(so we don't threadjack the crap out of wheel's thread)

I don't know about you, but I'm liking civilian life. Sometimes I feel bad for those guys (you've met them) who can't let go. Who file for extensions because they didn't make rank, or something. They're afraid to get out there and do something else.

I'll admit, going from being the guy who told everyone what to do to being Nick the friggin' new guy kinda sucks at times, but at other times it's liberating. I'm responsible for nobody but me!

Go to work. Do my job. Go home. Get paid.

I loved the Marine Corps. I don't miss it. Do I miss the people and comaraderie - hell yea.

I love civillian life. I can't wait to do an 8 hour day and get paid for the hours I put in.

I still have to adjust from some brainwashing. I have to actually think before I leave the house in flip flops!

Wow...

Sailors and Marines getting along.

Beer. Is there anything it can't do?

Adam,

You know how it works. Marine and Sailor get into a bar fight, both get tossed in the street. They dust off and figure out what bar they can go to next. It's like brothers. BTW, thats a true story. Roosevelt roads PR, the Lighthouse Bar. Happened all the time - Seebees, even more fights.

Plus, I spent over 7 years either on a navy base or ship.

^

Tell me about it.

I was with MPS-2....

Don't Marines provide perimeter security on naval bases?

I need to open anothe beer. La Fin De Munde... mmmmm

Heading outside with a bottle of Pliny The Elder and a Perdomo EdS churchill mixed in with some Cuban cigars, can't have that...

I might drop back in over the next hour or so - or maybe not...

EdS churchill mixed in with ==> EdS churchill I FOUND mixed in with

Might be gone by then.. I hate this MAC laptop!! It makes me look more retarded than I am!

The beer is "La Fin Du Monde". I speak spanish not french! I leave that to Hockeydad.

MACS,

To your OG post. That was one thing my wife didn't understand nor believed. I just want to be responsible for myself. If a coworker gets a DUI, I wont get a call at 0300 in the morning. If one of my dip****s beats his wife, I won't get a call. Yea, it's nice.

I have to admit, I sometimes miss being on the open ocean. I miss liberty ports (travel) and I miss a lot of my shipmates.

I hated the Navy my first 4 years. Tolerated it for 6 more and then started to like it. By the time I left, I loved it, but wasn't sad to see it go.

Sounds odd, but there it is.

When I was in Greece, working security for the base (watch commander), we had a Marine Security Force (MSF) squad on the base. The SGT and I used to drink together all the time and come back to base holding each other up.

My first two years were security forces. The school was awesome, they called it "gunslinger school".

The Sgt must have been the "cadre" guy. All the post standers are boots.

Sgt Davis. One of the funniest 'bruthas' I ever partied with. Dude told more black jokes than I ever heard in my life.

He and I would slam beers and shots all night, gorge on souvlaki, and stumble back to the barracks.

Fun times.

I got 3.5 yrs til I am elgible to be a civilian. I know I wil miss a lot of things in military life. There are lots of things I won't miss, like the you said Gringo about being responsible for others actions. I got the 4 am wake up call last month for one of my guys getting arrested for drunk and disorderly...somehow that relfects on my leadership, like I am suposed to be in the back pocket of all 26 people that work for me.

Wife says that I will not retire at 20, she thinks I like it too much to stop there. She may be suprised. Depends how happy I am when I get to that point. I do envy you guys and look forward to getting there.

Enjoy the good life!

Diver

MAC

you paid the price, did the time, ad earned your pension.

i did not like military life because it interfered with my personal life.

it took a few weeks for me to figure out the rules and how to deal with them. then it was less intrusive.

i had no trouble adjusting to civilian life again.

i never kept track of any of my buddies from the military. most of them are probably dead by now.

all of my civilian friends have died. there is no one in my family older then me.

^sad. you aren't actually that old. you need to move to a more longevity-friendly area.

people in japan live to be over 100, easy (like currently 4% of the population).

Rick,

Thank you, sir. My point to gringo was that there are guys who do what we did who can't (or won't) let go. They become conditioned to that lifestyle. They (falsely) believe that's the best they can do.

But... a military retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for it. It helps immensely.

However... 50% at 20 yrs isn't quite true. When active, you are being paid base pay, housing allowance and subsistence allowance (plus any other special pays you may be entitled to).

When you retire from the military... you DO get 50%. 50% of your base pay. Which is about 60% of what you make when active.

In my current job, we get 3% at 50 yrs old. 3% for every year you work after you reach 50. I started at 38. My plan is to work until 55. 17 yrs x 3% = 51%.

If I made $90,000 the last year I worked for the department, I get $45,900 for the rest of my life. It's 51% of 100% of what I made that final year.

My point is, too many guys hang on because they're afraid to take that chance. They get comfortable and settle for average.

That's okay, I guess... but it could be better. You just have to take that chance.

In my current job, we get 3% at 50 yrs old. 3% for every year you work after you reach 50. I started at 38. My plan is to work until 55. 17 yrs x 3% = 51%.

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i would check on that. it could easily be read that you get 3% @ 50 years old. and add 3% per year after that.

this means that at 55, you get 18% (50=3%, 51=6%, etc.) if i started working out of college at 22 and retired at 55, i would get 99%...so if i made $100,000 working, they would have to pay me $99,000 not to work. just does not seem right.

BUT it is a hard and stressful job, so you may be right.

If I made $90,000 the last year I worked for the department, I get $45,900 for the rest of my life. It’s 51% of 100% of what I made that final year.

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That wont be that much that many years from now. Do they add COLA to that?