After 20 Years In The Army, I Hung Up My Boots and Started a New Chapter of Life
A guy asked how long I had been in the Army. I told him it was 20 years. He said, “Man, if a young man timed it right he could go in at 18 and retire before he’s 40.”
The story of my life.
The year is 1996 and one month before I’m set to start college, I was standing in front of a county judge. Fresh outta high school and I couldn’t keep my nose clean long enough to make it onto a college campus. This wasn’t my first time in front of a judge. But this time my goose was cooked.
The only card I had left was to tell the judge I was joining the military to change my wicked ways. Dude, I did not want to join the military but it was a lot better than spending time behind bars. Seemed like a better alternative.
The judge agreed the military would give me the discipline I so richly needed.
Four months later and at the youthful age of 18, I wake up to a screaming drill sergeant in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. It was hell. Zero dark thirty and my body is aching from strenuous exercises and running 6 miles in the snow. I learned a lot about the human body during basic. There comes a point after so much pain that your body adjusts to the pain and you are stronger than when you started.
Teamwork was the name of the game. No matter your background we all bonded like brothers during our time in basic. Have you ever worked on a team with one ultimate goal in mind? Everyone is giving their all to achieve the one goal for the team. It’s a beautiful experience.
Something began to grow inside of me. It had always been there but never received enough water to bear fruit. It’s hard to describe unless you’ve been in the military. It’s a new purpose of being. Listen, I saw hard core gangsters who normally would kill each other on the street become best buds during training. All differences were laid to the side. We embraced the lessons our drill sergeants were teaching and we grew together into better team members.
After eight weeks it was graduation time. The thing about basic training is you have to realize it is only the beginning. Yes, you are a Soldier but you are still wet behind the ears. Everyone understands you are new to the organization and need guidance. Your first duty station will get you familiar with how the Army operates. You will have ups and downs and determine if being in the Army is something you want to continue.
Basic training is where you start. You still have a long journey ahead of you. For some the journey is only four years and for people like myself the journey can be 20 years or longer. Can you imagine spending 20 years in the military? It’s not exactly a walk in the park. The original plan was to use the Army as a stepping-stone to jumpstart my life. Then after four years get out and go do something useful.
It was my mom who kept urging me to stay in. I thought she had fallen off her rocker. She told me 20 years would pass before I knew it. Four years had passed and I had 16 more to go. I was twenty-two at the time and 16 more years seemed like an eternity. She kept telling me to just hang in there. Several times I wanted to just get out but events kept happened to me and in the world around me that staying in seemed to be the right path to stick to. The grass always looked greener on the other side. Then, in 2008 when the market crashed I was glad I stayed in. That would’ve been nasty. Being in the military allowed me to observe the booms and busts in the economy.
After 20 years in uniform, I hung up my boots and started a new chapter of life. One of my biggest thrills is being retired at such a young age. I absolutely love the freedom. Whoever said money isn’t important has never had money and for sure is not retired. In my opinion, money may not be important but it ranks right up there with oxygen. Gives me the freedom to come and go as I please.
But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. Before enjoying retirement, I went through a transition that wasn’t an easy road to travel. A Soldier who retired a few years ahead of me shared some insights few people are willing to share. He relayed the story of how he was in shock when he got out the Army. He told me to take 30 to 60 days off and enjoy my family. His advice was to wait at least a month or more before getting a job. I didn’t understand why. He told me the reason was because of the emotional reality that everyone who leaves the military faces shortly after discharge. You don’t want that reality to hit while you are on a job. He said it’s going to happen. It’s like a shock wave that hits a Soldier and you don’t want to be on a job when you go through this emotional state. Someone could say the wrong thing and in that moment you snap. His advice helped me face what came around the corner after retirement.
One night I couldn’t sleep and decided to walk a few miles. After walking a few blocks and grabbing a bite to eat, I ended up sitting on a bench to take a break. All of a sudden a feeling of sadness overcame me. My emotions were out of control. I wanted to cry. I missed my Army friends and felt alone. I wasn’t sad about leaving the Army. I was sad because I wanted to be with my buddies again. The next morning I told my wife what happened. She explained that what I felt was like a person grieving when someone they love is laid to rest. Hearing her say those words gave me a sense of peace. She later suggested I enroll in school and enjoy life and the family for a while. I was nervous but so far being a student at the University of Houston-Downtown reminds me of being in the Army. It seems to be just what I needed to get back on track. For me, this is basic training for the new journey of life.