45
45
0
In 2011 after 20+ years of service I retired. That's not unusual, it’s a simple process done all the time.
But I was assigned to a University ROTC position, and on a University I didn't serve in a "conventional unit" or serve on a post to speak of. So when it was my time I asked to retire from Ft. Meade where I had some family. The other option was Ft. Knox where my career had started, and I didn't think I was ready to say good bye from where it had all started.
What I found on Ft. Meade was not being from Ft. Meade the transition office gave the impression that they could have cared less about my retirement. I was never informed of, or offered an opportunity to attend a retirement ceremony, nor did they ask if I had received my last NCOER or award.
And of course being in an ROTC assignment I never cleared post or had those last few days to prepare for that last day in the Army. As a result, on my last day I walked into retirement services, was handed a piece of paper and shown the door. No flag, no pin, nothing.
It was over, 20+ years of service was gone in a flash and my ID card was blue. The 45 minute drive home was lonely and depressing because there was no tomorrow. I had no orders, I didn't need to in-process my next assignment, I was done. So I took off my uniform for the last time and didn't know what to do with it. It hung in the closet, the belt still in the loops and ready to be worn again for a year.
My retirement experience was bitter and still bothers me to this day. So take my advice, if you’re preparing to retire, go to the retirement ceremony, and demand to attend if they have one. Listen as they read off your assignments and decorations, remember the soldiers you served with and if you can, reach out to them and thank them. Remember the places you visited and where you served, and shake every outstretched hand from peers wishing you well, and thank them for their service.
Go to PT your final week, enjoy the moment of being on the PT field and think back to all the PT tests you have taken, all the miles you have run, the cadence you sang. Go to the chow hall for one last time, eat around soldiers and really look at them, how did they get so young, or did they, you could be older.
Take time cleaning out the office, locker or turning in your equipment, clean your weapon and mask that last time and sign that last 2404 in big bold writing. Have the next soldier who gets your weapon ask who was this guy?
But above all, mentally prepare for that last day. Try to retire on a Friday, use the weekend to cushion the transition.
Now your retirement may be for different reasons, you want to retire, you have big plans to be with family or travel, a new job awaits you, and those are great.
But don't skip the ceremony and just disappear. Enjoy the moment and thank you for your service.
But I was assigned to a University ROTC position, and on a University I didn't serve in a "conventional unit" or serve on a post to speak of. So when it was my time I asked to retire from Ft. Meade where I had some family. The other option was Ft. Knox where my career had started, and I didn't think I was ready to say good bye from where it had all started.
What I found on Ft. Meade was not being from Ft. Meade the transition office gave the impression that they could have cared less about my retirement. I was never informed of, or offered an opportunity to attend a retirement ceremony, nor did they ask if I had received my last NCOER or award.
And of course being in an ROTC assignment I never cleared post or had those last few days to prepare for that last day in the Army. As a result, on my last day I walked into retirement services, was handed a piece of paper and shown the door. No flag, no pin, nothing.
It was over, 20+ years of service was gone in a flash and my ID card was blue. The 45 minute drive home was lonely and depressing because there was no tomorrow. I had no orders, I didn't need to in-process my next assignment, I was done. So I took off my uniform for the last time and didn't know what to do with it. It hung in the closet, the belt still in the loops and ready to be worn again for a year.
My retirement experience was bitter and still bothers me to this day. So take my advice, if you’re preparing to retire, go to the retirement ceremony, and demand to attend if they have one. Listen as they read off your assignments and decorations, remember the soldiers you served with and if you can, reach out to them and thank them. Remember the places you visited and where you served, and shake every outstretched hand from peers wishing you well, and thank them for their service.
Go to PT your final week, enjoy the moment of being on the PT field and think back to all the PT tests you have taken, all the miles you have run, the cadence you sang. Go to the chow hall for one last time, eat around soldiers and really look at them, how did they get so young, or did they, you could be older.
