President Bush was wild. I remember the first time I met him was after my flight aboard Air Force One. I was visibly shaken and all of the white house staff did their best to comfort me. I was like, "No man, no. This is the President of the United States, the leader of the free world I cannot f*ck this up!!" This guy could take my rank on the spot if he really wanted. But then everyone was chill, they were like, Dodson. Calm down, it isn't like that.
After I had set up for the appropriate procedure and looked back over it 12 times I had nothing to do but wait. I ended up openly mocking some dentist who worked for GW Bush before hand and showed up just to feel like he had a say in things. He ended up telling me to get the President a towel and I asked him where his assistant was. He knew exactly what I meant and began making me feel like shit with his Vietnam stories. It was effective. I have suffered plenty in my career but yet I have not yet graced the battlefield. I can only imagine and I live vicariously through the stories of men like him.
Driving on, the moment came.... the President was en route. Immediately my heart rate increased and I started sweating. I was standing there at modified parade rest when he came through the door. In an instant, the President of the United States of America was in the room. He was dressed ridiculously. He had on a bright yellow Hawaiian shirt, blue cargo shorts and duck boots. He was sweating profusely having just returned from an August bike ride (with a sedan following :). "We're kind of laid back around here" he said to me in a thick Texan accent as he kicked off his boots to reveal that he wasn't wearing socks and walked into the treatment room.
During his treatment he asked me, "Petty Officer Dodson, how long have you been in my Navy?' I was not yet a Petty Officer but replied "Four Years Sir". SHIT!!! I thought. It literally is his Navy. I have to ACE this. Then he asked where I was from. His response, verbatim was this: "Oklahoma. Well that's right next to Texas. Did you know I's governor 'a Texas? " "Yes Sir. I did know that."
As the visit wore on, all of the doctor types ended up crowding around the lightbox to discuss x-rays. During which time the President deemed it appropriate to wink at me, exaggeratedly several times. I was so confused.
In the end, he presented me with a serialized Presidential Coin and we left without event. Two hours later I was flying coach back to Washington DC. Captain Munro and I just looked at each other. Ain't that some shit.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Sunday, August 19, 2012
My Flight on Air Force One
Or more accurately: that time that Air Force One was chartered just for myself, the Captain and one member of the cabinet.
I wasn't really allowed to talk about it until President Bush left office, then I got really busy. Now, I have time and you guys know how much I love to write. Enjoy!
It was the summer of 2007 and HN Dodson had been selected for the team less than 3 months prior. It was a weekend and I was happily alone watching the movie "Annie" when my pager went off. My heart started racing then experience told me that it was more likely another call for something less awesome than meeting the President, like my last calls for Vice President Biden or the First Lady. I went ahead and called the Captain, lol yes, full bird Captain to answer the call. Captain informed me that the President required immediate care and briefed me on the issue.
I hung up the phone and went to my closet (after I finished breakdancing of course), selecting a cream colored summer suit. I tossed on some lipstick, cheek color and pumps before hopping into Madeline and drove to the hospital to prepare. Several hours later I stood at the appointed meeting place wearing a suit and humping a field dental unit. Good thing I was conditioned. After that ordeal, I joked that I could do a 6 mile hump in heels, nay, broken heels.
Capt. and I waited for Carpet (essentially, White House Limo service). Carpet grabbed us and we were on our way, having no idea where we were going or how we were to get there. I just knew I had friggin' bandaids for my poor little feetsies just in case. We drove. Eventually, I noticed that we were entering Andrews Air Force Base. Huh, I thought. Must be getting a MAC flight. We drove towards an aircraft.. Then, to my amazement I saw the words "United States Of America" Ho-ly-SHIT!
In that moment, my life flashed before my eyes. I had that moment and I wasn't dying. My life was changing forever. Omgomgomgomg, that is Air Force One, THAT is AIRFORCE ONE!!! There were 5 people in my graduating class and even then I was in the middle. How in the blue smurf did I manage to pull this off? I am the exception, the realization came crashing down on me. I can do anything, be anything, anything I choose. After that moment frozen in time nothing is daunting to me. Nothing. No person, no thing, no event. I am Annie F*cking Dodson. Yes. Air Force One was chartered to send the world's finest Dental Team and one member of the Presidential Cabinet to the "Western Whitehouse", Waco, Tx.
In wonderment, I stepped out of the sedan cautiously and ascended the historical stairs to board the famous plane. Wow. I was a passenger of Air Force One. THE Air Force One. Once aboard we were informed that we were waiting on a member of the Presidential Cabinet and were offered a tour. Air Force One is like… a condo. It is spacious and I just remember the chandeliers. The President also had a flight jacket with his name on it. Everything was surreal. There was also a long, deep mahogany table. That is where, I was told, decisions were made.
We walked through the area for the press, it resembled first class on a normal plane. Everything else was just like a luxurious... room. Arguably nicer than the White House itself. (The WH has a lot of history... the rooms essentially stay the same over the years) The last stop was the cockpit. My little backwoods country ass was comfortably perched in the cockpit, THE cockpit of of Air Force One. As the Pilot droned on about his job, I sat there staring out of the thick, convex window at the expanse of airfield around us. I felt like a queen. All of this was for this aircraft and this aircraft's mission was to get us to Texas to take care of our Commander in Chief. I was on top of the world. I was flying.
