Happy Birthday to the Corps, you are 236 and about to lose some weight…
November 9th, 2011 Posted in The SandGram v1.0Happy Birthday to all my brothers from a different Mother! The Corps is 236 years old and I can remember when the Corps hit 200 years old as a young boy when I grew up on Little Creek Amphib base. This has been a pretty good career and I have enjoyed my time in the Corps. I would have to say though, it’s about time to say goodbye. I’m ready to hang up my boots and retire.
The Military has been through a lot the last ten years with a two front ground war, (you would think we’d take a lesson from Germany in WWII) a crappy economy and lots of new additions to how the Military will be run. Then we have Senators who want to scrape the benefits of our Military and the retirees.
I had a talk with a young man I mentor here at home. Chase is a good kid, 16 years old and ready to join the Corps right now if I could get him in. He mentioned pensions to me and how the Military system is a big drain on our economy. I have to say that I calmly came unglued. See, if a kid is willing to join (only 1% of this country serves) the Corps or any branch of the service and gets killed or wounded, we as a Nation need to step up and help them. Yes, take care of them 100% There isn’t a State Dept guy that is putting his life on the line for 25K a year day in day out, deployed every year, missing holidays and birthday, kids games etc. If some smuck at the IRS or TSA or the Post Office wants to sling a rifle and raise their right hand, then I’m all for a great Gov’t retirement. I don’t see them getting blown up at their jobs like our guys/gals are.
I get depressed when things like this Force Structure outline gets released and I see old Commands that I served in going away. We are going from 202 thousand Marines to 186,800. That is a big chuck of Marines and Units.
I guess it’s time to retire, very soon… this is not the Corps I joined in 1986 and I hope that we are still around when I’m old and Gray…Happy Birthday Marines
Semper Fi,
Taco
