Greetings! It has been a while since the last DQS NEWS. It's been too long! It isn't because there hasn't been any news and information to share or that nothing has been going on. It's because there has been a lot going on. We'll try to catch you up on some of this; but we will keep the length of this newsletter short so as to mail it via regular mail to get needed information (reunion & etc) to you quicker.

We have continued to make and receive contact with/from additional DQS Vets and have added several to our Roster/Mailing List. We welcome these guys to DQS and extend a heartfelt "WELCOME HOME" to them. We hope to see and meet these new contacts (and more of you) at on of our yearly reunions very soon! **Reminder - November 9 - 12 are the dates for the reunion this year. Washington, D.C. is the location (the hotel is in Arlington, VA). BE THERE!

Where have we been and what have we been up to? After a year of discussion, a group of DQS Vets met in Indianapolis, Indiana this past January to discuss, define and formalize 'OPERATION GOLD STAR' (more on this later in this issue). This effort has required a lot of time & effort, stretching of abilities & capabilities, education & personal growth and etc. More than we thought and more constant than we thought. Hurdles, roadblocks and the like have been encountered and cleared - 1 by 1. At times, faulty compasses, lack of illumination and lack of familiarity with the terrain have necessitated 'strategic retreats', reconsiderations, 'lessons learned' studies, re-planning and adjusting our TOE as we felt our way through the 'jungle'. We now feel that we have adequate knowledge and illumination and that reliable compasses are in place. A lot of dedicated hard work and effort has brought us to this point and more will be required (can you do your part?) to maintain our forward movement. DQS can and will do it!

I apologize for the delay in producing the DQS NEWS and hope to get back to a regular schedule. I appreciate your patience and understanding. Due to the need to keep this issue brief, some of the regular items (Taps) and other items will not be included at this time. I hope to catch up on these in the next DQS NEWS.

Thanks

Ed

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