First off, Michelle and Kris, Thank you both for your Kindness and concern for my wellbeing. I too consider Y'all friends,almost sisters, heck I've had more and better conversations with both of you, than most of my real sisters in the last year or so.
Although my last tour ended poorly with me almost dieing of a ruptured appendix, I was not ready to quit,just forced to, while I recuperated from the surgery.
I made some good friends over there, Men tend to bond when facing hardship and danger. I still keep in touch with three of my buds, one each in Anaconda, TQ and Camp Victory.
When I came home to recover, I had every intention of returning as soon as possible.
Life however had other plans. As I got better,and word got out that I was back in town, I started getting phone calls from former client's (Interior Designer's and Decorators) all worried and thankful that I was home, but the conversation would end up with them asking me to do just this one little job for them PleasePleasePlease PLEASE, cause we don't like anybody else doing our work, and you are SOOOO GOOOOD with our customers!
Well with that and the need to take care of my mother, who is in fragile health, I formally reopened my shop.
The catalyst of this decision was last month when I sat in on a meeting with my Niece Helen and an Army Recruiter, as the conversation unfolded, he suggested that I reenlist. What! No WAY!
WAY! said he, because of your prior service you are still eligible! Well blow me down! Still I thought about it, but I fear I would'nt make it through boot camp and if I did, I would be taking a serious cut in pay, and have to work for someone half my age.
The one factor that lets me go, is one of my sisters is getting a divorce, and has moved in with me and is looking after Mom, taking the burden of her care off of my shoulders, and freeing me of the responsibility to stick around.
But the main reason I am going back is financial, after all is said and done, accounts balanced, taxes paid, My net, at the end of the year is around 40K, on a Gross of 300K I have good and capable employees who can continue to service my accounts and I will have my sister take care of the payroll and admin responsibilities.
I'll net 10K a month, 1st 85K, Tax free and that will certainly help my 401k.
Michelle, Sorry about the F-man thingy and I'll expect to meet both you and Kris at some point in the future and I intend to attend the mext milblog conference
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Thoughts and Observations
Sites of Interest
About Me
- unkawill
- Bagram, Afghanistan
- Unkawill Milbrat born in 61, Ft. Rucker Alabama. Single, never married, Not affiliated with any organized Religion, practice” The Golden Rule”, Joined the Army in 78, Combat Engineer Sqd Ldr. Got tired of the mud, LOVED to blow stuff up! Joined the Navy in 83, Sonar technician, LOFAR analyst ,Reported aboard the USS Badger FF-1071 in Pearl Harbor. Two Wespac’s ,1 with the Kitty Hawk battle group. Hit all the usual liberty ports, plus Mombasa, Karachi,Midway,and Vancouver/Victoria BC Shellback I worked in the custom window treatment business, Blinds,Shades,Shutters and Drapery. Drove a Big Rig 3 years delivering groceries nation wide. Voracious Reader, Hunt and Fish,
14 comments:
Michelle, sorry that I did'nt reply to the when of your question.
I should start Inprocessing in Houston on Aug,20 and be in country the first week of sept.
Wow - I don't know what to say. You've certainly shared alot of yourself in this post. Thank you for that generosity of spirit.
I'm not sure I fully understands the impetus behind the reasons - why put yourself in harm's way when you really don't have to. But then again - that same question could be put to every troop or civilian currently serving in the GWOT.
As we've said before - where do we find such men & women? Thank you, UnkaWill - for your dedication and willingness to put it all on the line for others.
I'm sure your business will thrive in your absence, and you will return to the clients once again.
Oh yeah, and believe me when I say that I've had much more satisfying conversations with you and others than I've had with my own, um, brother (I use the term very loosely) in the past decade or longer.
I'm not sure I fully understands the impetus behind the reasons - why put yourself in harm's way when you really don't have to.
