So, we meet again at last. The circle is now complete........
Okay, I've got to finally admit it. The temptation is there. I'm having second thoughts.
No, not the kind of second thoughts like, man I love dark chocolate though, or, my wife's 3000 miles away, she'd never know about just one time. Not those......well, ok, maybe the one about the chocolate.
I've been thinking about going back in. Of course, three months of not working consistently has been somewhat of a factor. But if I go back in, it's enough of a time commitment that I'm looking at maybe the rest of my 20 years. Big decision.
I still have things I want to do out of the Army. And I've got to admit, I've enjoyed the little freedoms. Things like having hair, being able to talk back to people, not going to jail if I don't go in to work in the morning. However............
Money's tight. My new renter backed out on me when I found out I'd have to get my foundation fixed myself, the insurance wouldn't cover it. My last terminal leave paycheck is here and gone. I've potentially got a chance at several jobs, but they're in no hurry to hire. Hell, even the minimum wage stuff around here hires at leisure. I could be cleaned out and then some. Put your stuff in storage and living with your parents kind of broke. Maybe lose my house, my car, the works.
There were many, many things I hated about being in the army. However, a fair part of it, nay, a HUGE part of it was my attitude, and how I reacted to those things. If I go back in, now I wouldn't necessarily have to be a Korean linguist anymore. I could retrain in arabic. I could get a shot at the Army Band. If the mood so struck me, I could even go be an eleven bravo and see the world on me own two feet. Woot.
I don't know. I didn't like what I did, but I didn't mind the lifestyle it afforded me, no matter what the suckage was. But Jeez......another fourteen plus years? Blech. Here's some pros and cons, just for thinking material.
Cons
Steady paycheck. What you make is what you make is what you make.
Free Army Healthcare.
Getting up to do pt every morning
Knowing what I'm going to do for the next decade and a half.
Army housing.
Any MRE with pasta or cake in it.
The condition of Army facilities
Getting college interrupted by deployments, moving around, and missions
Some of the worst coworkers I've ever worked with.
Giving up any number of personal freedoms.
Moving. A lot.
The extreme hierchial system, especially being at the bottom of it. No real meritocracy, mostly automatic advancement.
Being insanely jealous of warrant officers.
Being away from my wife/family for huge stretches of time.
Field exercises.
Inventories.
Being signed (and therefore personally responsible) for things costing in the millions of dollars. That your platoon sergeant insists on taking out and wrecks. In Korea. Not that I'm thinking of anything in particular............
Living in crappy towns. Alright, Monterey was one hell of an exception, but still, Ft. Hood kind of balances that out, don't you think?
Doing the work of two with a crew of twenty. Or vice-versa.
The uniform. Especially the F---ing beret.
Shining my boots. And pressing my uniform. Every. f---ing. day.
Formations.
Marching.
Inspections.
Shiny floors.
Mandatory fun.
Bearing responsibility directly, or indirectly for killing people, whether deservedly or not.
Either no recognition, or so much recognition for everyone that any you might recieve is meaningless.
Working long weekends when you know everyone else on the post has off.
Not going home for the holidays.
Extreme rampant alcoholism.
Lowest common denominator treatment.
Flu shots.
Having to keep my mouth shut about what I did at work. (former M.I.)
They somehow find the places with the worst damned weather to build posts. (Ft. Hood, Huachuca.......actually, I liked Huachuca, it was 115, but it was a DRY heat........anywhere in Korea, Iraq.........)
Doing whatever you're told, period. No if/ands/or buts.
Being a highly trained professional that never gets to do their job.
Having to be careful what I say on my blog. Yeah, I erased a few. Or at least moved them to private.
Sergeants time training.
U]Pros
Steady, decent paycheck.
Free Army Healthcare.
Being in shape.
Knowing what I'm going to do for the next decade and a half.
Housing and food paid for.
Free access Army facilities.
Army assistance with college. Free tuition in many cases.
Some of the very best people I've had the honor to work with.
Knowing that I'm helping to protect freedom in my country, and around the globe.
Constantly seeing new places and meeting new and interesting people. (and sometimes killing them.)
Knowing who to go to with problems, and who's in charge, and how things are to be done, almost always.
The chance to become an officer or warrant.
Being away from my wife/family for long stretches of time. (just kidding, dear.) In all fairness though, it's good to take a break sometimes, and I do enjoy the long stretches of time that let me focus on things that I couldn't ordinarily do. Life when you're gone is simpler, just because there's no way that you could possibly affect much of what's going on at home when you're not there. Plus absence makes the sex grow better. ermmm the heart grow fonder, yeah........
I get to shoot a gun. A machine gun even. I love that.
Korean food.
Potential sign up bonus.
Rarely having to look far for help with manual tasks.
Polypros. The neck gaiter. The old field jackets and pt shirts.
Having shiny floors.
Saving lives.
Knowing exactly what to do when that crazy accident happens somewhere on the highway. Unless his head is crushed and there's nothing you can do, which sucks major balls.
One "Thank you" from a civilian or foreign national beats all the medals I've ever gotten, and beats out the other dumb crap you get like being called ignorant kids/victims that don't know what we're doing, or babykillers, hearing "go home g.i.", etc.
Long weekends almost every frickin' month.
All the holidays off.
Seeing shit you would NEVER see in civilian life.
Knowing secret squirrel stuff that the public doesn't. Shh......I didn't say this one.
You know how people are always making explosives out of "common household items"? I learned how to do that in the army. Not directly, mind you. But it's amazing what info is floating around in the system. Sappers, I salute you.
Ultimate frisbee ROCKS!!!
Did I mention the steady paycheck thing?
Even if I started talking to a recruiter now though, and signed right up, It'd be awhile before I saw that first paycheck. At least it would clear up the future though. Maybe none if it matters though, and KISD will get their s--t together, and job offers from all the places I've been putting in at will rain down from the heavens. Yeah, and maybe I'm a chinese jet pilot.
Ideas? (and yes, snide laughter from former unit members is impolite, but appropriate.)