Replies

It was 1984/85, yes the great Reagan, furlowed tens of thousands of military personnel, including me, under the Graham Rudman Act. I was on an airplane flying back from Asia with about 200 Marines all holding a pink slip. Gunny's and Master Sergeants who thought they would still have a tour or two stateside to prepare for retirement were forced to retire with no warning. So forgive me if I have little love for Reagan. I was a single father on active duty when he made me redundant. The good news I learned how to be a civilian, worked two jobs for the better part of a year before Lockheed hired me. Eventually, I reenlisted in the Marine Reserves. In 1993, the Corps was cutting Reserve billets again, I had to choose either risk remaining a Marine or jump ship for a sure retirement in the Navy. One thing the first lay off taught me, there is no loyalty in the Corps when the budget is cut, I did not wait, jumped ship to the Navy, was recalled permanently to active duty in 2000, retired in 2009. I am a Vietnam era vet, who by Gods good grace and a understanding of the convoluted DoD system, I stuck around long enough to retire. Sadly, what I did is literally impossible now. Almost everyday I tell squared away young Marines how to find work using vet sites, how to contact the railroads or DHS etc. In many I see myself in 1985, clueless about being a civilian and a family to support. I try to help them, but unlike 1985 the economy sucks.

THIS IS TRULY OBAMACARE.

Are you all kidding? I went back on active duty in the summer of ‘84. There must have been 500-600 prior service people at Ft Dix heading to Europe alone.

Glad to hear it worked out for you, if not in a roundabout way.

We have a ton of former military in Homeland Security. It’s a good fit.