You Can Leave The Military, But It Never Really Leaves You…

A friend sent this to me today, reminding me of the upcoming Veterans Day. Everything in this is true, and goes a long way to explaining some of the wistfulness your significant other might exhibit driving past a military base…

Occasionally, I venture back out to the air base where I’m greeted by an imposing security guard who looks carefully at my identification card, hands it back and says, “Have a good day, tech sergeant.” Every time I go back onto Charleston Air Force Base it feels good to be called by my previous rank, but odd to be in civilian clothes, walking among the servicemen and servicewomen going about their duties as I once did, years ago.

The military, for all its flaws, is a comfort zone for anyone who has ever worn the uniform. It’s a place where you know the rules and know they are enforced; a place where everybody is busy but not too busy to take care of business. Because there exists behind the gates of every military facility an institutional understanding of respect, order, uniformity, accountability and dedication that becomes part of your marrow and never, ever leaves you.

Personally, I miss the fact that you always knew where you stood in the military, and who you were dealing with. That’s because you could read somebody’s uniform from 20 feet away and know the score. Service personnel wear their careers on their sleeves, so to speak. When you approach each other, you can read their name tag, examine their rank and, if they are in dress uniform, read their ribbons and know where they’ve served.

I miss all those little things you take for granted when you’re in the ranks, like breaking starch on a set of fatigues fresh from the laundry and standing in a perfectly straight line that looks like a mirror as it stretches to the endless horizon. I miss the sight of troops marching in the early morning mist, the sound of boot heels thumping in unison on the sidewalks, the bark of sergeants and the sing-song answers from the squads as they pass by in review.

To romanticize military service is to be far removed from its reality, because it’s very serious business, especially in times of war. But I miss the salutes I’d throw at officers and the crisp returns as we crisscrossed on the flight line. I miss the smell of jet fuel hanging heavily on the night air and the sound of engines roaring down runways and disappearing into the clouds. I even miss the hurry-up-and-wait mentality that enlisted men gripe about constantly, a masterful invention that bonded people more than they’ll ever know or admit.

I miss people taking off their hats when they enter a building, speaking directly and clearly to others and never showing disrespect for rank, race, religion or gender. Mostly I miss being a small cog in a machine so complex it constantly circumnavigates the Earth and so simple it feeds everyone on time, three times a day, on the ground, in the air or at sea. Mostly, I don’t know anyone who has served who regrets it, and doesn’t feel a sense of pride when they pass through those gates and re-enter the world they left behind with their youth.

Face it guys [and gals], we all miss it. Whether you had one tour or a career, it shaped your life.

Comments

You Can Leave The Military, But It Never Really Leaves You… — 16 Comments

  1. I love it when we go to the Naval Academy in my dad’s car. He is retired Air Force, and those cute, young sailors salute us as we go in. It is nice for us old ladies!

  2. You are correct, and I rarely go through a day without thinking of it, in some regard. Usually the lack of respect given to seniors when some jello-died, tattooed 20-something comes slouching into view. Makes me want to shave their heads, ya know?

  3. Went on base yesterday with my IA, as we were running errands. I know my IA is a retired officer; it’s very hard to miss [be missed by?] military cunning, and that level of expectation and communication is as comfortable as a good heavy parka and a cup of hot coffee on a cold winter morning.

    When the gate guard handed back my civvie ID and his military ID, he said very clearly, “Have a good day, Colonel.”

    I suffered a momentary flashback to being twelve years old and thinking “Oh, no! He outranks dad, I better be real, real polite!”

    I wanted to grow up to be a civilian. I got it. I’m very grateful to all the men and women who served so that I may live in a free country, and remain civvie. Thank you!

  4. I miss the PX and commissary.
    Well, at least the until the gubment decided they needed to be “competatively” priced with private business.
    (higher prices)

  5. ingismsMany young men who leave the service never again experience the level of (whatever the word for doing important things is). I know I didn’t for a long time.
    I worked last year with a retired CPO who is now a junior maintenance man in that factory. He served at Groton. I asked my son if he’d heard of him.
    The reply was “You know Chief Crippen?” He was the chief of the pier.

  6. I left as an E9 and immediately started driving nails and then an LPG truck. Every time somebody would holler Hey Chief to the fire guy or the cop guy my head would whip around till I remembered it wasn’t me they were calling. It took a long time to get past that feeling of LOSS! Not so much for the respect you’d built up over 20 years, but the loss of the comradarie(sp) that was a huge part of military life.

    I actually enjoyed flying for twenty years and all the rest of my jobs. The missed birthdays etc. not so much. So becoming a civilian took a while to adjust to again.

    OBTW because of where I live, I’ve only been back to a Naval base 3 times in the last 35 years!

    To all you guys who were “IN”, thanks for your devotion and thank all you civ’s who DID stand by us!!

  7. Best thing I got from the service was some control of my temper, thanks to a kindly First Sergeant, who made it his project. Other than my children, the only person I’ve known more stubborn than myself.

    I greatly appreciate those who made it a career. Better folks than me, for sure.

  8. I walked off the ship in ’94, after 22 years of flying and then ship’s company, and miss it terribly. Had three civilian jobs, being bossed around by those without a clue of who is protecting them. After months of unemployment, I still only apply for jobs on the local Navy bases, because I still want to support the war fighter. I just can’t find the same motivation for a major software company making video games.

  9. The AF Security Forces here at Edwards have issues with even the most basic of military courtesy toward Retirees. I have had one young man in the year I have been here actually address me as Petty Officer First Class. The civilian guards are better at it!
    But yes, I still miss it. Even after being retired for 17 years. I am almost an entire generation removed now.
    And my work leader is younger than three of my kids and a one hitch wonder who has never done anything but be a crew chief on F-16s!

  10. Linda- Why am I not surprised…LOL 😉

    Rev- Agreed!

    Wing- Gotta love those flashbacks! 🙂

    Anon- Yep, good point!

    Ed- It IS an amazingly small community… and the acceptance of responsibility that one learns in the military sure as hell does NOT exist in most civilian firms…

    Ev- concur, and thanks for YOUR service too!

    WSF- Um… yeah, they can knock stubborn out of most anybody! 😉

    Mikey- thanks for your service, and keep applying, I’m sure something will come open for you!

    ORPO- Well, you ARE working on an AF base… Just sayin… 🙂 Navy bases still treat retirees with respect!

    Fuzzy- Thank you!

  11. Every time I pass the now closed Richards-Gebaur AFB, I remember my time there. It was my last duty station. I left active duty there. I flew out of there on many an occasion and now it’s gone.