First, let me say thank you. Thanks for showing your support by picking up the first issue of the Whidbey Crosswind. If you’re reading this, thank you for giving it another try.

When I said the Crosswind is meant to be a paper that serves this community, I meant it. While our focus is on all things Navy and related to the military, we want to include what happens off the base as well.

Oak Harbor and the surrounding area is a great mix of active duty military personnel and their families, retirees and their families, base employees and their families. All of us shop, eat, relax, worship, work or go to school here. We are all connected in some fashion to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island – whether directly or through family and acquaintances.

I mentioned last week I want to infuse Crosswind with the voice of our community. We need you! We need people of experience to share their views and offer their opinion on what’s going on around Oak Harbor, at NAS Whidbey and on Whidbey Island. We need the wisdom and perspective of people who have served their country to comment on what’s happening in Washington, D.C., Japan, Libya or here at home and give us their take on why those events are important to all of us. I encourage you to think about writing a weekly or monthly column for us.

I think about all the families here that come and go from Oak Harbor on a regular basis. There are newlyweds who have to settle into new surroundings while learning not only to deal with being married, but being married to someone in the military. There are spouses who are dealing with their first separation due to a deployment. I think about parents whose children have to adapt to new schools and make new friends.

I know there are people here who have chosen to stay on Whidbey Island after they’ve severed ties with the Navy, who have been through all of this and more. Chances are they’ve counseled friends and family in need of advice. With life experience comes perspective. Think about sharing the knowledge you’ve acquired with other people in this community who need to hear it from someone who’s lived it.

Share your opinions and experiences and lend your voice to the Crosswind. We want to hear what you have to say. Contact me at kreed@whidbeycrosswind.com.

– Kathy Reed
editor