Posted on Sep 3, 2017
What was the deciding factor that made you decide to leave the military, stay for the full 20, or come back into the military?
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 106
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I joined because of 9/11. Got put the navy because of PTS. Rejoined because of Parris and Brussels.
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After 38 years and being a CSM I was ready to go. Lots of changes that were helping Soldiers as well as Soldiers not giving a damn about what was expected of them. To many changes allowing the military to get “normalized” like society. The military isn’t an experiment for poor politicians to play with!!
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Did 10 years as a 91 Bravo, Medical Specialist (1977-1988). Was a civilian for two years (hated it). Came back in as a 19 D Calvary Scout. Break in service of 18 years. Joined the Reserve in 2010 as a 68 Whisky Combat Medic. Did 7 years, Retired with 20 years at 61 years of age last year. The mind is willing, but the body is not, I still do miss it.
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After 28+ years of service, I've grown used to it. Now this is combined service mind you with about 7 yrs active and the rest with the ILARNG, but it can still be a struggle at times when trying to balance it with my civilian job. I still enjoy it. I like being out in the wood line and training soldiers. I like passing on my knowledge to the younger troops ensuring that they are prepared to defend this country in the future. Plus, as an engineer, the dynamic of how we fit within the combined arms role is always evolving as technology and doctrine changes and that creates a constant challenge, which I enjoy.
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SGT Joseph Gunderson: Sergeant, I was honorably discharged with two disabilities. Thanks for asking. -Warm Regards, Margaret
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Growing up I always wanted to join the military. I was sworn in initially on my 17th Birthday. I did take a break in service for a couple of years, but ended up with 22 and a half years. I left active duty basically to spend more time at home. I did move to the reserves to add a few more years and contracted to the Army just a few blocks from my previous AD unit. Contact ran out just before another tour. Due to injuries and heavy wear and tear over the years coupled with multiple combat tours in Iraq;, I eventually retired a short time later. Civilian life is very unstructured in comparison and I think about how much nicer it would be to be back. A lot of young recruits join the Military thinking the service is privileged to have them, they will be the ones more likely to filter out. We are actually the ones who are privileged to be accepted.
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In no particular order.
1) I loved being a company grade officer in company grade billets. If it were not for "up or out" I'd have stayed until my body was no longer capable. I hated every second of the field grade billets I held. None of my mentors, (some flag grade) could say it would stay the same or get better. I was determined not to be the field grade officer, who was hijacking a company grade officer's time in the sun. Those guys drove me nuts
2) My seven year old son did not handle my deployments well. He was not a misbehaver. He just became depressed, lost weight, and withdrew when I was gone.
3) I'd served two tours in a row, where for a significant part of the tour, one or both of the CO's (changes of command at both posts) were not honorable men, were not very intelligent, put their interests ahead of the command, and were surprisingly petty.
4) The right opportunity came along.
1) I loved being a company grade officer in company grade billets. If it were not for "up or out" I'd have stayed until my body was no longer capable. I hated every second of the field grade billets I held. None of my mentors, (some flag grade) could say it would stay the same or get better. I was determined not to be the field grade officer, who was hijacking a company grade officer's time in the sun. Those guys drove me nuts
2) My seven year old son did not handle my deployments well. He was not a misbehaver. He just became depressed, lost weight, and withdrew when I was gone.
3) I'd served two tours in a row, where for a significant part of the tour, one or both of the CO's (changes of command at both posts) were not honorable men, were not very intelligent, put their interests ahead of the command, and were surprisingly petty.
4) The right opportunity came along.
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Sgt Lowell Tackett
Sometimes the military strikes me as being a living crucible of the "Peter Principle". The example you set argues well to my point; you'd found a niche to your liking and one in which you could have matured, gained much experience (and insight) and become a rallying point for wisdom and advice. But with the military "musical chairs" philosophy, everybody gets picked up and switched around at (perhaps) just the time any given individual has settled into and begun to really understand their job and responsibility. How the military can argue that, "all are equally good at all things and can go anywhere and instantly command" is as ridiculous as it is short-sighted.
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SGT Joseph Gunderson The tipping point was the drug problem that I felt was not being fixed by the Marine Corps. The problem was eventually cleaned up.
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LTC Jason Mackay
Funny, the answer to Heroin was to deploy to Vietnam? This article is dubious. Just goes to show, guys will do anything to get home. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2015/12/21/health/vietnam-heroin-disrupting-addiction/index.html
Vietnam, heroin and the lesson of disrupting addiction - CNN
Like heroin-addicted soldiers in Vietnam, disrupting one's environment can aid in overcoming addiction.
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SPC Lorrita Morgan
Yep, you could get a contact high walking through the barracks. Expeditious Discharge Program got rid of a bunch of substance abusers.
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PVT Thad Lucken
when i was in it felt like no one absolutely no one gave a rats ass about us. we hadnt been in vietnam, all our friends were in college on free student loans or their parents money. everybody was getting drunk or high and no one cared because it was what people did after work, then they came in and dropped the whole battalion. instead of setting us up with NA and sponsors, getting us to meetings and talking to us like human beings, they sent in a pregnant major wife of a colonel who basically told us we had the minds of 12 year olds because thats when we started drinking or drugging and quit maturing after that. after the military and tax payers had just paid for us to go through basic, ait, abn sch and rip. then asked us if we just wanted to make a statement and get kicked out. with money to drive home with. really?!! you do that to a 18 yr old kid who has been shit on for a year and a half because he didnt go to nam etc? and then they wonder why we all quit instantly? decades went by full of shame and regret but my nephew goes infantry and gets commissioned. my brother and i fly out to ft lewis to see him graduate summer camp and lo and behold there's NA meetings on the base! a block from the graduation ceremony, hahaha. love it. did i know i was an addict before i joined up? no, i thought i was normal. did my recruiter ask me to write "i've tried marijuana"? yes. did millions of dollars get wasted for nothing? yes. hopefully what happened to me and thousands of other addicts in the services woke someone up and thats why there's actual give a shit these days and what i went through wasnt a waste in the long run, but the bottom line was i left because after everything i had done to get to where i was, it didnt add up to anything at all to higher and i was just a piece of garbage to them. i sincerely hope thats not the way the military is these days and according to my nephew it isnt.
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Sgt (Join to see)
PVT Thad Lucken - Getting drunk or high because no one cared because it was what people did is not true. Most people did not do this. I saw the effects of drugs in Vietnam and the states. Going to Vietnam has nothing to do with being a squared away service man or woman. We all make mistakes, but learning from your mistakes and making better decisions is what counts.
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