[cedsall]

The hardest part? There is a bond to those in the military that you just don't get in the civilian world. You live with someone in a barracks for a year or two, share common experiences, have a common background (basic, AIT, this post, that post). I walked into a retirement briefing with a guy I hadn't seen since basic training and the conversation pretty much picked up where it left off 20 years earllier.

The biggest change? I remember that clearly. About a year after I retired (I've been retired for just shy of 19 years) the contract I was working was going through a re-compete and there was a lot of uncertainty in the air. I remember wondering what I was going to do if the company I worked for didn't win. Then I remember thinking "Hell, I'll pack the wife, kids, and dogs in the truck and go live somewhere else." The realization hit me that there was no formation to report to, no AWOL. If I wanted to leave, I could just leave. It was a strange thought after 20 years of being told where we were living next.