I retired 4 1/2 years ago after 24 years on active duty. I still say "roger" instead of "yes", still say "f**k" in sentences without thinking (getting better), still in bed by 2200 and awake by 0430, still start PT at 0630 except my bicycle has replaced running, hair still short, when a federal holiday is coming I think I should be getting ready for a four day weekend, on the Thursday before memorial day at 1000 I always think I should be marching in the 82nd Airborne division review at that moment (I was in 13 of them, passed out in one haha), still do pushups when I'm bored, still get better sleep outdoors under a hootch than indoors in bed, still go on 12 mile road marches in less than 3 hours on hiking trails with my 50lb ruck that's been around the world. I miss the Friday weekend release formations. Don't drink and drive, don't do drugs, don't hit women. I still don't do it.

Still shake my head in disgust at obese civilians. It's simply amazing how many civilians are fat. Just amazing. Only in America are even the poor people fat. And even though it's a major health risk it's politically incorrect to criticize them. You don't see that anywhere else in the world. I'm 5"10" 160lbs. In Europe I would be average sized. Asia I would be big. In the USA I'm almost small, some would even say skinny.

And yes, I miss eating an MRE on the hood of a hummer at the rifle range when it's 25 degrees and the heater won't work, even when I got the last, worst one left in the box. The one that never has cheese and crackers.

I do not miss the meetings you have to go to everyday, with the number of meetings increasing as your rank increases, with every meeting always having "that guy", some cheese d*ck asking stupid questions that only extends the meeting. "But sir, should we wipe our a** with our left or right hands?" They can keep that.

I totally feel like I'm on active duty, just on a very long vacation. I miss being deployed and on patrol and watching my bank account swell since I'm spending no money or paying federal taxes and getting combat pay. I miss riding a Blackhawk to a hot LZ knowing we are probably about to kill people. Racing sportbikes, skydiving, nothing will ever match that rush. I'm still in my 40's 100% in shape ready go. I wish I could go on just one more night time airborne mass attack at Bragg and sit on Sicily DZ in the middle of the night and chill. I know every inch of that DZ.

I'm always looking at my military maps I kept of Iraq and Afghanistan and recalling every road, draw, valley and hill and every spot contact was made with the bad guys. They still have symbols and what not I drew on them for missions with my Staedtler markers.

I decided to retire when we were told Obama was pulling all troops out and we would never deploy again. After being in the Super Bowl a few times, spending another 6 years in training camp was a no go even with E-9 on the horizon. 12 months after I got out my old until deployed. Oh well. Guess everyone has to hang it up sometime. But civilian life is freaking boring. I have at least another 30-40 years of this shit. Damn.

Carry on

I decided to retire when we were told Obama was pulling all troops out and we would never deploy again.