turns out, last Sunday, one of the chiefs in my command committed suicide. While I wasnt actually close to him, he was a man I would talk to at least once a week. He was always smiling, always had a good word for everyone. He never gave any outward indication of being unhappy. As far as I know, he never told any of his intimates that he had problems.
The CMC had actually driven him home Saturday night around 2330 and dropped him off. They had made plans for the CMC to come back over at 0830 Sunday morning and take him over to pick up his truck.
Its hard to lose someone you know. Hell, I had just talked to him less than four days ago. But when I think about it, I'm barely suffering in comparison to what his family must be going through right now, only days before Thanksgiving.
And the worst thing of all? He left a three year old son behind.
"I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."
-- George Herbert Walker Bush
We have yet to have anything that bad happen here, I don't know how I'd deal with it.
I don't really have anything constructive to say, so condolences only.