sooo... we got back from Afghanistan on November 13, 2010. two weeks later, all the NCOs in the company are told to go to the company 1st Sergeant's office to talk about their "futures" in the Marine Corps.
and after multiple deployments, the requests from all the other NCOs were along the lines of "i'd like to go be a Drill instructor", or "I'd like to go be a Combat Instructor", or "I'd like to go be a recruiter", or "I'd like to go train reservists", or "i'd like to go sit behind a desk somewhere and do nothing", yada yada yada.
and of course, after a hellish deployment of hard fighting, with 3 KIAs in the company (two from my platoon) and several dozen Purple Hearts, all those requests were well deserved, and 1st Sergeant being the good man that he is, made sure they all got the duty assignments they wanted.
then it was my turn to walk into his office. "i'd like to stay with the battalion and go back to Afghanistan."
he just looked at me like i was fucking retarded.
"thats not a good idea. you cant stay with the battalion after already having done three deployments. you need to go do something else and experience other parts of the Marine Corps."
but 1st Sergeant, i dont want to do anything else. i enlisted in the Marine Corps as a grunt so i could see what its like to be in a war. well, now i know what its like.... and we're still at war, so i'd be a hypocrite to not want to go back just because it was a shitty experience. and since this unit is already scheduled to go back next fall, i want to stay and get back in the fight.
(yeah, i kinda sounded like a pretentious fuck, but i didnt care. i want to go back to Afghanistan and thats that.)
he just looked at me again, even did the whole face palm bit.
finally he says, "ok, get out of my office. i'll see what i can do."
sure enough, a few days later, he calls me back into his office. "you're positive you want to stay with this battalion?"
yes.
"roger. you're in. dont fuck it up. now get the fuck out of my office."
heh.
that was a month ago. since then, we took our post deployment / holiday leave, and we got back to work last week. then the ball drops.
during our battalion formation, on that first day back from leave, our Battalion Commander informed us that we would not be going back to Afghanistan. my jaw dropped. literally. what... the... fuck.
apparently, our beloved new Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Jim Amos, would like to spread load the war experience to as many different infantry battalions as possible. that way more Marines across the board will have that combat experience in their tool kit. which, kinda makes sense to me.... but all i cared about was the fact that my unit was not going back to Afghanistan, which meant I was not going back.
fuck that shit.
so immediately following the battalion formation, i headed straight for 1st Sergeant's office.
Good Morning 1st Sergeant, I'd like to transfer to another unit.
he just looked at me like i was fucking retarded.
"WHAT THE FUCK?? I FUCKING VOUCHED FOR YOU, PUT MY NECK ON THE LINE, AND CALLED IN COUNTLESS FAVORS JUST SO THAT THE MARINE CORPS WOULD LET YOU STAY WITH THIS UNIT AND TRAIN THE NEW MARINES. AND NOW YOU DONT WANT TO EVEN FUCKING STAY! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU MOTHERFUCKER??"
now, after nearly five years in the Corps, thats not my first ass chewing, nor the worst. so it didnt bother me at all. plus i doubt 1st Sergeant did anything more than ask the Sergeant Major if I could stay, to which the Sergeant Major probably just said "Sure, i dont give a fuck."
so i just said, nothing is wrong with me. i just want to transfer to whichever Infantry battalion is taking our place in Afghanistan this year.
he just looked at me again, even did the whole face palm bit.
finally he says "ok. you want to go get yourself blown up, thats your business. but i'm not going to help. you want orders to a new unit? go out and get them yourself."
fair enough.
so i spent the rest of the week making phone calls, leavin messages, pissing people off, just trying to find out which unit it was going to Afghanistan next fall.
sure enough, i find out, request orders, orders approved.
so now i have orders in hand and i'm going back to Afghanistan next fall... just with a different battalion.
hopefully those motherfuckers dont get me killed.
and after multiple deployments, the requests from all the other NCOs were along the lines of "i'd like to go be a Drill instructor", or "I'd like to go be a Combat Instructor", or "I'd like to go be a recruiter", or "I'd like to go train reservists", or "i'd like to go sit behind a desk somewhere and do nothing", yada yada yada.
and of course, after a hellish deployment of hard fighting, with 3 KIAs in the company (two from my platoon) and several dozen Purple Hearts, all those requests were well deserved, and 1st Sergeant being the good man that he is, made sure they all got the duty assignments they wanted.
then it was my turn to walk into his office. "i'd like to stay with the battalion and go back to Afghanistan."
he just looked at me like i was fucking retarded.
"thats not a good idea. you cant stay with the battalion after already having done three deployments. you need to go do something else and experience other parts of the Marine Corps."
but 1st Sergeant, i dont want to do anything else. i enlisted in the Marine Corps as a grunt so i could see what its like to be in a war. well, now i know what its like.... and we're still at war, so i'd be a hypocrite to not want to go back just because it was a shitty experience. and since this unit is already scheduled to go back next fall, i want to stay and get back in the fight.
(yeah, i kinda sounded like a pretentious fuck, but i didnt care. i want to go back to Afghanistan and thats that.)
he just looked at me again, even did the whole face palm bit.
finally he says, "ok, get out of my office. i'll see what i can do."
sure enough, a few days later, he calls me back into his office. "you're positive you want to stay with this battalion?"
yes.
"roger. you're in. dont fuck it up. now get the fuck out of my office."
heh.
that was a month ago. since then, we took our post deployment / holiday leave, and we got back to work last week. then the ball drops.
during our battalion formation, on that first day back from leave, our Battalion Commander informed us that we would not be going back to Afghanistan. my jaw dropped. literally. what... the... fuck.
apparently, our beloved new Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Jim Amos, would like to spread load the war experience to as many different infantry battalions as possible. that way more Marines across the board will have that combat experience in their tool kit. which, kinda makes sense to me.... but all i cared about was the fact that my unit was not going back to Afghanistan, which meant I was not going back.
fuck that shit.
so immediately following the battalion formation, i headed straight for 1st Sergeant's office.
Good Morning 1st Sergeant, I'd like to transfer to another unit.
he just looked at me like i was fucking retarded.
"WHAT THE FUCK?? I FUCKING VOUCHED FOR YOU, PUT MY NECK ON THE LINE, AND CALLED IN COUNTLESS FAVORS JUST SO THAT THE MARINE CORPS WOULD LET YOU STAY WITH THIS UNIT AND TRAIN THE NEW MARINES. AND NOW YOU DONT WANT TO EVEN FUCKING STAY! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU MOTHERFUCKER??"
now, after nearly five years in the Corps, thats not my first ass chewing, nor the worst. so it didnt bother me at all. plus i doubt 1st Sergeant did anything more than ask the Sergeant Major if I could stay, to which the Sergeant Major probably just said "Sure, i dont give a fuck."
so i just said, nothing is wrong with me. i just want to transfer to whichever Infantry battalion is taking our place in Afghanistan this year.
he just looked at me again, even did the whole face palm bit.
finally he says "ok. you want to go get yourself blown up, thats your business. but i'm not going to help. you want orders to a new unit? go out and get them yourself."
fair enough.
so i spent the rest of the week making phone calls, leavin messages, pissing people off, just trying to find out which unit it was going to Afghanistan next fall.
sure enough, i find out, request orders, orders approved.
so now i have orders in hand and i'm going back to Afghanistan next fall... just with a different battalion.
hopefully those motherfuckers dont get me killed.
VIEW 7 of 7 COMMENTS
velvet_petal:
Dagnabit, Rivera, you hard head! You had better wear sunscreen.
zale:
A true Devil Dog... Best of luck to ya! Which battalion you deploy with and which you headed to?