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 Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 4:48 pm
I joined the Marine Corps back in June '01 and got out in June '05. I was stationed in Yuma, Az for the most part, and was deployed to Kuwait/Iraq at the beginning of OIF. To sum it up...I never left the desert, so it looked like things never really changed out in the "real world".
It was total culture shock when I got back to Orlando. The buildings and homes changed; the music and TV changed (not much to choose from in Yuma besides Country and Mexican stuff); and what struck me the most, my peers in college really changed. I got back and people started wearing ties for belts, wearing nothing but black clothing (in the summertime, mind you), and dying their hair in a plethora of colors. On top of that, a lot of these kids are on behavioral meds,
I've been out for over a year now, and things still feel foreign to me. How's it working out for you guys? I can only imagine how long it takes the longer you're in, too.
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Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:21 am
Well I joined the US Army back in 02 and got out this year in June, I was stationed in Bamberg Germany, and in FT. Irwin C.A. where I was deployed to OIF 3. Even Though I had a chance to be exposed to civilian life more then you, I still have a hard time dealing with them ( and I am working retail for fun at a Video Game store right now). I will probably become more accustomed to it after a while, but your right four years does change things alot, you go in one way and come out and things just dont seem the way you left em.
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:18 am
I enlisted in 00 and got out in 04 a few months after coming home from the war. Was stationed at Ft Gordon, Ft Riley, Camp Dodge and Iraq. Got to go off base alot and got mistaken for a goth *laughs*. But even now after 2 years its still weird being out. I drive the DAV van now.
Just one thing. Anyone remember those freakin camel spiders? I swear those things were evil.
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:13 am
wolfhogen I enlisted in 00 and got out in 04 a few months after coming home from the war. Was stationed at Ft Gordon, Ft Riley, Camp Dodge and Iraq. Got to go off base alot and got mistaken for a goth *laughs*. But even now after 2 years its still weird being out. I drive the DAV van now. Just one thing. Anyone remember those freakin camel spiders? I swear those things were evil. Burned one before. I thnik somone recorded it but I can't remember.
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Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:16 am
i am a military daughter.
and i find it hard to adjust to 'real life'
even being based in western countries, like UK, France and Germany, the military is a completely detached lifestyle and it is odd to transfer between the 2 like i currently do being at boarding school.
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:50 pm
Joined up in '02 and got out in '06. First base was Nellis AFB in Vegas. Not much of a cultural change until I PCSed to Spangdahlem AB in Germany. It took some time to adjust. Once I got situated in Germany, I didn't want to leave. I loved the culture out there and being able to travel to other countries. When I finally came back home, it was almost depressing. lol. You are away for so long that you tend to see things differently when you finally get back. Some for better and some for worse. I get back home and all my friends are pretty much gone. They either joined the military themselves or left to go to college in some other state.
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Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 3:46 pm
I joined in 04, i spent a year and a half as a reservist then i went Active, i been to Iraq once so far and im contemplating a second go. I just finished my tour of Baghdad, OIF 6-7 as im told but i dont follow how it goes i only do as i need. Im stationed in Fort Riley still and i only have about a year left. I cant wait to see home again.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 12:04 pm
I was in for five years, in Yuma from '03 to '07 before getting out in November.
Edmund_Cole, you probably came into my shop at least once, I was AISD.
When I got back to the real world, yeah...its taking some getting used to.
I keep expecting things from the people around me that are apparently foolish, and surpassing other people's expectations. I can thank the efficiency of themilitary for that, I know...but I'm finding the biggest change I have to deal with is the way we interact with the people around us.
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Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:56 pm
i am army reserve in butler pa. i went over with the 630th trans company in oif 1-2. i have until september until i am out. i found it hard to get back into the civilian life when i got back and even now. it's just something about calling ppl maam and sir that they look at you strange...SGT Pacifico 301ST RSG... burning_eyes
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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 3:20 pm
lol it makes you really begin to think that we truly ARE a band of uncivilized gentlemen...
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Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:25 pm
I enlisted in 2003 as a Combat Medic. Was deployed to Iraq in '04-'05 for OIF 3. I am still having problems living as a civilian when not fulfilling my obligation (I am in the National Guard) and probably always will be. Life in Iraq seemed so much more simple than here. You are always so busy but you have so few obligations other than your job and soldiers. Back here it seems as if everything is so complicated and overwhelming, what with taking care of bills, a house, a family and whatnot. Anyone else seem to notice how, aside from being in combat itself, life downrange seems less complicated?
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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 3:56 am
witchdoctor_1 I enlisted in 2003 as a Combat Medic. Was deployed to Iraq in '04-'05 for OIF 3. I am still having problems living as a civilian when not fulfilling my obligation (I am in the National Guard) and probably always will be. Life in Iraq seemed so much more simple than here. You are always so busy but you have so few obligations other than your job and soldiers. Back here it seems as if everything is so complicated and overwhelming, what with taking care of bills, a house, a family and whatnot. Anyone else seem to notice how, aside from being in combat itself, life downrange seems less complicated? AH, you speak my life... well ok not even close but so very close at the same time. The only combat I see/saw is over the feed I'm watching or when I volunteered at the hospital in Balad (uhh... that was more than enough for me to be honest.) I only did 7 months in Iraq, got back in March, and I am still trying to adjust. Of course, I came home to divorce and the drama that goes with that, and moving and crap. But I miss Iraq terribly. Work, work out, sleep, repeat... it was great. Sure, the showers were cold if/when I even got one but that's what baby wipes are for. wink Plus, I felt like I really was DOING something. And at work, they didn't care what rank I was, if I could handle the job, they tasked it to me. So much less bullshit there than here. Even worse, it is very hard to deploy from where I am now, everyone else in my unit wants to deploy so I am stuck at the bottom of the volunteer list. And if I don't get tagged with a deployment within the next few months, I can't because of when I PCS from here. So more than likely, it'll be over a year before I get to go again, even then it's not guaranteed. I'm AF and had wanted to go Army originally. I am really kicking myself in the a** now. It's hard when I have so many friends in the Army, deploying left and right and I can't. gonk
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