Man, you know...I miss the Corps a little!

[E4B0861]

I've been out for a little over a year now, though not exactly by my own choice. (Honorable discharge via adsep for condition, not a disability yadda yadda.) I miss the hell out of it and would go back in a second if I could. I still shave nearly every day, haircuts are biweekly, and I'm attempting to work around my knee problems to get back in shape (though I'm the same weight I got out at, I'm not quite at the level of physical competency that I was). The demotivators that talked about nothing but wanting to get out made me sick. What the hell did you join for? In a way, I could understand it to a point, but not much more.

Civilian life blows. I'm in a job that's pretty decent now, but it seems that most civilians are (unsurprisingly) unmotivated slackers who are only there for themselves.

Nothing matches up to the Corps.

[BGW]

Isn't it great though? Coming into the civilian sector with your Marine Corps experiences that you have accumulated over the years, having to deal with a lot of bull **** and on top you endured the incredible extra amount of time you had to work. By now you should have a real good understanding of taking responsibility for your own success. This kind of stuff is supposed to separate you from the rest.

Still don't see how Marines get so upset over how civilians act, like you're all ****ing surprised. Your suppose to be better and see the bigger picture instead of these people. Besides aren't you suppose to set the standards some way or another, you know that cute little Marine Corps saying; you know the, "leave by example?"

Maybe when you EAS out of the Corps you also leave everything about yourself as a Marine too? Becoming just another civilian? I hope that's not the case.

Wow I sound like a motard now, I blame you all for this.

[E4B0861]

Isn't it great though? Coming into the civilian sector with your Marine Corps experiences that you have accumulated over the years, having to deal with a lot of bull **** and on top you endured the incredible extra amount of time you had to work. By now you should have a real good understanding of taking responsibility for your own success. This kind of stuff is supposed to separate you from the rest.

Still don't see how Marines get so upset over how civilians act, like you're all ****ing surprised. Your suppose to be better and see the bigger picture instead of these people. Besides aren't you suppose to set the standards some way or another, you know that cute little Marine Corps saying; you know the, "leave by example?"

Maybe when you EAS out of the Corps you also leave everything about yourself as a Marine too? Becoming just another civilian? I hope that's not the case.

Wow I sound like a motard now, I blame you all for this.

Hahaha. True that.

I don't think it's getting upset over them so much as it is a grinding irritation.

I think you mean "lead by example"? It is true, though. It's all you really can do.

[DrZ]

Every person handles leaving the Corps differently. I spent my 8+ years...and decided to get out as a SSgt on the Gunny list. It was what I wanted to do. I did go to school but also worked a full time job and had a full time family. Part of what I wanted to do. The civilian world was pretty damn hard on me. I didn't like the scuzzy civilians nor the liberal professors spouting crap about the military when they had spent their entire lives in academia.

I grew my hair out...grew my beard out (big time...go check the albums!)...and did my best to fit in and not take out the first idiot who p!ssed me off.

Do what you want to do but always remember what you were taught in boot.... you can accomplish ANYTHING with NOTHING if you put your mind to it.

Overtime, you will find you miss the Corps more and more. There will be many things that p!ssed you off while in....and those, strangely, will be the things you miss the most!

Good luck to you.

[jp2usmc]

That's good stuff for the most part, DrZ.

Things I don't miss: I don't miss policing someone else's cigarette butts or having some dipsheat Sgt that lived off base come through once a week to inspect my rack.

[Tennessee Top]

Go to the Chesty's Hooch forum and read what WJason just posted about getting out.

According to him, civilian life sucks and getting out was the biggest mistake he's made. Now, he's trying like hell to get back in (and not having much success).

Posts like this are common. You all can rag on the USMC all you want to and think how great civilian life is going to be. I'm just telling you...be careful what you wish for cause you may just get it! You just may discover that being a civilian is not what it's cracked up to be.

I was a career Marine for 22.6 years and been a civilian now for 15. I know coming from a "lifer" this doesn't mean much to most of you. But, I can truthfully say I enjoyed being a Marine a helluva lot more than I enjoy being a civilian. Anybody can be a dang civilian but only a few can be a Marine. I would put that uniform back on in a heartbeat if they would let me (and I could fit in it).

[Old Marine]

I have been out here in this cluster fvk civilian dis-organization for 38 years now and it really hasn't gotten any better since the day I retired. They say that it always gets worse before it gets better, but it just seems to be getting worse and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. At least in the military you are guaranteed a paycheck. Out here in the cruel world you don't know from day to day if you will have a job.

[jp2usmc]

--- Old Marine wrote:
> At least in the military you are guaranteed a paycheck.

Not to play Devil's Advocate here, but that's also one of the negative points about military life. There were lots of people that I served with who obviously were too lazy to hold down or work for a civilian job.

Blood sucking leaches, we called them.

[SSgtRSD]

Gents, anyone can argue that there are negative aspects to life in the Corps. The truth is you are going to have your 10% where ever you go in life. It has been my experience that in the civilian world that it's more like the 30%, and I am a police officer. There is not a single person here that did not leave the Corps having gained skills or experiences that will have benefited them once they left. Some may have left with bumps and bruises or worse, but in the case of the OP, he's just running his mouth in an attempt to get a reaction out of those who do care about the Corps. So, congratulations Aloha, you have proved there are still former Marines who love the Corps, and That you are loving life in 1st Civ Div. Great, now stop being an *******.

