Sunday, May 27, 2018

"Everybody's A Star... Including Captain Marvel!"

Not the guard mentioned here...

Good TGIFriday Day, y'all.

Gosh, it's been over a week since we completed our tour of Edwards, AFB. But I remember what I consider a rather cute incident that occurred as we enter the North gate of that high security airspace.

Over my "career" as an Air Force artist, I've entered, with or without an liaison, many an air base gate. The guards there are a courteous, smartly dressed, but rather intimidating maitre'd's, so to speak.
Usually dressed in camo fatigues, they are bristling with gear strapped to their person. Flak jacket, intercom, holster and pistol, "go to hell" sunglasses, billy clubs, ammo belts, and all kinds of intimidating equipment and topped smartly to the right side of the head a security forces beret... All to welcome you.
And, rightly so!
But, on our last day of the tour, we stopped to show our identification cards and was greeted by a female guard dressed in the standard security forces outfit.
Now, maybe the other guys did or didn't notice, but I sure did.
As the the guard returned our I.D.'s to Colonel Pestana, and crisply shared salutes, I noticed this guard was wearing a bit more makeup. Certainly understated, but noticeable to someone like me who kinda overdoses on all the testosterone that exists among the sights, sounds and smells of airplanes.
I even had to voice my observation to the guys.
"Gee, I guess I should've awakened a bit earlier this morning to apply my face before breakfast," I said with no response!
It all came to light when our schedule was a bit adjusted. Greeted by museum curator, Tony Moore, and apologizing for the crazies and being late, Tony mentioned, as two F-15's and one F-16 screen across the sky, that, today the base was being invaded by a Hollywood film crew shooting scenes for the new film,"Captain Marvel."
It suddenly appeared to me why the front gate security guard was so, so... so feminine!
Everybody is a star including me... First cup!

Copyright 2018/Ben Bensen III