Well I am on the road to retirement.

[top1371]

Marines!

I have been home since 18 November, job hunting has been a very undesirable experience, but I finally got a job as a computer technician that I really enjoy. Stop loss does not affect me, as my EAS is 31 Jan 03.

I do have mixed feelings about retiring, but hey, I put in last April before all the commotion started. Even though I can not change it, part of me feels like I should be with my Marines, the other part feel like I did my part and it is time to move on. Well, no matter what I will be a lifelong supporter of the Marines, just as you all are.

On another note, a funny thing – I planned to grow a pony tail, yeah right! I let it grow for a month, but I couldn’t take it anymore and got my hair cut back to my old high reg. Feels great! I still have to shave everyday and I cant break the habit of wearing my dog tags!

Semper Fi,

Top

[firstsgtmike]

Top,

I too had mixed emotions as my retirement date approached. Then to make matters worse, I received a phone call at home from the Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps. I had worked for him before.

He had just noticed my name on the retirement list and offered me a package deal that really really made the cheese binding.
Three years @ HQMC for the Recruiting Service, my name at the top of the list for Sgt. Major, and my choice of duty when my DC tour was up.

My wife said, HELL NO. "I follow you for 20 years. You want more, you go yourself."

No, she wouldn't have left me. But for our 18 years together, the Corps came in first, second, and third place. She finished out of the money as an also-ran.

She was looking forward to retirement as much as I had been. I had promised, and she had always held up her part of the deal.

I owed her.

It was hard living for a couple of days until I called the Sgt. Major back. He was a friend. He understood.

I never looked back. I never tried to second guess my decision.

I remembered something my mother taught me. "When you leave a room, close the door behind you."

I paraphrased that when I learned that you don't have to die to be reincarnated, all you have to do is let go.

If you keep one foot in yesterday, and the other foot in tomorrow, you end up p issing on today.

Semper Fi