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When I joined the Army in August of 1990, I did so for a few reasons:
1. I've always been VERY politically aware about what was happening in the world. I've always striven to learn the facts and not be a knee jerk reactionary.
2. It SERIOUSLY pissed me off to see that Saddam Hussein thought he could just cross a border and take whatever the f*ck he wanted.
3. If I'm honest with you, I was 22 years old and in need of direction in my life. Discipline I had, direction I was lacking.
For those three primary reasons, (of course, there are many more), I spent exactly 7 days in the DEP and shipped out to basic almost as fast as I had signed up.
I was a willing warrior! I was eager to fight for and defend our American way of life. It took me just under 3 years to figure out that my own Government didn't hold the same viewpoint.
The final straw came about 3 years into my enlistment, when the guys and I, (including my E-7 - a helluva guy!) were playing poker in the barracks one night and we started talking about the only thing everyone on post was talking about...the impending visit of Pat Schroeder (D - Colorado) who was a member of the House Armed Services Committee. She was on a tour of all the 3rd ID and was going to make recommendations to President (cough) Clinton about base closures in Germany.
To make a long story short, months later, we, the soldiers of Ferris Barracks, Germany, couldn't even fiscally afford to go on live fire exercise at Grafenwoehr because we couldn't afford the ammunition for our rifles, much less the rounds for the BFV's and the M1A1's. Previously, we had completed this training, without fail, twice a year for about 6 weeks at a time.
To me, that was the writing on the wall. If my own government wasn't going to give us the ammunition needed to train effectively, then I saw no reason to dedicate the next 25 years of my life to that way of thinking...and I got the hell out.
If you didn't serve until retirement, for what reason did you decide to ETS?
PS. Up until the time I actually applied for early release, my E-7 (poker buddy) was CONVINCED that I was going to re-up, because I was a good soldier. For the record, I was a DAMN good soldier; I entered service as an E-1 and in under 3 years made E-4. But my E-7 failed to understand the depth of my conviction on this matter - either give me the tools and training to fight, or f*ck off. I'm no ones political football.
1. I've always been VERY politically aware about what was happening in the world. I've always striven to learn the facts and not be a knee jerk reactionary.
2. It SERIOUSLY pissed me off to see that Saddam Hussein thought he could just cross a border and take whatever the f*ck he wanted.
3. If I'm honest with you, I was 22 years old and in need of direction in my life. Discipline I had, direction I was lacking.
For those three primary reasons, (of course, there are many more), I spent exactly 7 days in the DEP and shipped out to basic almost as fast as I had signed up.
I was a willing warrior! I was eager to fight for and defend our American way of life. It took me just under 3 years to figure out that my own Government didn't hold the same viewpoint.
The final straw came about 3 years into my enlistment, when the guys and I, (including my E-7 - a helluva guy!) were playing poker in the barracks one night and we started talking about the only thing everyone on post was talking about...the impending visit of Pat Schroeder (D - Colorado) who was a member of the House Armed Services Committee. She was on a tour of all the 3rd ID and was going to make recommendations to President (cough) Clinton about base closures in Germany.
To make a long story short, months later, we, the soldiers of Ferris Barracks, Germany, couldn't even fiscally afford to go on live fire exercise at Grafenwoehr because we couldn't afford the ammunition for our rifles, much less the rounds for the BFV's and the M1A1's. Previously, we had completed this training, without fail, twice a year for about 6 weeks at a time.
To me, that was the writing on the wall. If my own government wasn't going to give us the ammunition needed to train effectively, then I saw no reason to dedicate the next 25 years of my life to that way of thinking...and I got the hell out.
If you didn't serve until retirement, for what reason did you decide to ETS?
PS. Up until the time I actually applied for early release, my E-7 (poker buddy) was CONVINCED that I was going to re-up, because I was a good soldier. For the record, I was a DAMN good soldier; I entered service as an E-1 and in under 3 years made E-4. But my E-7 failed to understand the depth of my conviction on this matter - either give me the tools and training to fight, or f*ck off. I'm no ones political football.
Re-enlistment
Transition
ETS/EAS
Training
Politics
Edited 11 y ago
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 173
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I left the first time because my first wife did not want me going back to Korea. All of the years I was out I was wishing I has stayed in and I did go back in in 07. That is the same year that I divorced my first wife. The second time I left the military was because they med retired me in 13 and I sometimes wish I was still in. On the other hand I love spending my time with my new wife of 4 years.
