Man, has it been a while since we’ve heard about Libya, but today, they shocked the crap out of me, and probably many other folks.

Colonel Qaddafi (remember all the confusion about how to spell his name?) is voluntarily stopping all WMD production and research. How amazing is that? A known terrorist state voluntarily giving up on programs that could undoubtedly be used to advance their agenda. Instead, as the President said, they’ve taken the first step to being accepted by the community of nations.

I can remember in ’86, being at Keesler AFB when we raided Libya, and wondering where we were headed as a country and a people. There was a sense of heightened alert, as there would be a few weeks later due to some fun in Panama, and I couldn’t help but wonder if my time in the USAF would be action-packed, and a little less peaceful. As it ends up, my watch, ’86-’90, was pretty uneventful in the big scheme of things, and helped lead to the “fall of communism” in Eastern Europe.

I know I did nothing personally to cause that to happen, but I take some pride that I was serving my country as the collapse unfolded. Certainly makes me feel like I wasn’t just marking time.