Do you miss the military?

Highly granular question I medically retired in 2010 after 8.0 years & 3 deployments (OIF & 2x OEF). I had a great career and had just started having the success I wanted in the military & started to enjoy it especially after my second deployment. Now on that I hated being a junior HM and my first two years where rough training commands then 6 months to Iraq. I actually hated being in the military my first year. I returned to command after going to Iraq I did get a lot more respect and received a NAM & CAR and did pick up 3rd class in that time. A year later I went on a second deployment to OEF and returned back to command after 15 months (3 month work up 12 month deployment) and was an E-5 & this is when I really did start enjoying the military. My senior leadership was great and I received a lax job working for a Chiropractor. It got a lot better my command was pretty lax and I started attending college in my off time. I made a good group of friends & guys in the barracks. We got an apartment out in town and really just had a good time. At this time I realized I started having problems from my two previous deployments but figured I would deal with it after I got out.

I extended my contract after 5 years so I could deploy a 3rd time and save some more money for college. I had always planned on getting out so I figured I would return from this deployment pocket my BAH and have 6 months to plan my exit. I deployed a 3rd time and unfortunately was injured early on in the deployment as in the 3rd week in country & was MEDEVACd out. Now after I was put through a MEB and it was determined I would medically retire. Now my chain of command was great during this time pretty much let me do what I wanted to do and allowed me to attend school during the day and where incredibly supportive. It took 18 months from start to finish but I did a lot of nothing except go to school during that time.

Now when I first got out I was so happy to be done with the military no more BS, no more watch, no more deployments, being able to have a stable relationship. I was 25 was collecting retirement, almost done with undergrad, had money saved, and had no bills. I stayed in the area to finish undergrad after I retired & my roommates where all in the military so I was still "in the loop". I graduated and then moved back to where I am from and went to law school to do a JD/MBA. Even during this time

I recently attended a retirement ceremony of a guy I served on my second deployment with. It did make me slightly miss being in the military and the comradery which I do not have in the civilian world. I have since had success in the civilian world and have achieved most my personal goals at 38. I am incredibly proud of my service and it is something that has shaped me for better & worse. I do miss the guys I served with grabbing drinks on Friday, going to the bars, leadership (i always had great leaders), having time dedicated to working out but it was time to move on.

Almost 9 years for me. Would definitley still be in.

The camaraderie, yes. The bullshit and politics, no. Eight years of progressive politics have eroded my faith in the electoral system, accountability and leadership as a whole. By time '13 rolled around, I'd had enough. That said, there are times I think I should've stuck it out one more hitch. But there was no way I was going back to the east coast, let alone anywhere near the Beltway. Those were my only options, which made punching at 20 a pretty attractive choice.

I retired after 18 1/2 years (early out) in 1995. The last couple of years, while the Army was struggling to redefine its mission at the end of the Cold War, I found miserable. Up to that point I had great success and fun (and a real world, relevant function), but I noticed my own performance suffering.
On top of that I was 45 years old and it seemed every day I had to work harder to maintain an acceptable level of physical condition.
Once 'early out' RIF hit my grade and MOS (E-7, Armor), I jumped. Cost me 5% of retired pay. Everything else was stat.
Not a single day since have I awoken to wish I could don a PT uniform or fatigues.

I miss the Army. I miss the early days especially. Even BCT. Life has never been as organized as it was in BCT. I went through as a 22-year-old, and I really took in the experience. Eco 1/61 Sept. - Nov. 2005. I miss the people I trained with back then. After that, when I got to the NG, it was a mess. A disorderly disorganized mess. I don't miss much of that. If I could go back and do it all over, I would have gone active duty. I regret that to this day.

I retired in June of 2013 and I definently do miss the people I served with at Fort Benning. I also miss Fort Benning because that post has a lot of military history along with the National Infantry Museum. I know I'm not able to go back in because of 5 deployments and medical issues but make no mistake about it I would still be in doing what I loved to do and that was serving in the United States Army as an NCO The BackBone of The Army.

My EAOS was 23FEB08. Do I miss the military? No, I have never once regretted my decision to get out. Do I miss some of the people? Yes.

SGT Mitch McKinley, I was assigned to the Retired Reserve on 11MAY98 and officially retired on 18MAR09. Do I miss it? Absolutely. That's why the interaction on RP has been so engaging.
I've been out longer than most people have been in, so I don't delude myself about serving again. However, if I could serve, I would.

I miss the people, but not the paperwork or the bureaucracy. I served 27 years on Active Duty, Reserve Duty and in the IRR. June is my 2nd year in the Retired Reserves, with 9 more years to go until I am fully retired. If I could go back in, I would, but I am now past my mandatory removal date. There are retiree deployments, but they are rare and likely not worth the hassle. I keep in touch with some of my still serving peers, but less and less. It was a fun ride. I am glad I took it.

I left the Army (which I absolutely loved) after my second enlistment to follow a call into Christian ministry that I received while on active duty. Do I miss the Army? ABSOLUTELY!!!! Yet, I don't regret the discission. If you are a soldier in your heart you will always love your military days. Yet, there are greater battles and victories ahead of you! God has a greater Army for you to join:
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. -2 Timothy 2:3