[E4B0861]

Gents, anyone can argue that there are negative aspects to life in the Corps. The truth is you are going to have your 10% where ever you go in life. It has been my experience that in the civilian world that it's more like the 30%, and I am a police officer. There is not a single person here that did not leave the Corps having gained skills or experiences that will have benefited them once they left. Some may have left with bumps and bruises or worse, but in the case of the OP, he's just running his mouth in an attempt to get a reaction out of those who do care about the Corps. So, congratulations Aloha, you have proved there are still former Marines who love the Corps, and That you are loving life in 1st Civ Div. Great, now stop being an *******.

QFMFT.

[rwest158497]

I Miss The Corps Sometimes.....i Would Never Trade The Years I Spent In... My Present Job And The Other 2 Ive Held Since Getting Out In 1987 Were All Possible Because The People Who Hired Me Did So Because I Am A Marine. Employers Can Tell A **** Bag From A Squared Away Individual Any Time. The Marine Corps Always Pops Into My Mind During All Kinds Of Work Situations. There Have Been Times In My Life When Ive Wanted To Quit Something Because It Was To Hard Or To This Or That But Then I Remember My Di Telling Me Way Back When That Marines Never Quit!!!! Semper Fi My Brothers And Sisters... The Corps Will Always Be A Part Of Our Lifes... It Is Who We Are, The Few The Proud... The Marines

[AlohaMarine]

I'm checking my eyesight again....are you saying $1700.00 a month for GI bill?

Post 9/11 GI bill pays tuition in full, 1000$ a year for books and BAH at the E5 rate. Where I'm at that is $1650 a month, and tuition is already taken care of. I make more going to school than I did as a lance corporal! Get a job? Ha!

[AlohaMarine]

Just to make a point, I've been on a road trip for over a week. I've driven from Florida to NYC. I spent the 4th of july on river st in savannah, I went along the smoky and blue ridge mountains, spent some time in atlantic city, hoboken, nj, drove around manhatten (traffic was insane, those cab drivers are ruthless) I EVEN VISITED PARRIS ISLAND!!!! That was really neat. I'm still on the road which is why I'm on my phone and can't reply to a lot of the nonsense in this thread, I don't have internet on my pc. Anyway, my point is there is no way I could go on an open ended road trip visiting family all over the country while on active duty. I never got 30 days of leave and after flying 5000 miles who wants to drive cross country in someone elses car with a deadline? Its not so much the idiocy that I don't miss but the freedom that I have now. So what if I don't have a paycheck? I'm not living in barracks with low life scum from the hood anymore watching my intelligence level deplete to a negative. This is great and anyone who doesn't think so just hasn't experienced it.

[03Foxtrot]

Having read and absorbed much of what this particular forum member and author of this thread has written on this site, it is apparent to me that most of what has been penned by him, has been in jest, even if in poor taste or at the expense of some of us old timers. None of us are immune to having a very personalized opinion to what the Marine Corps means to us. As for myself, I was never part and party to a peace time Marine Corps or even a Marine Corps that was representative of other and varied MOS's. So his angry remarks about promotions and responsibilities and leadership and co-worker problems and being ready and anxious to leave the Corps, with happiness and/or bitterness, really does not relate to me. I enlisted for two years, back in 1968, was trained as infantry and arrived in Viet-Nam only 3 1/2 months later and after surviving my tour of duty as a member of 1st squad, 2nd Platoon, Fox Company, 2/1... I reentered the world of civilians only 13 months later after being offered and took an early discharge. I remained confused and lost for several years, if not decades. I spent more time in combat then I did in all other activity in the Marine Corps collectively. My honorable discharge/separation was not representative of what happens now maybe, but my reentry into the American society of the late sixties was something that happened to thousands of other combat Marines, and we grunts of Viet-Nam will always have a hole in our heart for what we endured not only for the Corps but what we bravely endured for our indifferent country upon our return. So resent and complain all you want, if there are those on here who seem to relish pulling our chain for no other reason then there own personal entertainment. I for one am far above and far removed from such petty attacks on my character..... or the opinion of those who seem only to care about themselves and not the soul of the Corps... those who have fought or fallen in battle for this great nation.
Semper Fi

[DRB]

I was not a Marine. I was a Soldier. I experienced some things in the Army I did not like. I too had some very poor leaders and some very bad comrades who I guess you could consider white trash and thugs from the hood. I also had some good leaders and met some great men. I have yet to meet such leaders and quality people here in the civilian world and I have been out for 17 years. I currently work at a Union Mission thinking I was going to meet good Christian people of character. I was wrong. They lie, cheat, and steal. Our boss is a preacher. I never met a more unqualified leader. He has no character, class, or common sense. He shows no love for his fellow man. He is the worst leader and preacher I have ever met. In a meeting he even "dug at himself" in my presence. What a man of God. I'm happy that I served my nation and proud of what I accomplished in the short time I was in the Army. I developed a work ethic that I had lacked. I have a drive that is matched on by a few and exceeded by even less than that. The things I despised made me appreciate the good things even more. I still keep in touch with several whom I served with and went into battle with. We suffered and grew together. We had very little food and water. We went a week on three hours of sleep. We suffered through the horrors of battle together and saw things we will never forget. We made history together and I'll never forget that.