was watching some you tube boot camp videos today. I went through a 16 week coast guard boot (about half of it was intense like any other branch the other weeks were specialty weeks like defensive driving, Drug interdiction, range week, swimming week ect. I also went through 8 weeks of navy prior service boot and that was a piece of cake. More of a schooling on the navy. We didnt do my pt or any marching ect. We could walk and were treated like ncos like we were. How many of you kind of long for that again. A chance to do it all again? I actualy enjoyed it. But i was in better shape then most when i got there and the physical part didnt bother me much. Had much worse when i joined the drug interdiction team and trained some with the marines and seals and went through some pretty tough survival training given by the army and especially the 4 weeks we spent training with the seals that would serve along side of us. They were sure no joke and even made me suffer. Id do it all again in a heartbeat.
Biggest mistake of my life was getting out of the service. I ended up shortly after with a real good paying job but it was BORING. Went in the coast guard reserves for a year or so after but it was a nothing but a bunch of wanabes. Life was a bit better when 5 years later became a lineman. There was at least a little pride in that because again you were doing something not everyone can or wants to do. Only reason i went in the navy was the coast guard shut down the program i was in and the navy continued it in some aspects and a navy master chief talked me into switching. But i spent those 4 years for the most part guarding a desk and training in rules of engagement which was very boring and just wasnt the same. I got out because i couldnt stand what i was doing and had a son that had learning disabilitys that i thought would do better settled down in one town and not switching schools.
But cher singing "if i could turn back time" always eats at me. I almost went back in 86 before I became a lineman and hated my job. First wife was pissed right off but i was just sick and tired of working in a power plant. I even had talked to an Army recruiter but he would only give me the e5 i made in active duty and not the e6 i made in the reserves and at that time being a E5 at almost 30 years old was like being a loser. Coast Guard and the navy didnt even want me at that age. Not so much today though rate is much tougher and slower to make then it was then. Anyone else that would like to turn back time. But i guess if i would have gone another path i would have missed alot of good times too. But my heart has always been in the service. Im jealous of all those lucky sobs in boot camp! What i should have done is stayed in the coast guard because the drug interdiction teams reall took of in the early 90s and evolved into three branches of special forces in the cg. One of the guys on my team retired an E9 and was senior enlisted man for the coast guard special forces Msst's. We still visit each other every couple years. Sorry for the rant. those videos just got my mind working. SUCKS to be OLD.
