"Thank you for your service, sir."
Why is every former Marine that I'm running into either Force Recon (0321) or a Scout Sniper (8541)?
Why are half the Navy guys that I'm stopping telling me that they're slated for BUDS training?
Friends, if you served, I thank you for your service. If you're serving, I thank you for your service. If you signed up right after September 11, 2001, like my good friend John Shirley did at the age of 29, and had to put your life on hold to serve our nation when we needed you, I especially thank you for your service. From the bottom of my heart: thank you.
You HAVE my thanks. Why try to make yourself out to be more than you are? That Sniper-- that Reconnaisance Man-- that SEAL-- that Green Beret-- they all need cooks (92G), or clerks (0151), or whatever. Just as I am minding the store at home on the civil side, you guys are supporting the guys doing the shooting. There's no shame in that.
You don't NEED a sexy MOS to "Be All That You Can Be." Trust me.
That is all.
posted by Matt G @ 7:04 PM
8 Comments:
Huzzah!
I worked with a Mitty. It got disturbing quickly.
This past weekend I had guests in my home, friends of Incubus I; one is on active duty in the Navy and is on his way back to San Diego. He is very proud to be keeping a tight strain on his...network. No pseudo-SeAL there. I've offered to fish his resume around for him when he gets out in October.
Those who fly a desk are every bit as important to the mission as those on the trigger. Watching packet streams isn't as cool as saying you are a sonarman, but it's just as critical a skill.
Regards,
Rabbit.
I wrote this blog on my lunchbreak, immediately after having pulled over a pierced, gauged, and sloppy butterball who told me that he had just gotten out of the Marines, which was why his DL was from one side of the country, his car registration was from another. He mumbled something about his last MOS not showing up because of what he originally had been doing before. I asked him what he exited as.
"Force Recon." He said, and rattled off the MOS number. I was astonished. I asked him how long ago he had ETS. (I had to restate: "Exit The Service.") Three months ago.
Round face. Significant belly. Huh. I suppose that I could let myself go that far in three months. Maybe. Huh.
I thanked him for his service, and cut him loose.
Work at a gunshop Matt and you'll find all of the former SF/Recon/SEAL/Ranger folks you can stand. Seems to me that there are no cooks or truck drivers in the military anymore. :) Al T.
Yep, Tam-- I quit going much to our local gun shop because I got tired of hearing the stories. When it went under, I felt partly responsible. :(
Don't get jaded to it, though. It makes for grumbly gunshop salesfolks that hurts the legit gunny folks' feelings.
--Matt
We don't grumble about'em - we do save up the stories for who ever's off shift. :) Alway's good for a laugh at the end of the day. Great blog by the way. You, Tam, Law Dog and Michael Bane are daily stops. Al T.
Thanks, Al! Much obliged. I'm visiting Michael Blane right now. I note that he links to Brian Enos, whom I've just found out about (Interesting music,there.), and XavierThoughts (whom I of course link to), but not LawDog Files or Tam's View From The Porch. Huh.
Ya know Matt, once a year I update my records, will and check my credit score - and January is the month. Just for the record, you may want to know that if I start eating my salads from the roots up, my beautiful hard chromed Kimber Match is yours. Try not to get too sentimental... :) Al T.
Giz, I thought that was you.
You know, bud, I might just take back a few mean things that I said about that pistol...
Beauty is as beauty does.
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