I was eventually showed to my seat, a recliner in front of a big screen T.V. This is when I met the member of the Cabinet. He absolutely insisted that I choose a movie even though the flight was ridiculously short, certainly not the length of a movie. DC to Texas, on Airforce One which apparently is extremely souped up. The Airman ended up being like 4 ranks above me but insisted on taking care of me, every detail of my flight. I sat there, completely dazed with a perfect BLT served to me with fine china.
I suddenly realized that as soon as we touched down, HN Dodson's needs were a non-issue, lol. I would be going hard setting up and perfecting every last detail. I needed to use the restroom and the nice Airman let me go to my surprise as we were descending. It was like a bathroom in the fanciest hotel I have ever been in, there were hair ties, bobby pins, makeup compacts, hair brushes and lotions. I came out of the restroom, perfectly groomed….. and we were on the ground. Um.. uh... we landed? It was so insanely fluid that I did not detect the landing at all. How insane is that!?
President Bush is no longer in office so I may now talk about his Presidential Shenenigans, that is per my SEL at the time. I am still reluctant to quote our previous President, sometimes it got pretty wild. I guess that is for another day…
I wasn't really allowed to talk about it until President Bush left office, then I got really busy. Now, I have time and you guys know how much I love to write. Enjoy!
It was the summer of 2007 and HN Dodson had been selected for the team less than 3 months prior. It was a weekend and I was happily alone watching the movie "Annie" when my pager went off. My heart started racing then experience told me that it was more likely another call for something less awesome than meeting the President, like my last calls for Vice President Biden or the First Lady. I went ahead and called the Captain, lol yes, full bird Captain to answer the call. Captain informed me that the President required immediate care and briefed me on the issue.
I hung up the phone and went to my closet (after I finished breakdancing of course), selecting a cream colored summer suit. I tossed on some lipstick, cheek color and pumps before hopping into Madeline and drove to the hospital to prepare. Several hours later I stood at the appointed meeting place wearing a suit and humping a field dental unit. Good thing I was conditioned. After that ordeal, I joked that I could do a 6 mile hump in heels, nay, broken heels.
Capt. and I waited for Carpet (essentially, White House Limo service). Carpet grabbed us and we were on our way, having no idea where we were going or how we were to get there. I just knew I had friggin' bandaids for my poor little feetsies just in case. We drove. Eventually, I noticed that we were entering Andrews Air Force Base. Huh, I thought. Must be getting a MAC flight. We drove towards an aircraft.. Then, to my amazement I saw the words "United States Of America" Ho-ly-SHIT!
In that moment, my life flashed before my eyes. I had that moment and I wasn't dying. My life was changing forever. Omgomgomgomg, that is Air Force One, THAT is AIRFORCE ONE!!! There were 5 people in my graduating class and even then I was in the middle. How in the blue smurf did I manage to pull this off? I am the exception, the realization came crashing down on me. I can do anything, be anything, anything I choose. After that moment frozen in time nothing is daunting to me. Nothing. No person, no thing, no event. I am Annie F*cking Dodson. Yes. Air Force One was chartered to send the world's finest Dental Team and one member of the Presidential Cabinet to the "Western Whitehouse", Waco, Tx.
In wonderment, I stepped out of the sedan cautiously and ascended the historical stairs to board the famous plane. Wow. I was a passenger of Air Force One. THE Air Force One. Once aboard we were informed that we were waiting on a member of the Presidential Cabinet and were offered a tour. Air Force One is like… a condo. It is spacious and I just remember the chandeliers. The President also had a flight jacket with his name on it. Everything was surreal. There was also a long, deep mahogany table. That is where, I was told, decisions were made.
We walked through the area for the press, it resembled first class on a normal plane. Everything else was just like a luxurious... room. Arguably nicer than the White House itself. (The WH has a lot of history... the rooms essentially stay the same over the years) The last stop was the cockpit. My little backwoods country ass was comfortably perched in the cockpit, THE cockpit of of Air Force One. As the Pilot droned on about his job, I sat there staring out of the thick, convex window at the expanse of airfield around us. I felt like a queen. All of this was for this aircraft and this aircraft's mission was to get us to Texas to take care of our Commander in Chief. I was on top of the world. I was flying.
I was eventually showed to my seat, a recliner in front of a big screen T.V. This is when I met the member of the Cabinet. He absolutely insisted that I choose a movie even though the flight was ridiculously short, certainly not the length of a movie. DC to Texas, on Airforce One which apparently is extremely souped up. The Airman ended up being like 4 ranks above me but insisted on taking care of me, every detail of my flight. I sat there, completely dazed with a perfect BLT served to me with fine china.
I suddenly realized that as soon as we touched down, HN Dodson's needs were a non-issue, lol. I would be going hard setting up and perfecting every last detail. I needed to use the restroom and the nice Airman let me go to my surprise as we were descending. It was like a bathroom in the fanciest hotel I have ever been in, there were hair ties, bobby pins, makeup compacts, hair brushes and lotions. I came out of the restroom, perfectly groomed….. and we were on the ground. Um.. uh... we landed? It was so insanely fluid that I did not detect the landing at all. How insane is that!?
President Bush is no longer in office so I may now talk about his Presidential Shenenigans, that is per my SEL at the time. I am still reluctant to quote our previous President, sometimes it got pretty wild. I guess that is for another day…
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