How many!!

[bluehawk2000]

How many of you are military, and miss being with your brothers during the holidays that you was with for several years in a row with, which you are now back in the civilian world. I just realized just now that I miss my team and my whole company of brothers that I was with last year in Iraq, this is kind of a first for me so I am still trying to figure out how to deal with everything from hard spots to problematic things, so if any of you that has been threw this have any comments and any help for me since this has been a really hard year for me. And I have been to the VA and have a mental health doctor cause I have been having psychological problems, so if you guys that has been threw the same thing as me has any tips or things to help me let me know, I have just started a civilian job 2 months ago working as security, and everything I think of I just want to resort back to military ways but its been a big downfall for me. God bless everybody and all the other guys out their going threw problems like me.

[blackSS01]

I've been out for years upon years now (Approx 6 years) and I missed all my Brothers in Arms that I started searching for them on the net. I found a good chunk on FB and that is the number 1 reason for starting a FB account. Since then I have visited 2 of them which is fun travel

I don't miss them any more during the holidays, I just miss some of them all the time. Some guys/gals I am sooooo glad I will never see them again

[Sarge]

Been out for 40 years and still think about my brothers on a daily basis.

Tough transition I agree. We had no help with it at all in my day. Many Vietnam Vets wound up in prison. The good ol USA spit on us when we came home.

Take advantage of local VA man. It is not a sign of any weakness. Go to your VA and talk to them about some of the issues you are having. You will find they have been through exactly what you are feeling and thinking and going through.

[txz28]

Been out for 40 years and still think about my brothers on a daily basis.
Many Vietnam Vets wound up in prison. The good ol USA spit on us when we came home.

and that is why I go out of my way to shake the hand and say thank you to every Vietnam vet i see. My father was in from 54 to 69 (when he finally was burned out) and took his side arm and his medals and throw them into the Potomac river and walked away after the good oh usa gov. and people said the poor man just needed like 3 or 4 more years to retire with FULL benefits but he couldn't make it anyhow THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE GUYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS

[allbaugh_04]

I think a lot about some of people i've met, haha and spent thanksgiving in mcdonalds when the power went out one year.

Lots of memories. All down hill from here.

[loasdrums]

I've been out for years upon years now (Approx 6 years) and I missed all my Brothers in Arms that I started searching for them on the net. I found a good chunk on FB and that is the number 1 reason for starting a FB account.

This.. I've been out for 3 years and I've found some shipmates on FB. Find your buddies and talk to them about it. That support group is still there it just takes more effort to reach them.

[bluehawk2000]

Seems like their is alot of us out their, and I do go to the VA every other week or so to talk to my mental health doctor. But last night I actually got to thinking to myself that just like last year this year I will be working every holiday(fucking bullshit) and I was thinking about how much I enjoyed everybody that was on my team, how well we got along.

I use facebook myself just for that reason to stay in touch with all of my brothers from over their. Just makes me realize that here in the civilian world you cannot find that kind of trust in people at any job, seems like everybody is always trying to throw somebody under the bus.

[blackSS01]

Seems like their is alot of us out their, and I do go to the VA every other week or so to talk to my mental health doctor. But last night I actually got to thinking to myself that just like last year this year I will be working every holiday(fucking bullshit) and I was thinking about how much I enjoyed everybody that was on my team, how well we got along.

I use facebook myself just for that reason to stay in touch with all of my brothers from over their. Just makes me realize that here in the civilian world you cannot find that kind of trust in people at any job, seems like everybody is always trying to throw somebody under the bus.

This happens alot unfortunately

Don't hang your head, hold it up high and be proud of what you have done. Only 3% can do what you have done!


*WARNING* 3% statistic was just thrown out there. I have no clue or nor do I project that I know anything about anything. Use anything I say at your own risk. OP is not a registered offender......wait, wut?

[loasdrums]

I've been going through the process of transferring from a 2 yr to a 4 yr university and made it a point to say sir and ma'am, and I've realized how quickly I dropped it from my daily life. This thread has me noticing more things like that. I'm trying to walk with more confidence and politeness like I used to. As veterans each of us is an example to everyone else of veterans and active service members. No one notices it when you don't put it out there that your a vet, but when you do you become that example. I look at those traditional students and realize that I am different. Not that I am better but that I've been through a different path.

