ETS
Posted by TF Boggs at 7:13 PM, 2/23/10 |
Eight years ago today I officially joined the United States Army. I did so as a 19-year-old sophomore in college. Perhaps a bit naive, as I assume most are at 19, I joined after 9/11 spurred me on to do what I had been thinking about for several years. I suppose I figured I would be deployed since our nation was at war when I went to Basic Training but I don’t think it ever really crossed my mind just what exactly all that entailed. Not even a year into my enlistment though I was deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom 1.
Upon serving from March 2003-March 2004 in Iraq I returned home to resume my collegiate studies only to be deployed exactly a year later on the same date that I learned my fate for my first deployment. The second deployment played out a bit differently than the first did as I had six months to sit around in the states waiting for the plane ride as opposed to the eight hours I had for the first one.
My second yearlong tour wrapped up between November 2005 and November 2006. I once again returned home to resume my studies and graduated with my bachelors seven years later and two quarters early. I only had a year and four months left on my reserve contract and spent the time at my hometown unit. At the end of the first six years of my eight year reserve enlistment I joined the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) and proceeded to do nothing army related sans making sure my contact info was up to date so the army could get a hold of me should they want to deploy me again.
Those last two years of my contract spent in the IRR went by event free.
It suddenly dawned on me a week or so ago that my contract with the army was up in just a few days and that I would be out officially. No more wondering if I would be called back up. No more thoughts about what I would have to do if faced with an impending deployment. I’m out and (theoretically) the army and I are done. I won’t be signing another contract, and not because I in any way resent the army. Nothing could be further from the truth. My time in the army gave me so much and I am thankful for that fateful day eight years ago. Actually I praise God that I had an able body that allowed me to serve in the military. I made it out alive, physically and mentally intact. I consider that an accomplishment.
It is, however, quite weird when I think about actually being done. I’m not sure what other vets feel upon discharge from service but I’m guessing it is somewhat the same as what I’m feeling now. I’m happy that I’m done, that I can be a bit more certain about my future but at the same time sad that my adventurous military days are over. No more deployments, training, or cool government issued gear. Of course along with that comes the fact that I won’t have to put up with the giant crap hill that is the military a lot of the time. I often tell people that the 10% of good stuff that I enjoyed in the army far outweighed the 90% of crap that I had to put up with. In hindsight I’m pretty sure I mean it when I say so.
I’m still charting my path for the future and haven’t quite figured out what that looks like yet but I’m sure it will be apart form the military. I know that I want to do what I can to keep America safe and free so there are several avenues I am pursuing. Check back often to see if any of them work. I’ll continue to write on this blog as military matters still interest me and as long as I feel that I have something to contribute I will do so.
My goal now is to get as many fine young kids to join up so they can have the same experiences that I did. If you happen to be one of those fine young able-bodied kids what are you waiting for? Trust me, the 10% of good stuff far outweighs the 90% of crap you have to put up with.
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