If someone asked what could you have done differently in your military career, what would you have chosen?

I would have stayed in and applied for OCS. I regret to this day not having stayed in.

I earned my degree on active duty and started OCS. One day in school it hit me that as great as a commission would have been, I really didn't want to do what an officer does. In fact, I was tired of being a sailor. I decided to leave Active Duty even though I had a two-year commitment to fill first. I was selected for CPO just as the commitment ended but I left anyway. I joined the reserves and still got my anchors. I think I did exactly what was right for me and haven't regretted it at all.

Gunny I got my degree while on active duty. My continuing drive kept me going, although it was really difficult to go to college and be a Marine at the same time. I got selected to SgtMaj but I turned it down because I didn't want to go back to Okinawa. These young Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airman have the greatest opportunity to get a degree while on active duty.

1stSgt Cliff Conrad, I also achieved my degree while on active duty and it has served me well. My point is that when I first enlisted, there wasn't a lot of guidance in what I should be doing with off-duty education in order to achieve some of the goals that I had. Looking back, I can see opportunities I missed because there wasn't that guidance available.

I always liked how anything less than a top 1% fitrep was a kiss of death! As a TAR officer I never received a fitrep in a timely manner. I was gone two months from my command tour before I received my fitrep. It omitted my master's degree I earned.

My last 6 years in the Marine Corps, I wrote my own fitness reports, because my Commanders trusted me to write my own, with honesty and integrity.

When I finished my career, I knew where I stood, in reality. I forced that officer to write my final NCOER. I knew that I busted his nuts for losing a weapon during training, and lying about it. I knew that he sent a false green 2, through me, which I was the first to report as false, once i figured it out. He never apologized, he never recognized that he was wrong, he never admitted that I was the one to find his missing weapon, along an avenue of advance in our training mission. I blew his ass up. For lying to me. And I made him write my last NCOER. Not because I thought it would cap off a solid career, but because I knew he couldn't help but try to be wrong.And from time to time, in his life, I'll pop in to say hello and remind him. When my time was up, I was done. Done with sorry ass officers who tried to be leaders. I've know good officers as leaders. And I can count those few proud men on one hand. Sadly one was murdered in his own driveway a few short years ago.

1953!!!! WOW!!! SALUTE!!!!

I didn't know it then, but those small chutes would have dumped my 190 pounds on the deck in a hurry!

That was the year I was born. Salute.

Reenlisted and made a career of the Army.

Not let my crappy leadership get to me and stuck through my last crappy leadership, who were being reassigned to another unit.

Diego Garcia. party capitol of the world!

Panama-J Street.

Yep, shoulda gone.

Top: You made it to First Sergeant. I'd say that's pretty damn good for having Company & Field Grade Article 15's under your belt.

I tried to appeal the field grade to Gen Powell (Col Powell at the time) my Bde Cdr but he said I needed an attention getter. I still have the AR 15 with his signature on it, I have to say that was an expensive autograph.

Strike Force!