In 2007 there were almost 10,000 Coasties and I think 2000 were aviators. That is accounting for pilots and enlisted members. There are 3 ratings (m.o.s.) for the enlisted members. Those numbers mean that the members of that group are special, some say elite. There is a list of ASTs (aviation rescue swimmers, think Aston in the Guardian) online. That is to say each member by name and date of graduation. In December of 2004 online 3 graduated. My rating is AET and far larger than ASTs in numbers. Meaning not as special.

Sorry to rate and thread jack. I'm just saying every veteran is a member of an elite group. There are over 300 million Americans. "The United States has 1,436,642 active personnel. The reserve personnel is around 848,056." (ChaCha) That makes everyone in the military an elite American. Be proud.

[bluehawk2000]

This happens alot unfortunately

Don't hang your head, hold it up high and be proud of what you have done. Only 3% can do what you have done!


*WARNING* 3% statistic was just thrown out there. I have no clue or nor do I project that I know anything about anything. Use anything I say at your own risk. OP is not a registered offender......wait, wut?

Yea I refuse to hang my head low, like last night I got fucked and had to work an extra 4 hours cause somebody decided to not come in, so I didnt get to spend anytime with anybody till today and I was lucky to do that cause I called in work because of snow. I cussed out 4 supervisors and they ended up all calling me and apologizing to me. I have just gotten so tired of them trying to screw me and doing so much overtime for everybody and nobody helping me out.

[bluehawk2000]

I've been going through the process of transferring from a 2 yr to a 4 yr university and made it a point to say sir and ma'am, and I've realized how quickly I dropped it from my daily life. This thread has me noticing more things like that. I'm trying to walk with more confidence and politeness like I used to. As veterans each of us is an example to everyone else of veterans and active service members. No one notices it when you don't put it out there that your a vet, but when you do you become that example. I look at those traditional students and realize that I am different. Not that I am better but that I've been through a different path.

In 2007 there were almost 10,000 Coasties and I think 2000 were aviators. That is accounting for pilots and enlisted members. There are 3 ratings (m.o.s.) for the enlisted members. Those numbers mean that the members of that group are special, some say elite. There is a list of ASTs (aviation rescue swimmers, think Aston in the Guardian) online. That is to say each member by name and date of graduation. In December of 2004 online 3 graduated. My rating is AET and far larger than ASTs in numbers. Meaning not as special.

Sorry to rate and thread jack. I'm just saying every veteran is a member of an elite group. There are over 300 million Americans. "The United States has 1,436,642 active personnel. The reserve personnel is around 848,056." (ChaCha) That makes everyone in the military an elite American. Be proud.

I know where your coming from bro, I still proceed to use my common curtesies, and honestly I dont tell people what I have done or where I have been or what has happend to me until they asked. I have been asked so many times why I am ignoring people. But its not I am ignoring anybody its because I cannot hear very well from the 6 IED'S I have been blown up by and survived I have taken shrapnel, and people look at me kinda crazy and at the same time you can see in their eyes that their thinking to themselfs what they have really done in their life.

It kills me because people come at me like I am just a regular 21 year old dude that hasnt done anything and talks down on me. Being in the civilian world I will not be disrespected or talked down to I have earned the right to not be treated that way. But life this past year has been really hard for me and honestly the statistics on veterans commiting suicide is high, I know why they are so high cause I have had the same thoughts myself, which I have seeked help for it from the VA and they have helped me so much. I have a bad back and several medical problems that they are helping me with. I am not some crazy ass special forces soldier, but I have had my commander trying to get me to go when I was in Iraq, I have trained with them in kuwait and did the PSD(personal security detail) trainning. I was also a lead 50 cal gunner on a convey security team which supplied 15 different cobs, fobs, and jss's, and did so many dismounted patrols. It has just been ruff on me this past year trying to readjust to normal civilian life, its just been beating me down, which seems I cant get out of this rut.