Take time cleaning out the office, locker or turning in your equipment, clean your weapon and mask that last time and sign that last 2404 in big bold writing. Have the next soldier who gets your weapon ask who was this guy?
But above all, mentally prepare for that last day. Try to retire on a Friday, use the weekend to cushion the transition.
Now your retirement may be for different reasons, you want to retire, you have big plans to be with family or travel, a new job awaits you, and those are great.
But don't skip the ceremony and just disappear. Enjoy the moment and thank you for your service.
Posted in these groups: 
Retirement
Retirement
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 17
1
1
0
SFC Matthew P., Soldiers Army-wide are invited to participate in a retirement ceremony conducted by ceremonial troops of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington (MDW). This is where I opted to have my Retirement ceremony. The Retirement Section on Fort Meade informed me about the ceremony. I just had to go on the website and select a date and time, MDW did the rest. Even though you were not assigned to Fort Meade, they should have given you the information.
http://www.mdwhome.mdw.army.mil/event%28s%29-support/army-retirement-ceremonies
http://www.mdwhome.mdw.army.mil/event%28s%29-support/army-retirement-ceremonies
Soldiers Army-wide are invited to participate in a retirement ceremony conducted by ceremonial troops of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington (MDW).
(1)
(0)
SFC Matthew Parker
MSG D. Layne-Sheffield,
Thank you for the information. Ft. Meade could have cared less about my retirement and just recently I had an issue with CIF because of Meade. I retired in 2011 but I found some Mollie gear I received from RFI and thought I would give it to the CIF here on Ft. Jackson. They checked my ID and I still had an open CIF record. I cleared every section, agency and department on my clearing/retirement papers and somehow I had an open CIF record and owed money for equipment I had turned in. I called Ft. Meade and was told it was no longer their problem. I got it corrected and closed the record because I kept records but this just proved to me once your retired no one cares.
I went to a retirement ceremony on Ft. Stewart where each soldier had his bio read aloud and each soldier received his retirement award from his command. The retirement dinner was great as it allowed family's and soldiers to share stories about the soldier and say good bye.
I want every soldier to have an opportunity to stand in formation one last time, be showed the respect he/she has earned and receive their last award in front of their peers and family's.
I have only one regret from my 20+ years of service and that was my retirement process.
Thank you for the information. Ft. Meade could have cared less about my retirement and just recently I had an issue with CIF because of Meade. I retired in 2011 but I found some Mollie gear I received from RFI and thought I would give it to the CIF here on Ft. Jackson. They checked my ID and I still had an open CIF record. I cleared every section, agency and department on my clearing/retirement papers and somehow I had an open CIF record and owed money for equipment I had turned in. I called Ft. Meade and was told it was no longer their problem. I got it corrected and closed the record because I kept records but this just proved to me once your retired no one cares.
I went to a retirement ceremony on Ft. Stewart where each soldier had his bio read aloud and each soldier received his retirement award from his command. The retirement dinner was great as it allowed family's and soldiers to share stories about the soldier and say good bye.
I want every soldier to have an opportunity to stand in formation one last time, be showed the respect he/she has earned and receive their last award in front of their peers and family's.
I have only one regret from my 20+ years of service and that was my retirement process.
(0)
(0)
MSG D. Layne-Sheffield
SFC Matthew P. I also had problems with CIF. I am so glad that I had my copy of the signed document showing that I had already turned it in.
(1)
(0)
0
0
0
At you got an award in the mail, I was asked, 2 days before final out by 1SG if I wanted one. After 22+ years albeit a medical retirement, I told him to stick it up his ass and walked out. The in/out processing center, nor the command offered a ceremony, I was told I just missed it the week before I was out processing. At this point I just wanted to leave.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
Great Advice! Thank you for sharing! FYI - I had a retirement Ceremony a week ago, I completely underestimated the impact it had on my family! I will never forget it!
