First I'll need a Skynard tape...........
I am possibly on the path to freedom.
As a result of general army fuckery (pardon the pun), although originally supposed to last until November, the stop loss I am currently under has been cancelled with the return of our brigade. Whoops.
I've been told that they don't know, it's going to be fixed, etc., but it hasn't. And no one my cadre has told me definitively, that the Army isn't going to stop paying me as of Apr. 24. (which my pay statement has) So, I'm doing what any good korean linguist, would do in my case, and after waiting for a month for it to be fixed, I'm putting in for terminal leave. (seperating early on saved leave time) If it goes through, I could be out in a couple of weeks.
I almost felt guilty for a second at the thought of leaving my unit during a mission, but then I thought that, (for reasons of opsec I can't go into,) one, right now I'm as useless as etiquette lessons for a velociraptor, and two, all kinds of personell are apparently pcsing (changing stations) all over the damned place without a qualm from the higher ups.
One thing's for sure, I'm not going to hang around to be told I'm already supposed to be out, (jobless)and that my paycheck with my money for leave and my last two weeks pay will be around in a month or so. (not that I've ever seen that happen before)
Having said that, I support the war in Iraq, and I don't hate the Army per se, just that I'm still working for it when I've wanted to move on with my life for the last several years. I may not get out, but I may be at the front of a tidal wave of ETS leave requests, and this way I should get a definitive yes or no.
What would you do, if you were cut loose with a couple months pay and a great deal more personal freedom?
Here's a few of mine.......
1. Grow my hair out to my.........shoulderblades
2. Drive by the gates of Ft. Hood, reaaaly slow, blaring Freebird from the stereo. heh heh heh............
3. Get three jobs in the first week, then quit them, just because I can.
4. Play music in the local bars/churches for money and entertainment.
5. Nothing. Just do absolutely nothing, for about two weeks, for the first time in nine or ten years.
6. Join an opera house (or at least a reperatory)
7. Drive around for a bit, and maybe visit family.....if I feel like it.
8. Work out maybe, but never never NEVER do a pushup again.
9.Sleep............mmmmmm
10. Get a job with normal hours, and see what my wife looks like when she's awake.