I wrote to Greg and asked him to write to his fans and to let us know where he was and what he is doing. The following is from Greg. I personally want to thank Greg and all the men and women for the 'call to duty, in defense of America. It's important to all of us. We will never be able to thank them enough. This is part two of a two part series.

March 13, 2002

Just as we were falling into a routine at the Port, we were given a new mission.

At the end of September, the United States Air Force closed state route A1A in front of Patrick Air Force Base. SR A1A is the main north-south route through Brevard County. Before it was closed, thousands of local citizens traveled this road every day.

The Air Force, stating that they'd received threats against several important assets at the base, closed the road on September 20th, much to the chagrin of the local populace. At the time, Air Force officials couldn't put a time frame on how long the road would be closed.

The thousands of civilians who used this road now had no choice but to bypass this five-mile stretch of road, adding sometimes up to an hour to their commute time.

Businesses on either end of the closed section of the road began to suffer from the lack of traffic and I'm sure that enlistments in the Air Force in Brevard county dropped during this time.

At the end of December, Air Force officials began to talk of a plan to re-open the road. The Florida Army National Guard and specifically myself and my unit would be a big part of that plan.

Checkpoints were set up on either end of the road in front of the base and on January 6th, again to a great deal of media coverage, we began our latest mission, the one I'm currently invloved with.

Our job is to stand at one of two checkpoints, north and south. We stop pick-up trucks, SUVs, and vans and check for any large explosives carried by them. Large delivery vans, semi-trucks and the like are still barred from the road. The work is tedious and boring, but the public is very grateful to have their road back and express their appreciation with food, t-shirts, handshakes and a great deal of "thank you's".

For our part I felt that we're glad to be able to be a part of serving in the community and allowing the public to resume somewhat of a 'normal' exisitence. I work the midnight shfit, 10 PM to 6 AM.

These checkpoints are also manned with mobile law enforcment, usually Florida Highway Patrol officers. This law enforcment is used to chase down and stop any vehicle that might try and run the checkpoint either intenionally or by accident, as has happened on several occasions. The Florida Highway Patrol is by far one of the best, most professional agencies I've ever worked with and I've become friends with several of the Troopers.

These checkpoints have given us another way to serve the community as well.

While we are not supposed to be any type of DUI checkpoint, since we began, there have been nearly 30 DUI arrests. Why anyone who's been drinking would try and drive past us is beyond me. But sure enough, at least once a night, someone will come weaving to a stop or be stopped travelling in the wrong lane (cars travel in one lane because they aren't checked at all, trucks and the like in the other). It can make for some exciting moments and certainly keeps us on our toes.

These "signal 1's", the police jargon for drunk drivers, are taken off the road, possibly saving their's or more importantly someone elses life and for us it adds to the sense of satisfaction from being out on this busy highway, day after day, night after night.

A1A is where I spent Speedweeks 2002 and truth be told I'm kind of glad. You see this would have been the first time in twenty years that I would have gone to Daytona and not seen Dale Earnhardt.

I would have had to seen that statue and realized that he's gone. Yes I know that is time to move on and I think for the most part I have, but to have had to face that statue, let it sink in that this would be the only Dale Earnhardt I would see at Daytona, well I don't know how I will handle it. Because I'll eventually go there, look up at him. In my own time, my own way, on a day when there aren't too many people around. People to wonder why I'm tearing up.

Now don't get me wrong I'm not selfish enough to be grateful to have an excuse not to go. I wish September 11th would never have happened. I wish I wouldn't have to put on a green uniform everyday instead of once a month.

I miss seeing my family on a regular basis. Hate being in the heat, the cold, the rain. I miss NASCAR, engine noise,racing, tire smoke,thunder. I miss Tony Stewart trying to control his temper or Junior trying to fill his daddy's shoes. The points race, who gets the pole. But I rose my right hand and swore an oath over twenty years ago to "protect and defend...against all enemies foreign or domestic" and until told otherwise, that's exactly what I'll do. For how long, is anyones guess.

Right now there are rumors, so famous in the military, that our current mission will soon end and we'll head south, to Miami to take over airport security. Or that this current mission might end tommorrow, next week or next month and that I can finally go home. Who knows. It's kind of like the last few laps of a Bristol race, no one knows what's going to happen until it does. Until then, I'll roll with the punches, try and keep up with the NASCAR season as best as I can knowing that someday this will all be over.

Then I'll finally go see that statue.

You can contact Greg at: Insider Racing News