get out of the army

I think I’m under the 200 day mark now…

Though I’m finding I gotta do more paperwork to get out than I hadda do to get in! O well, its all for the ease of transition. Those ACAP classes and transition briefs have a lot of good info… don’t skip ‘em.

294 days left, Bitches!

:)

I told the 1SG it was the end of an era. Typical 1SG response: “You’re not old enough to have an era.” Haha, Top is funny!

I’m already writing my ETS Speech.

Awesome! 11 months left, and I’ve already got a job lined up with a fat salary, and several more offers. :) Don’t believe what people say about not being able to make it on the outside. You can do it.

I’m applying to schools and applying to jobs! The future is looking brighter every day. :)

Aaaand, I have yet another reason to add to the list of why I’m getting out: No matter how hard you work, if your immediate supervisor thinks your a shitbag, you won’t get promoted even if everyone else thinks the sun shines out of your asshole.

1SG told my NCO to send me to the promotion board, but he purposely sat on the paperwork and didn’t turn it in until it was too late. Now, I don’t have enough time in service remaining to pin E-6. Thank you SSG Watts, what a prick!

Funny how I’m expected to give 100% until the day I ETS, but the Army isn’t expected to give 100% back to me. I have a pie chart on my computer that counts down the days until my ETS. The ‘days remaining’ slice is getting smaller and smaller. :)

• Forget about learning how to mentor Soldiers. Pulling weeds at “leadership” school is MUCH more important.

• I’m a grown up woman and no one should be telling me what color panties I can wear.

• New GI Bill is worth up to 80,000!!

My unit quit having organized PT about 9 months ago, at which time I joined a VERY expensive local gym to keep my fitness up. Now, they have re-instated PT. It totally kills my workout schedule at the awesome gym where I maintain a fitness program that works for me, and was developed by a personal trainer. Now I have to waste my time doing a bunch of worthless Army exercises that destroy and injure my body. I might as well flush my gym membership down the toilet.

FUCK THE ARMY! I can’t wait to be done with it.

I am keeping a list of grievances here, so that I can re-read them when the retention NCO tries to trick me into re-enlisting.

I can’t stand those crusty, old Sergeant Majors. Today I ran into one, and he asked me if I was staying in for a million years. I think all SGMs are obligated to ask this question. So the conversation goes like this:

SGM: So, you planning on staying for 20?

me: NO!

SGM: Why not? What can you do as a civilian thats sooo great?

me: I want to go back to school.

SGM: Well, you can take school online while you’re in!

me: I am.

SGM: Sooo, whats the difference?

me: Well, I wouldn’t be in the Army!

Their attempts at retention are so impersonal. He didn’t even bother to ask me what I wanted to go to school for. BTW, its not something I can do online. Or perhaps, I should have just told him that I’m a pacifist, and don’t agree with the war, and don’t want to deploy, and I think the war is going to last FOREVER, and I want to go be a hippie and smoke pot every day for the rest of my life. That probably would have gotten him off my back.

The re-enlistment NCO came to talk to the company today. He’s very good at his job. Very convincing. He says that for every three soldiers that get out, two come back. I’m determined to be the one that stays away!

I used all my TA this fiscal year. By this time next year I’ll be done with my Associates Degree, courtesy of Uncle Sam. I’d encourage everyone to take advantage of your TA money to go to school. On Active Duty, you get $4500 per FY. University of Phoenix is easy, call them and get signed up. Might as well make the best of it while you’re still in.

I feel that the lack of a good civilian plan is what keeps a lot of people re-enlisting. I’ve already decided I’m going back to FL to finish school, and I’m narrowed down to two.

... that I REALLY hate about the Army is being treated as if I’m a child just because of the rank I’m wearing. I am a grown adult, and would like to be treated as such. In a normal job, I would never be accused of skipping out on responsibilities, while in reality trying to take care of personal business like doctors appointments and car repairs.

Ugh.

Its not that I hate the Army, I just don’t really love it. I’ve been in almost 4 years, got 2.5 left on this contract.

I can’t stand moving all the time and having to rip up all roots and re-plant, so to speak. I feel like I’ve pushed a giant ‘pause’ button on my life. Every time I get comfortable with my life and establish some sort of routine, I get orders. This really puts a stop to any kind of meaningful relationship I try to have.

Also, I really hate to run. I suck at it, it makes my joints hurt, physical therapy doesn’t help, but its not bad enough for a permanent profile, and every PT test I come in seconds before failure.

Retirement is not worth 20 years of purgatory. I can do the same job as a civilian for 4x the cash.

Hopefully I can finish my degree before I get out.