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

Agreed to all the above. HM3

Exfiled, like we were supposed to, instead of walking back with the platoon patrol. My decision, my scars.

You took the words right out of my mouth! Instead of drinking I would've inserted smoking!

CPL Beth Allsop I was never a big smoker. I ended up quitting a few years after I got out.

Amen to that Cap! That is my single biggest regret also... Have spent many, many years tracking down old friends and coworkers some to no avail. Who knew!

I have be fortunate enough to find a Facebook group about some of my time and to paraphrase a poet, all the difference made. I know the British Navy has a closer affiliation process than we do, perhaps due to the size?

Would that poet be Robert Frost -- "I took the road less traveled by, And that has made all the difference"? Learned that one way back when kids had to memorize in school.

Thank you for all you have done. Please if you can write about your experiences. Us military history buffs eat it up.

Sir... write a book. Please, write a book.

Thank you sir. Yes. Write about your experiences, as a record. My uncle was wounded at Sugar Loaf Hill but would never speak of it. Now he's gone and a precious piece of history is gone with him. Even if you show no one until you're gone. The country needs to hear it from those who were there. Semper Fi Sir!

I'm sure at this point most of us feel like we have little tiny ballsacks. That's outstanding. Thankfully we didn't have to lead our generation into your fight. It would have ended badly.

In boot camp I would have paid more attention to the annuity plan offered.

PO1 Ron Mills - The one we were offered was a pretty bad scam, and sorry to say, I was one of the guys caught in it. Count your blessings that you made it a bit further, and learned how to do your homework better.

They tired to do me like that. I straight up told them that I didn't Deserve the benefits that I would get for just doing training. (I was injured in bct) I hadn't been in long enough and just graduating basic does not qualify me for the same benefits someone who has been in longer and did more should have. It apparently pulled the heart strings of my ortho doc and he rejected the med broad.

My ignorance of medical boards hurt me. I actually signed it before I talked about appealing the decision. I had 3-4 other service connected injuries I needed to address. There were enough there to easily have gotten a retirement instead of the 10% at the time. I'm now 100% via the VA. But it cost me 12 years of benefits. So I feel your pain there. You're not alone by any means.

I was medically retired after 12 years in the Air Force, after only obtaining E-5. I was only allowed to test once for E-6 out of the 4 years I was "eligible due to TIG", due to being on MEB status for the better part of those last three years...but it was time, my lower back has been nearly destroyed (10 disks in various stages of degeneration, from 15-90% gone, spinal stenosis, radiculopathy, and slight nerve death on my S1 nerve on my right side). However, I do enjoy that I get to spend this time with my kids, as I missed both their early lives due to long work hours and deployments. They are 13 and 11 now and I wouldn't trade the time I have with them now for anything, except for maybe a completely healthy spine, but it would be a tough call...

Had I been able to stay in, I would be hitting 17 years this September.

I got out almost 3 years early after fracturing my back. (In line of duty). The Navy said I was only 10% disabled so no medical retirement. My rating (FTG1) was ineligible for early retirement so I had to tap dance into temp limited duty then put in for early retirement. I'm still ticked off that I don't get a full retirement. Right after I got out the VA said I was 30% disabled which would have gotten me a medical retirement.

Sounds like me in Korea C Btry 2-61 ADA Camp Stanley ROM '83-'84. We earned our pay in the field and a ton of maintenance in garrison so every chance we got it was haul behind down range, and cost is no object!

OK, should be 'ROK" not "ROM".

If you had a penny for every dollar, you'd be broke, and wondering why you didn't have a better time of it. Those pennies on the dollar are won in life experience. That's something you get whether you pay attention to it or not. Take what you have chosen so far, and find a way to get where you are going.

As an ANG guy, why not? On the commissioned side, why not? You show a little interest in the job, they pay for your college, you give a few years of your attention, why not? That's a pretty impressive salad you got going on there. What's the story behind it? I just learned to trust nobody. No offense to you personally, unless it's a pile of crap.

SFC Shannon Ford - I might be confused by your question/statement. I have served every day in my career in one capacity or another since my 19th birthday. I paid for my college because a reserve/guard technician gets zero tuition assistance- so i used every drill check and AT check for the better part of 5 years to pay for it. I have given to date over 33 years of attention and all but two years during which I left full tie service to work for the FDIC have been a full time AD or technician reservist/guardsman. That puts the dec board in line as well- lots of years, many assignments, and three different career fields. Not sure if that answers what you are asking or implying, but have worked my ass off and given well more than my share to my job at the sacrifice of family more than once.

I'm with you in that. When I was in basic at Fort Sill, in 1987, they were recruiting for airborne. At the time I thought that was insane. I regret saying no to this day.

I'm with you on that too.. its odd when I was active duty I was more looking for a 9-5 military experience, nothing too gritty, then i deployed to Iraq and thought that was gritty enough and decided to get out and start a family.. now, 5-6 years later life is very 9-5 and I wish I could go do the gritty Army stuff. I didn't take advantage of any of the really good training the army offers (besides medic school) like Airborne, Air Assault, Ranger etc.

You should have gone to Charlie school.

Both you and I should have gone to Charlie school!