Veterans sound off

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

Retired DCCS USCG 27 years.........retired 2004

 

[jiggs_casey]

US Army Finance
1990 - 1993 Ft Bragg, 126th Finance Battalion, 18th Airborne Corps
1993 - 1996 Mannheim, Germany, 208th Finance Battalion, 266th Theater Finance Command

 

[tophatxj]

US Army 2007-2011
Iraq 2007-2009

 

[Dan]

82-86a s USN 4 yrs tailhook ASW. 7 yrs. tech rep.
Eldest son just got out as AE and youngest is going to Afghan as JarHead.

Thank you and your family for your service. My son is a JarHead. I am a retired AE.

 

[Doongie]

Navy '87-'97 AO1. NOLA, SoWey MA, Jax FL. CV-67 JFK, CVN-69 Eisenhower, CVN-71 Roosevelt, CVN-74 Stennis. Did a lot of time doing OPPE's and watching nuggets land.

 

[Jaybird]

I just spent Monday at a Military service for a 30 year vet in the Navy. He died at the right ol' age of 87 and was 1 hell of a man! He spent his retirement driving around every highway, byway and back country roads in the nation in a motorhome with my grandmother at his side. I guess he wanted to see as much of the country he spent so many years defending.

To all the men and women in the armed services, I tip my hat and raise my glass in your honor. Without you this country would be a much different place!

What a great thread!

Cheers
Jay

 

[EODstads]

Passing 8 years active duty USAF Explosive Ordnance Disposal, currently deployed to Helmand Province Afghanistan

 

[harrke]

Thank You OP for starting this thread!


It is refreshing and humbling to hear of the selfless service of all of you! Thank God for your dedication!

'89-'02 USN. Nuclear Submarines.

God Bless.

 

[Bryali]

US Army, 12 years and counting...

13B10 & 13M10 (FA, Cannon Crewmember & MLRS Crewmember): 2000-2002 AL ARNG

67T10 (Now called 15T): 2002-2005 Cp. Stanley, ROK; Ft. Campbell, KY

153D (Blackhawk pilot): 2005-Current: El Gora, Egypt; Ft. Drum, NY; COB Speicher, Iraq; FOB Shank, Afghanistan; USAG Humphreys, ROK...


"You will never have friends like the ones you had at war" --Whoever said it first

 

[GrogNerd]

Navy '87-'97 AO1. NOLA, SoWey MA, Jax FL. CV-67 JFK, CVN-69 Eisenhower, CVN-71 Roosevelt, CVN-74 Stennis. Did a lot of time doing OPPE's and watching nuggets land.

were you on the Rosie during Desert Storm?

we were part of her BG. while stationed behind her, she was dumping trash & garbage when we noticed she had also dumped burn bags

we had to clean up after y'all

 

[d2xx]

U.S. ARMY '87-'95. Desert shield/Storm with 24th Infantry Division. followed the family tradition. grandfather was in WWII and dad served in Vietnam.

 

[Doongie]

were you on the Rosie during Desert Storm?

we were part of her BG. while stationed behind her, she was dumping trash & garbage when we noticed she had also dumped burn bags

we had to clean up after y'all

Nah, wasn't me, never deployed. Saw all those ships a couple weeks at a time with HS-75, doing plane guard for short excursions between deployments.

 

[ManhattanProjectBrewing]

Hooah! US Army MP CRMAT 1996-2004 SFC

Bosnia / Hungary / Kosovo / Korea / Germany / Iraq and everywhere in between (CONUS / OCONUS)… Best. Damn. Time…Ever. Second to none.

Thank you to all; past, present, and future for securing this great nation of ours and securing the freedom of others. Let’s take a moment for our brothers and sisters that made the ultimate sacrifice. You will be missed but never forgotten.

THIS We’ll Defend…..

-JM

 

[cavalrymsh]

Army tanker. '86 to now. Currently in the 'stan. One way or another my last deployment.

 

[krduckman]

USAF 93-99; Keesler AFB, MS. Saw the world, not.

 

[MaddBaggins]

USN 90-94
USS Harry W Hill DD986

Still wish I'd stayed in, I would have retired 3 years ago.

 

[RobInOre]

Sgt, USMC, 86-90, K-Bay, MACS-2 Radar

 

[Jonk4]

00-09 National Guard Infantry OIF/OEF

 

[EODstads]

USN 90-94
USS Harry W Hill DD986

Still wish I'd stayed in, I would have retired 3 years ago.

I'm thinking about just cutting loose. I just don't think that the retirement is worth all the BS that goes along with being in the military.

 

[MaddBaggins]

I'm thinking about just cutting loose. I just don't think that the retirement is worth all the BS that goes along with being in the military.

I look back at the crap I've done since I got out and realize that 20 in the Navy would have been cake. It really was the best job I ever had.

 

[EODstads]

I look back at the crap I've done since I got out and realize that 20 in the Navy would have been cake. It really was the best job I ever had.

A lot of it is boiling down to family time(or lack thereof) My wife and I have been married almost 2 years now and have been together for like 4 months of that. Things aren't really slowing down for EOD either which is a big driver for me getting out.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

I'm thinking about just cutting loose. I just don't think that the retirement is worth all the BS that goes along with being in the military.

well enjoy the crap even more if you try to join the civilian sector

 

[MaddBaggins]

A lot of it is boiling down to family time(or lack thereof) My wife and I have been married almost 2 years now and have been together for like 4 months of that. Things aren't really slowing down for EOD either which is a big driver for me getting out.

Roger that. I was married and divorced in my first two years in.

 

[ButcherBoy]

USAF '74 to '77
Myrtle Beach AFB
Electronic CounterMeasures Tech - 'Jam It!'

 

[harrke]

A lot of it is boiling down to family time(or lack thereof) My wife and I have been married almost 2 years now and have been together for like 4 months of that. Things aren't really slowing down for EOD either which is a big driver for me getting out.

I had 13 in when I made the decision. Driving Submarines was a blast. The people that I led were the best in the world. I was proud to Defend MY Country, but I had done my time and family was too important! I enjoyed the Navy, but I don't regret leaving. I am happily married now 24 years and have 8 wonderful children.

God Bless you for your service and Best Wishes on whatever your decision.

 

[GrogNerd]

with Clinton's downsizing in '93, they told me I couldn't re-enlist, even if I wanted to.

so I got out and started homebrewing

 

[JohnSand]

I got out to spend more time with family and friends, maybe get married. Then I became a cop, which sort of compromised. I still worked nights, weekends, holidays, missing family events. But I never had to stay at work for weeks at a time anymore. And I still retired at 48.

 

[EODstads]

I figure I have had my fun and made my lifelong friends and now it is time to grow a beard and do what I want for a little while (brewing)

 

[mux]

12 years USMC, 0622

 

[TANSTAAFB]

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for your service and sacrifice.