In the not too distant future I will be transitioning from the Marine Corps after 25 plus years of service. If you had asked me 25 years ago if I thought I would stick around this gun club for as long as I have, I would have told you that you were crazy. Plus, the fact I have made it to the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant, the highest enlisted rank, is a feat in of its own. It is not that I did not like the Marine Corps but that I just never thought I would make a career out of it. Being a Marine is something I always wanted to be since I was a little kid. My father was a Marine, his best friend a Marine, my great grand father was a Marine and the list goes on. So, I grew up hearing about the Marine Corps and how they were the best of the best our country has to offer.
After 25 years I can say I agree with all those who influenced my obsession with joining the Marine Corps. I have had a lot of great experiences along the way, some not so great as well, and have made lifelong friendships that no one other than those who have served would understand. The opportunities I have had to grow as a person and to, hopefully, impact the lives of young Marines are what really have kept me going all these years. I am at a point where it is my turn to give back and I try to go into every day with that attitude. Not sure that I am all that successful at that endeavor but I try. Now though it is about time for me to move on from the Marine Corps, turn the page and begin the next chapter of my life.
If you have been following us for any length of time you will know that I have been battling some injuries over the last several years. Most significantly my left ankle is a mess and I have had to endure two surgeries over the last three years with more to come. Ultimately at some point they will end up fusing my ankle. The result of all this is that I am no longer able to run without doing more damage to my ankle. It has even made some of my outdoor activities more difficult. This year on our Oregon trip there were a couple times I was pretty worried about whether I was going to be able to make it through the week. Same is true with some of the hiking and other hunting I do around home here in Virginia. Pretty frustrating to say the least but it has also meant that I will no longer be able to continue with my career in the Marine Corps.
The biggest thing that gets to me is that I do not get to go out on my terms. Not saying that I would have stuck around for the full 30 years but going out on my terms would have been ideal. So now that the time to figure out what to do with the next chapter of my life has come and to be honest it is a bit scary. I know I will be fine and finding a job in northern Virginia will not be all that difficult. Last year I finished my bachelor’s degree as well as a graduate certificate so that will help as well. However, this is all I have known since I was 18 years old and that has left me with a bit of trepidation about the future. On the plus side my family, especially my daughter, is excited about this next chapter. Mostly because it means we do not have to move again. This is not to say they do not support my career, because they absolutely do, it is just that they are ready to but down some roots for once.
Over the last several months I have been trying to put thing in perspective and prepare myself. I have attended the retirement seminar and begun to get my resume in order. Having never had to write a resume before it is a bit of a daunting task. Of course, I got my Linkedin profile all set up and had my wife make sure it looked like a professional profile with a good picture. I guess grip and grins are frowned upon on there. Maybe I will get lucky though and our YouTube channel will get monetized and people will start picking up some stuff off our shop. If you have not subscribed you should help me out by doing so and go buy a t-shirt or two. You would be helping my retirement plans out a lot.
The next year is going to be a roller coaster I am sure but I think I am ready to take on the challenges that lie ahead. I look forward to writing this next chapter of my life and seeing where the journey goes from here. Maybe I will even grow a beard and see how long it takes for my wife to shave it off in my sleep. So, stick around, probably some good stuff to come and you do not want to miss out.
Love to hear it. I hope the best for you and thank you for your years of service
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