Trip Insurance

I have never, in the four years and six days during which the Marine Corps has allowed me to take leave, insured an airline ticket. This time, I did. Was it prescience? Cynicism? I don't know, but I may be glad that I did it.

I'm supposed to fly to Jacksonville at 9:00AM on Thursday, April 17th. My squadron wants to fly a pretty crucial training hop at 7:00PM on Thursday, April 17th. There are two instructors that can crew this thing, but the other one is headed to St. Louis on the same morning. And I don't want to screw him out of upwards of $200, or whatever it would cost at this point to change his ticket... But I'd still like to go home.

Dilemma: Do I succumb to what seems to be inevitable and cancel my ticket (and my leave), or do I beg another squadron to loan us an instructor for the night? ('Kay, Mom, if you're reading this, don't freak out.)

I'm down with asking for help, but I'm not sure if any other squadron is going to be able to support us right now, with WTI (Marine Aviation's biggest, most costly, most high-profile instructor course) going on, and hundreds of Marines in Yuma providing support--including crew chief instructors.

What a mess.