(0)
(0)
SFC Matthew Parker
Congratulations SGM, Thank you for your service and continued success in the future.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
SFC Matthew Parker - thank you for sharing this experience with others. There are so many who just want to walk away without that pause to celebrate their honored service. Have you done anything since then with friends and family to celebrate your service?
(0)
(0)
SFC Matthew Parker
Sorry for the late reply, no nothing, family is scattered over 4 states and the soldiers I grew up with have all but disappeared.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
I went through the Ft Riley RSO back in 2011 and retired in FEB 2012. I was basically treated as the red headed step child: enlisted (E-6)NG on active duty, Sanctuary, Prior Naval Officer. It took me the next 39 months to undo what the Subject Matter Experts I trusted to process my retirement did to me. They had my entire file and still screwed it up FUBAR. Oh yeah My retirement ceremony was at a Batt formation where I received an Army Achievement Medal for my career.
(0)
(0)
SFC Matthew Parker
Capt McDonald, I see no respect in the way you were treated or in how your command see's fit to give you an AAM for your service. As your retirement process is going to be the final experience we have with the Army you would think they would get it right.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
SFC Matthew Parker
1SG, It was not what I expected but should have known may happen. I was not assigned to Ft. Meade so I didn't have a unit or chain of command that was known to retirement services.
I was assigned to ROTC which didn't have a single connection to Ft. Meade nor was it what I would consider a "real" unit with a S-1 and command that cared about my retirement process.
I was never on a roster for any of the briefings no matter how many times I turned in my orders and the retirement team was less than motivated. It was paper work, not people.
Now years later I can say this still bothers me. That drive home was the hardest thing I have ever done. When they took my CAC card and retired me a part of me died. It was just over, no tomorrow.
I am living in Columbia South Carolina now near Ft. Jackson and see those young soldiers in training every time I go on post and it still makes me remember back to my days on Ft Knox as a private.
Thanks to Ft. Meade and myself for not demanding the full retirement process I will regret that last day and remember that feeling alone until the end.
1SG, I would insist my soldiers go and get honored, they deserve it and they need it for closure. Just my thoughts.
I was assigned to ROTC which didn't have a single connection to Ft. Meade nor was it what I would consider a "real" unit with a S-1 and command that cared about my retirement process.
I was never on a roster for any of the briefings no matter how many times I turned in my orders and the retirement team was less than motivated. It was paper work, not people.
Now years later I can say this still bothers me. That drive home was the hardest thing I have ever done. When they took my CAC card and retired me a part of me died. It was just over, no tomorrow.
I am living in Columbia South Carolina now near Ft. Jackson and see those young soldiers in training every time I go on post and it still makes me remember back to my days on Ft Knox as a private.
Thanks to Ft. Meade and myself for not demanding the full retirement process I will regret that last day and remember that feeling alone until the end.
1SG, I would insist my soldiers go and get honored, they deserve it and they need it for closure. Just my thoughts.
(1)
(0)
0
0
0
When I retire, I prefer not to have any ceremony or such. It isn't that I don't take pride or honor of my service. But I think the government can spend the resources somewhere else to increase the efficiency. They can recognize my service by doing all the paper work properly and not screwing anything else up. As a matter of fact, I much rather them doing the later than some dog and pony show.
If people want to show up at my house or somewhere else and chill after work, I am all for it. But that's just me.
If people want to show up at my house or somewhere else and chill after work, I am all for it. But that's just me.
(0)
(0)
SFC Matthew Parker
SFC Fung,
You replied 11 months ago but I wanted to say thanks for your comments. I think you deserve a full retirement ceremony with family and those you have served with in the past attending because you have earned it. Allow people to shake your hand and say thank you, you deserve that.
You replied 11 months ago but I wanted to say thanks for your comments. I think you deserve a full retirement ceremony with family and those you have served with in the past attending because you have earned it. Allow people to shake your hand and say thank you, you deserve that.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google