Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire A Q for the Veterans

I wanted to start a business! Worked out well!

As an aside...I wouldn't trade my time in the military for 3 PHDs!!

A "part time career. I was USAF and the WVANG and retired with 30 years and 4 months service. I did far more than the "one weekend and month and 15 days a year".

I enlisted, AF, with the full intent of doing 20+

To make a long story shorter, I signed for 4, and they offered me an early out, 14 months early as I recall.
Some Graham-Ruddman budget crap?

Anyway, I stayed, still was pretty positive on going the distance.

At the end of my 4, re-enlistment guy (with feet up on desk)
says to me "Weeeel, you haven't anything on your record that would prohibit you from re-enlisting, so what are you gonna do? (big yawn)

Have to say, in my youthful tender feelers phase, I was a little butt hurt by the whole attitude of the AF.
This is in the time when they were putting folks out on the fat boy/girl program left and right. I was skinny as a rail so it didn't affect me, but left a bad taste, the was some of my friends were treated.

I went home, went to college on my GI bill.

For the best I suppose, I had developed a pretty hard drinking problem, my liver wouldn't have lasted 20

Joined to go kill ragheads at 25yo. I did do that exact thing. I survived, met my wife on leave. Got married and decided it was best to raise my family back home in NE instead of Cali or NC.

Was told in Sept.'66 I was at the top of the list for draft in Nov., so in Oct. I enlisted in the AF. Gave them 5 years. As an E-5 there were 26,000 ahead of me for that next stripe. Was time to go home.

I joined for the personal test, to "see the elephant." I joined way too late, going through Airborne School and the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP) at the age of thirty. Next thing you know I am watching old Vietnam Vet pilots of the Ohio Air National Guard doing bombing runs on the Commandancia if Panama while I was splitting duty time hunting for PDF and working my behind off in support details. Two two hour breaks a day for six days with the constant smell of JP4 and sweat, and the occasional smell of blood and burnt bodies. I had met men who were heroes. Some of them were dead two weeks later. Some left families behind them and there is nothing that can heal that wound. LG Downing chatted with me during a lull in the day and gave the most inspirational talks I will ever hear. I worked for and with heroes (F*** Salon.com). I had a purpose.

It got into me, like a tame dog tasting the wild. I could never go back to being a true civilian and most civilians where I came from (San Francisco) wouldn't let me anyway. But too many injuries, a faithless wife, and a country that elected Bill "I loathe the Military lifestyle" Clinton led to closing the door on my Active duty career. I tried the Reserves/Guard and made many friends but it was not the same. So in the end I have squandered my life and am struggling with the remnants of it.

At the risk of being maudlin, I really appreciate you guys on the Campfire. I have met only one of you but you are all a surrogate support group that kind of gives me the feelings of the cameraderie I had in the service. And Thank you for loving America, even if she is as faithless and mercurial as my girl.

I didn't want to bounce my kids around.



Travis

I was going to make a career of it. However, after Vietnam and Zumwalt, the Navy went to hell. They were going to take away our Dixie cup and bellbottoms and make us look like the other branches. They were going to take away tradition. The all New Navy. I didn't want any of it. The funny thing is that had I stayed in all of this would have taken care of itself in time. Hindsight.

Jim

Well said, and ditto...

I was 1A, was going to be drafted anyways. Took the lesser of 2 evils or so I thought. Got sent to RVN anyways.

I gave them four years. I got to do Tet. I lost too many friends I went to school with. I left because too many [bleep] in the same uniform I wore needed shot. I gave serious consideration to going to DC and getting the ones who needed it more.

To get paid to do a fun job. The idea of being a combat leader seemed fun. I hunted as a kid and really like to shoot.

After being promoted and becoming an XO, it became obvious that the army was going to be 20 years of mind numbing long hours as a staff weinnie except for company command. Time for grad school!

i joined right after high school because the job market was dismal and i was bored scheeit-ess. got real lucky with job and assignments and considered it a career until i ended up at the pentagon. a buck sergeant working in the NMCC is as low on the totem pole as you can get. locked in there for 6 years and realizing how f'd up it was, i got out while the gettin' was good.

When i was 18, my dad told me, "At the end of the summer, before your sibs go back to school, you will either join the military and move out, get a job and move out, or go to college and move out. Catch the common theme?"

So, I enlisted and left for basic the day before my sibs went back to school.

I was active duty for ten years enlisted, the got my degree and became an officer. Ten years as an NCO and now 28 as an officer.

I came in to get out of the house. I've stayed because of the people I serve with, and the country I serve. I will retire soon with 40 years combined active, reserve and Air Guard service.

It will be hard to leave the suit of blue where I have made my home.

i was under the control of the war criminals Johnson, McNamara and Westmoreland. i succembed to their power, and got out as a worthy individual.

a ton of others elected to vacate the US and move to Canada. i respectfully declined that option, what with the cold weather and all. later, ol Jimmah gave that whole crowd that wanted it, a free walk. a free walk, what a concept.

if only my Father had been rich, influential, and well connected. oh well. i didn't kill any babies, but it wasn't my fault that i didn't.

War is Hell. those folks who glamorize it are Agents of the Debil, imho.