Thoughts on Retirement
I made the decision earlier this year to retire from the Army. I've been active duty and reserve for over 30 years now. Yeah, I enlisted during the Carter Administration. I've been a part of the Cold War, have deployed for Desert Storm, Operation Joint Guard/Joint Endeavor, and three tours in the GWOT in Iraq and Afghanistan. I've got plenty of t-shirts.
Someone asked me recently if I had any thoughts about retirement. How can I not have any thoughts about it? I've been there, done that, and have nothing really to prove anymore. I am almost 50 years old, my hearing is toast, my back is hosed and my knees are fucked-up. I have really fun dreams about some of the things I have seen over the years and although I don't dive under things when I hear a loud noise anymore, I still don't do well in large, crowded rooms. I've gained weight I can't seem to lose, and it is getting harder to maintain the standards. I don't want to be "that guy".
We've been told that deployments for the reserve aren't going to get better any time soon. Even at that, I loved being in Iraq and Afghanistan and know I would go back in a heartbeat if asked. I never felt more alive than when I was deployed. It was some of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Though I am in the reserve, I am still getting jealous of the time I am away from home. Even though I am going quite grey, I still have my hair, and I'd like to see what it looks like long again. I want to grow a beard.
I am grateful for the years I have had the opportunity to serve, and have served with some of the best people in the world. I will miss putting on the uniform, but I am just not feeling it any more. Someone once told me that you'll "just know" when it is time to retire. I know. It's time.
Someone asked me recently if I had any thoughts about retirement. How can I not have any thoughts about it? I've been there, done that, and have nothing really to prove anymore. I am almost 50 years old, my hearing is toast, my back is hosed and my knees are fucked-up. I have really fun dreams about some of the things I have seen over the years and although I don't dive under things when I hear a loud noise anymore, I still don't do well in large, crowded rooms. I've gained weight I can't seem to lose, and it is getting harder to maintain the standards. I don't want to be "that guy".
We've been told that deployments for the reserve aren't going to get better any time soon. Even at that, I loved being in Iraq and Afghanistan and know I would go back in a heartbeat if asked. I never felt more alive than when I was deployed. It was some of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Though I am in the reserve, I am still getting jealous of the time I am away from home. Even though I am going quite grey, I still have my hair, and I'd like to see what it looks like long again. I want to grow a beard.
I am grateful for the years I have had the opportunity to serve, and have served with some of the best people in the world. I will miss putting on the uniform, but I am just not feeling it any more. Someone once told me that you'll "just know" when it is time to retire. I know. It's time.