A small glance into the Military
One of the best days of the army is when you ETS (end time of service) or retire.
Start at the beginning you go through the MEPS process. When you arrive you get you some basic paperwork to fill out, get your physical, drug test which seems like all day then get sworn in to the military. When you arrive at your basic duty station you think finally I’m going to be a soldier but not yet. There are a few things you have to do first. One time for a haircut (shaved head), two you do a little shopping like socks, soap, shoes, and tighty whities. Three time to get fitted for uniforms, boots, and a few other things. Fourth it’s time for shots and a lot of them for almost anything you can think of. Fifth now it’s time for gear, you helmet, flak vest, and all the other fun stuff you never know you needed to learn to be a soldier. Last and finally the bus ride to your unit and the last of the calm before the storm.
Time to get off the bus and the yelling and name calling begins. This is the first time you think to yourself is this really what I want to do. For the next 3 months you get yelled at, broken down and slowly built back up to be a soldier. This is where you first start to learn about the people around you how to work as a team and even how to trust a stranger with you life. Then comes AIT (advanced individual training) where you earn you MOS( day job mine was 95B then 31B military police) and the drill sergeants have finally hopefully backed off a little by now. Graduation day you think yes I’m finally a soldier now I can do anything and I’m off to bigger and better things.
Your first duty station now time to start all over again with a whole new group of people. This is also when you learn that the real army isn’t like basic at all. You learn that as long as you do what you’re supposed to do their is no one yelling at you for someone else screwing up and it’s more like a day job. Most of your NCO( non-commissioned officers) aren’t complete assholes unless you piss them off. If your like I was it will be your only duty station I never got to go anywhere else except for deployments. This is where you start making friends with the people around you and building the bond that make them like family. You see the same people everyday all day and if you live in the barracks you never stop seeing them no matter how hard you try. I have some stories but i’ll get to those and other blogs if my wife lets me.
Now if you were lucky enough to deploy or unlucky enough to depends on how you look at it this is where those bond I mentioned earlier are strengthened to the point where they are no longer friends they are your brothers and sisters. I have had the privilege to deploy 3 times, once to Bagram Afghanistan, and twice to Iraq, once to the Mosul in the diala provence and the other to near Baghdad area. During my time in the army both in the states at my duty station and while deployed I had the privilege to serve with so many great people who like I said are now my brothers and sisters, some of which are gone to soon( can tell you more in future blogs). I have almost all of them tattooed on me a reminder of lives cut short and to carry on there memories with me always.
After all is said and done you eventually come the end of your career in the military whether that be your time to retire or ets after you meet you enlistment requirements. Personally I chose to ets of because I had seen enough death in my time and spent just about as much time in the middle east as I had in the states. Once I made my decision it was like a massive weight lifted off my mind to know I had survived everything and I would not have to go back and tempt fate with my life anymore. When you are going through the process of getting out of the army its kinda weird because you know that part of your life is coming to an end. As your going along your checklist and you see that you’re almost done it finally sets in that your not going to have the brotherhood that you have had for last years of service. When you finally get your DD 214 it’s a final copy of everything you did during your enlistment and sign out of the army its bitter sweet, because now you know you’re out of that world and a free man but you know that your not apart of everyday brotherhood anymore. You can still call or talk on social media to most of the people you served with but everything is slightly different but it’s still nice to have.
