Posted on Mar 8, 2014
Your enlistment anniversary: How important is it to you?
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<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">In a couple of weeks, I will have been in the Army for 3 years! This is a big one because I'll finally get my first service stripe and will be eligible for the Good Conduct Medal. I already have a new ribbon rack with the GCM on it and plan on celebrating after getting my service stripe sewn on (it falls on a weekend). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">In t</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">alking to other soldiers, I was surprised to find that some don’t even notice when their anniversary passes. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);"> </span></p><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 12 [login to see] 8789px; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">How important is your service anniversary to you? Do you celebrate it or do you not acknowledge it at all? Does your anniversary become more important, or less important, the longer you've been in?</span><br></div>
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Enlisted
Enlisted
Edited 12 y ago
Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 31
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Myself I took as it as just another day, until a few months back when I hit 10 years. Thats when it hit me wow I have been in a decade where has the time gone. I think now knowing Im on the down slop I probely do something my 15 year and for sure 20 years.
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SGT (Join to see)
SSG Butcher, 10 years is quite a milestone! I'm looking forward to reenlisting indef, myself. Congrats, and thanks for sharing.
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It didn't mean that much to me in the first 10 or so years of my service, but as I stayed longer it had more meaning to me, as well as it was my late grandmothers b-day, which I didn't realize until I had been in for 10 or so, and later it was my mom's wedding anniversary, so it made it a little more meaningful over the years.
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SGT (Join to see)
SFC Swartz, that is quite a coincidence! I can see why the date held so much meaning for you. Thank you for sharing a new point of view.
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Every year on 09 SEP I sit down and thank God I joined the Army, and fell ass-backwards into what I feel is the coolest MOS out there. It has been nine years since I met my beautiful wife at our first duty station and seven since we had our daughter. I don't think i would have been this happy without enlisting. Also, I am proud to carry on a long family history of service to our great nation.
Congratulations on your first three years, SPC Thundercloud... here's hoping for many more!
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SSG Keith Evans
I do! I think I saw you mentioned that in another post. My father played in one of the Marine Corps bands in the late 60's. Playing for the Field Band is pretty awesome, I wish I could audition that well :-)
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SSG Keith Evans
Well, SFC, those guys are top-notch, on par with any large symphony like the NY Philharmonic as such. I didn't even go to school for music. My degree is in criminal justice and I was in law enforcement before I joined the Army. My recruiter saw me helping out my old HS Marching Band, told me about the "regular" Army Bands, and hooked me up with an audition. I'm fine with not being in a special band. Like I said, things have worked out pretty darn well for me so far. :-)
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To answer this question it all depends on your out look in the service.
1. Some look at it as another year complete on their service contact till they are eligible for separate or retire from military service.
2. Some look at has reward. For example some rates in the US Navy get enlistment bonus and that is when they receive their montary reward at your anniversary date. Also that is when USN enlisted personnel receive their uniform allowance for the year.
3. Finally this might be the time to Re-Enlisted or Extend your service contact.
I hope this might help you answer your own question.
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SGT (Join to see)
Petty Officer Graves,
I love the Army, so I look at it as another year that I struggled through and was lucky enough to complete without being flagged, getting injured, or being barred from re-enlistment.
I re-enlisted in January for 5 more years, and I'm thankful because there are many soldiers who would like to re-enlist but can't. At least a dozen of my battle buddies from Basic and AIT are already out (or on their way out) due to pregnancy, failed drug tests, misconduct, failing height/weight, or being med boarded.
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SSG (Join to see)
I looked forward to re-enlistment. I'm the only soldier in my unit among my peers that gets excited about it. Everyone-else can't wait to ETS. I think they're all out of their minds, but they say the same about me.
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I pay attention to it for two reasons... Clothing Allowance... Bi-annual Time in service Raise.... Other than that... well i did use hitting 10 years as an excuse to buy a new motorcycle...
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SGT (Join to see)
Sergeant, I'd say you definitely earned that motorcycle. Plus, it's tradition. 1st anniversary is paper, 2nd is cotton, 10th is wheels. ;)
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SSG Oliver Mathews
whats three and four? Cause i have a feeling i might know why my wife was mad at me a few months ago...
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SGT (Join to see)
Lol! I hope you're kidding, sergeant.
For future reference, here are the traditional gifts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_anniversary
Someone should come up with a military version. 1st anniversary could be a knife, 10th anniversary a case of ammo...
A wedding anniversary is the anniversary of the date a wedding took place. Traditional names exist for most of them: for instance, 50 years of marriage is called a "golden wedding anniversary" or simp...
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SFC Scott Parkhurst
I used to really feel very proud of myself for sticking with something so important! The longer I stayed in, the more Patriotic I became…simple as that. Money, or clothing allowance had nothing to do with it. although the magic number "20" was always in the back of my mind though. If I didn't get hurt in my 20th year, I would have stayed in for another 10 + easy!!
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I like my enlistment anniversaries.
No matter where I am I can enjoy them.
I have celebrated them in Ireland, Germany, Korea, NTC, Iraq, Kuwait, Ft Sill, Yakima Training Center, the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and my couch.
Happy Anniversary Spc Thundercloud.
Becareful that 10 year one comes rather quickly!
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SGT (Join to see)
Thank you, SSG Hoadley! I hope I get to travel as much as you have. I would love to be stationed in Germany and Ireland.
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It doesn't mean all that much to me personally, just a pay raise, and a year closer to 20
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I am one of those odd ducks. Between delayed entry, 3 years active duty Army, 5 years of Army Guard, 1 year break in service, a few more years back in the Army Guard, then a couple in Air Guard, then a bunch in AD Air Force, I have no one specific date.... I remember having a bad day a few years ago....looked at the calendar and realized that IF I had stayed Active Duty Army, THAT DAY would have been my first day of retirement.... Now, the only date I am target locked on is 1 Mar 2016 (20 year AD retirement date)
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SGT (Join to see)
Sir, it sounds as though you could celebrate a handful of anniversaries each year!
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Maj Chris Nelson
Makes it hard to calculate a retirement date!! I actually have a 1405 date that is a significant difference for me... It is a date that adjusts the 20yr/50% rate due to guard time. At 20yrs active, due to 1405 date, I will be calculated at 21 yrs 3 months... Very confusing!!
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CPT (Join to see)
SSG Moody,
Same thing happened to me for my first six back on active duty. I missed 6 straight birthdays, 6 straight anniversaries, and 6 straight Thanksgivings. It annoyed me then but I have done my best to make up for it since. My wife still puts up with me so I guess I managed to fix it. LOL
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SGT (Join to see)
SSG Moody, I was deployed for my 2nd anniversary and tried to celebrate with Beck's non-alcoholic beer. It was awful. Blecch!
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I always take time to contemplate where I've been, where I'm at, and where I'm going in the Army. I use it as a time to ground myself, and I do a toast a gkass of Glen Fidditch 20yr over ice.
I think my enlistment date is more important to me than others feel theirs are, simply because I thank the Army for giving me the many opportunities I've had for the past 8 years. It was a fresh start for me, and showed me what really matters. I look forward to at least 12 more years!
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