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Cpl Thomas Mcdonough
I spent more than a year going in and out of Hospitals Philadelphia Naval then Bethesda National Naval.and even then it took years to finnaly get it right.
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I ETS'd because at the time, 1998, no one was getting promoted because points were maxed out and had been for a long time. I saw 4 Soldiers get promoted from E 4 to E 5 in 3 years. Despite being promotable during from 96-98 I did not have the points. I did join the WAARNG and deployed to Iraq in 2004-2005 and again ETS'd upon my return.
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I feel I had a great career and retired after almost 25 years. I miss the troops and the "old" Army. To say that I miss "today's Army" would be a lie. We don't take care of our servicemen and women the way we used to.
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I found a better opportunity in another uniformed service. I am now "Protecting, Promoting, and Advancing the health and safety of the Nation” by serving in the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service. I still get to wear a uniform and serve this great country but deployments are rare... though we are currently on alert regarding the Ebola crisis. And, I have had a wide variety of assignments. I have worked as a nurse in a Federal Prison, on an Indian Reservation and now at the Federal Building in Kansas City, MO (go Royals). Is has been the best decision I have ever made.
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Disillusioned with a string of very poor units and so called leaders who were at a minimum incompetent, uncaring and undertrained. I started as a 16J (SHORAD Radar Operator) in 1984 with the the 8th ID stationed a Wackerhiem Germany (the only decent unit of my 6 year enlistment despite a real A**Hole that did everything he could do to make life rough for his soldiers as a Platoon Sgt.) Because of him, I PCSed and went to the 3rd ID at Ft. Ord. This, unbeknownst to me, started a downward spiral. The ONLY thing good that came out of this duty station was my son. I then re-enlisted after much thought, stayed in the 3rd ID, and went to Kitzingen Germany where I ran into a battalion commander fresh out of the 86nd Airbourne...who decided that his mission in life was to prove how bad the unit and it's personnel were. He felt that he had to purge the people that didn't fit his personal view of what a soldier should be. Because of this, a pervasive distrustful, self serving, and back-stabing climate permeated the unit. If he couldn't get you to screw up outright then he put pressure on you through his cronies to ETS...quite a few did just that, including me in 1990.
Now for the record, I had a good attitude, received numerous awards, graduated at the top of my class at the NCO Academy, got promoted, was great at my job to the tune of being officially recognized by the DOD as being in the top 1% of all soldiers in my MOS, was pursuing a degree. Never failed a PT test, and was doing an E6's job full time as an E5 among many other achievements. However, in the end, I simply couldn't abide my bosses being idiots that didn't care one iota about thier personnel.
Now for the record, I had a good attitude, received numerous awards, graduated at the top of my class at the NCO Academy, got promoted, was great at my job to the tune of being officially recognized by the DOD as being in the top 1% of all soldiers in my MOS, was pursuing a degree. Never failed a PT test, and was doing an E6's job full time as an E5 among many other achievements. However, in the end, I simply couldn't abide my bosses being idiots that didn't care one iota about thier personnel.
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In a word, Clinton. My rate had a $20K SRB during my entire enlistment up to the point Clinton took office. A year later we had zero SRB. I PNA'd the PO2 test twice. Each time I'd improve my score, each time they'd raise the advancement level. I decided to get out at that point.
I've at times wondered whether I made a mistake but then I realize I would never of met my wife, had my 4 awesome kids, many things would have been different if I'd stayed in. I'm satisfied with my choice but I can say that the 4 years I spent in the Navy have directly influenced the following 20+ years immensely and for the better.
I've at times wondered whether I made a mistake but then I realize I would never of met my wife, had my 4 awesome kids, many things would have been different if I'd stayed in. I'm satisfied with my choice but I can say that the 4 years I spent in the Navy have directly influenced the following 20+ years immensely and for the better.
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They wanted to send me back to the east coast, and I wanted no part of that. I was also sick of the politics and bullshit. But I do miss the camaraderie.
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I left the Coast Guard at the mandatory service limit of 30 years for enlisted personnel. It was all continuous Coast Guard service (1980-2010).
