Posted on May 4, 2015
What is your Retirement or after miltary favorite toy?
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It took me a while to decide just before I retired what I wanted to get myself for the non work days. I looked at it as an investment in my happiness after the Army. It also worked into still having the camaraderie that I would miss after those final days.
It still keeps me tight with veterans and I meet many people from all walks of life and parts of the nation. It is even an easier meld with veterans that are out there also and some times it's only a patch or pin that you recognize immediately that bonds you together.
My toy getting out was not the one I kept, it was the one that I bought before Sturgis in 2013, Road Glide Ultra, that is my favorite toy.
It is also good therapy, "you never see a Motorcycle in front of a psychiatrist's office unless it belongs to them" So show us your toys!!!
It still keeps me tight with veterans and I meet many people from all walks of life and parts of the nation. It is even an easier meld with veterans that are out there also and some times it's only a patch or pin that you recognize immediately that bonds you together.
My toy getting out was not the one I kept, it was the one that I bought before Sturgis in 2013, Road Glide Ultra, that is my favorite toy.
It is also good therapy, "you never see a Motorcycle in front of a psychiatrist's office unless it belongs to them" So show us your toys!!!
Retirement
ETS/EAS
Relaxing
Therapy
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 11
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No toy, just leaving the phone in the kitchen when I go to bed.
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MSgt Don VandeBogert
Isn't that nice? Not having to have a phone glued to you 24/7? Now I only deal with my wife when she's mad I didn't answer.
V/R
Bogie
V/R
Bogie
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
MSgt Don VandeBogert Got a laugh out of me on that one. Just last week I had a nasty voice mail from my wife because I forgot to turn my phone on when I went to the grocery store.
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My grandson and my wife are the people I enjoy having around with. both can be challenging but are a lot of fun to "play" with.
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Although I didn't retire from the Army, my favorite toy, the one thing that within my busy schedule allows me to find peace is my Nikon D300S camera. I love getting out and helping others capture those special moments in their lives. Of course making a few extra bucks while doing it isn't bad either!
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An RV to travel around the country with my family, and work whenever I feel the need.
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Can't show you my toy. Time. Time is my toy now.
I loved serving, and would go back in a heart beat if they'd let me but I've gained so much time back into my daily life.
No piles of enlisted performance reports to write and/or review, no quarterly or annual awards packages to write/review, no dorms to inspect, no negative personnel issues (alchohol, drugs, assualts, etc.) to deal with especially on weekends, no more customers emailing and calling constantly PO'd that they wrecked a vehicle and their unit can't afford repairs, no inspections causing me headaches, no meetings about upcoming meetings that need another meeting to figure out how many meetings it's going to take, and no more time taken explaining why Air Force Instructions exist and why a "headquarters isn't boots on the ground" mentality is bad.
Time to enjoy sunrises while not ignoring ankle and knee pain on a PT 5K run (I just run much slower now). Time to enjoy my kids without missing anything (except headaches...they still give me those). Time to do what I want, when I want, how I want (when my wife let's me).
Time is the best toy and I get to abuse it now. I do enjoy my motorcycle too.
V/R
Bogie
I loved serving, and would go back in a heart beat if they'd let me but I've gained so much time back into my daily life.
No piles of enlisted performance reports to write and/or review, no quarterly or annual awards packages to write/review, no dorms to inspect, no negative personnel issues (alchohol, drugs, assualts, etc.) to deal with especially on weekends, no more customers emailing and calling constantly PO'd that they wrecked a vehicle and their unit can't afford repairs, no inspections causing me headaches, no meetings about upcoming meetings that need another meeting to figure out how many meetings it's going to take, and no more time taken explaining why Air Force Instructions exist and why a "headquarters isn't boots on the ground" mentality is bad.
Time to enjoy sunrises while not ignoring ankle and knee pain on a PT 5K run (I just run much slower now). Time to enjoy my kids without missing anything (except headaches...they still give me those). Time to do what I want, when I want, how I want (when my wife let's me).
Time is the best toy and I get to abuse it now. I do enjoy my motorcycle too.
V/R
Bogie
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CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025
MSgt Don VandeBogert I intend for my grave marker to refer to my “enjoying time”. I’ll never know. LTC Russ Mulvany wished to be interred at Arlington, alas, his survivors elected to place him at Riverside, CA National Cemetery!
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