I spotted a man dressed in camouflage standing outside Walmart today. Military like thick jacket and matching pants and that military cap you see in the movies - my first thought was we had recruitment officers lurking around. Thinking of the odds of them going for the soccer moms vs. young male in cheap clothes, I quietly tried to blend into a group of rednecks waltzing through the main entrance.

As I was tailgating a lady in a slow electric wheelchair driving down the center aisle, my mind was busy forming a plan of avoiding recruitment. For as a pilot, I must be on top of things, with a plan. Always. But as I stormed out, about to shout “I’m on my J-1 visa!” and make a run for it, I noticed some things that passed me the first time when I was busy looking nonchalant. First, I thought wouln’t a recruiter be wearing the ceremonial outfit, with the black jackets with the ribbons, silk gloves and the white hat? Before getting an answer, I saw it. A plastic bucket in his hands. A fund raiser! I should’ve known… And there’s another! And…two more few yards away? Then it hit me. There were no markings on their uniforms, no name tags, ranks or other markings. The bucket was a 1 gallon ice cream bucket with a cut-in hole and a hand written piece of paper taped to it. One was pretty out of shape for a soldier, too. And there are probably at least 4 more at the other entrance. How can the army spare people for that to get some spare change? Are those…are those just some guys hired to act as soldiers? I didn’t really bother to find out, but now I wish I did. Were they really gathering cash to support the troops even? Meh, I dunno, you tell me.

I hope NASA will launch Discovery tonight, but the forecast dosen’t look so good.