I signed up DEP while still in high school, I believed in the missions of the service at the time and was fortunate enough to participate in almost all of them beginning with my first cutter right out of boot camp and including deployments to all 7 oceans and 5 continents over my 30 year career. The missions changed somewhat during my service and the commitment to the missions by our elected officials seems to have waned and some policies seem to distract from the missions but I still feel I made a positive contribution to my country and to those young people entrusted to me as I moved up through the ranks and I feel I am a better person for the experiences (not all positive but still beneficial).
I still look at the Coast Guard and my service fondly.
I signed up DEP while still in high school, I believed in the missions of the service at the time and was fortunate enough to participate in almost all of them beginning with my first cutter right out of boot camp and including deployments to all 7 oceans and 5 continents over my 30 year career. The missions changed somewhat during my service and the commitment to the missions by our elected officials seems to have waned and some policies seem to distract from the missions but I still feel I made a positive contribution to my country and to those young people entrusted to me as I moved up through the ranks and I feel I am a better person for the experiences (not all positive but still beneficial).
I still look at the Coast Guard and my service fondly.
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I left because it was time. I was over 30 years (just over), but I could have soldiered on. I decided that 30 years were enough, that made a good active duty career, and it was time to move on to a second career. Much different from your reasons, SPC (Join to see), but we all have our reasons.
On the topic of resources ... it's not ammo, but I saw the problem of no (/inadequate) supplies in varying degrees throughout those 30 years. And as I'm still working for the Army, I still see the problem. The philosophy I learned to adopt was to soldier on and make the best of what I had.
PS: Sorry about that. I read right over your caveat about answering your post. I obviously did serve until retirement.
On the topic of resources ... it's not ammo, but I saw the problem of no (/inadequate) supplies in varying degrees throughout those 30 years. And as I'm still working for the Army, I still see the problem. The philosophy I learned to adopt was to soldier on and make the best of what I had.
PS: Sorry about that. I read right over your caveat about answering your post. I obviously did serve until retirement.
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SPC (Join to see)
Chief, I understand the soldier on attitude. Every soldier MUST have that attitude to be successful! I had it in spades. What I was NOT willing to do, was to have my legs taken out from underneath me by a group of politicians who not only didn't appreciate the enormity of the job they were asking me to do, but also expected me to do it without the proper training and support needed to get it done. It also didn't help that my new CIC "loathed" the military, and seemed to be taking steps to show, in tangible ways, that he really did! What did he expect me to fight with? Spitballs?
A unit that is not allowed to train properly, is a unit that will NEVER be ready to fight in a way that is expected of them.
Thank you sir, for your reply to this post. I suppose the flip side to my question could also be, 'Why did you choose to stay and retire?' I'm thankful that you did, even though I couldn't.
A unit that is not allowed to train properly, is a unit that will NEVER be ready to fight in a way that is expected of them.
Thank you sir, for your reply to this post. I suppose the flip side to my question could also be, 'Why did you choose to stay and retire?' I'm thankful that you did, even though I couldn't.
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CW5 (Join to see)
SPC (Join to see), roger on the soldier on attitude. I'm sure you had that. It's almost a requirement for success in the military. I understand your frustration with the ammo situation.
And I understand your concern about politicians. I remember well the ads about (then) candidate Clinton having said that he loathed the military. The scary part for our future is that his wife will probably be our next president. Maybe all her experience as Secretary of State and in the Senate will soften the blow the military is bound to feel when (/if) she wins the presidency.
And I understand your concern about politicians. I remember well the ads about (then) candidate Clinton having said that he loathed the military. The scary part for our future is that his wife will probably be our next president. Maybe all her experience as Secretary of State and in the Senate will soften the blow the military is bound to feel when (/if) she wins the presidency.
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I ETS'ed simply because I was not happy anymore with what I was doing in the army, I initially intended to serve 3 years then get out, but I continued because I knew I had more fire left in me and I had passion for what I did, but I started losing that passion and began hating the stagnant feeling due to promotion points being high and I became burnt out on being a babysitter. I was also very fed up with dealing with superiors bad attitudes and incompetencies. Many would say I will deal with it as a civilian, I'd always say true, but I can walk away or speak my mind, rather than getting my ass chewed and bitting my tongue. I just got out this week and I'm extremely happy with my decision!
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