Kris,I Have been thinking long and hard about your statement, It started back in 79 when the Irainans took our people hostage, I was on active duty at the time, and we were locked and loaded,ready to roll south and kick some ass. Till that worthless POS carter pulled the plug. Very dispiriting that. I know you remember that they let them go about 5 min's before President Reagan was sworn in, well another effect of Reagan being CIC was a giant upswing of moral and Esprit de Core, service wide and certainly in my unit. It was nice to once again,be PROUD of what you were doing and who you were. But alas, the only war to fight was the Cold war,while the times were certainly serious, all training and no Real Missions to execute is frustrating. While I'll be in harm's way, it really isn't that dangerous. I don't know any other way to say it, I just feel that it is my duty to help out as much as possible, and this seems to be the most effective way that I can participate.
If it makes any difference, I come from a long line of Professional Warriors, Having served since the war of 1812.
I thank God every day that there are men and women such as yourself who put serving their country above serving themselves. These words are not said lightly, sir, as I do know the many sacrifices you, and your family, will be making.
However, with your prior service I feel that your willingness to serve goes deeper than either family or fianacial security...and I am truly grateful for your decision to return.
Between working, staying safe, e-mailing your family and friends, trying to prevent yourself from coming down with heat stroke, and keeping your legions of readers up to date you shouldn't mind being away and won't have the time to miss anything or anyone.
May God keep you, Unkawill, and do keep your chin up...ay!
Veritas et Fidelis Semper
P.S. Please let's not speak of the War of 1812, as we have such a nice friendship.
Veritas et Fidelis Semper
Deborah, thanks for the chuckle,regarding the war of 1812.
I wasn't there!
I have served our country, or maybe I should say,my country, since you reside with the rest of our good neighbors to the north,(a particular favorite being Michelle) :-) basically since I was aware that there ARE BAD GUYS in this world. If not in Deed, always in thought and heart.
We and that Includes all of western civilization such as it is, are in a war for our very lives, not just for our lifestyle.
The Wahabbist faction of Islam means to inflict Sharia upon a WORLD WIDE caliphate. They have said so, REPEATIDLY, I, for one cannot just stand by the sidelines and let this EVIL go unchecked.
In my family, when a job needs doing, Everybody pitches in and before you know it the job is done.
That's great for small tasks, but the American Family isn't pitching in for this task. I get so frustrated sometimes I could just scream.
That tends to be counter productive, So I am doing what I can,while I can.
As for legions of readers,OMG thats funny, I dont have a site counter, but isn't a "Legion" equal to a thousand?
unkawill
Thanks for sharing all that. I really wasn't trying to be nosy or a smartass when I first posted but I realize now it could have sounded that way, esp posting under anon as I did.
Anyway, now I get it, why you are going back. I may not be quite as fervent or passionate in my "speaking" on the GWOT as some, but I do "get it". And for lack of a better word, I am *impressed* by what you are doing.
So do you think it will be in Kris' (some day to be built) bunker that we shall meet? Or will it be in the good State of Texas? Perhaps at a Milblog Conference? Or maybe someday your travels shall take you to the east coast of the Great White Up? Wherever/however it may be, I shall look forward to it. In the meantime, please do keep yourself safe.
Re: Kris' comment about her brother ... never thought about it until I read that, but actually I have shared more of my thoughts and feelings with the two of you in the past year than with my brother in many, many years. Go figure that...
Michelle,
I think the milblog gathering will be the first of many opportunities to meet friends in the Meatosphere.
Will you be able to attend?
I, for one, shall be at the MilBlog conference in May next year, the good lord willing and the creek don't rise. Wanted to go this year but couldn't make it work. And The Hubby is also interested in going too - so it would seem we'll all meet up there in less than one year. I must confess - I'm already excited about the prospects. And we're going to try to make a vacation out of it and see our nation's capital. We've been there before, but for a day and a half - not nearly enough time to even scratch the surface.
Michelle - if I shared half of what I've shared with you all with my "brother" - he'd have collapsed from heart failure by now, he'd be so shocked at how I feel about things (since we haven't spoken in nearly a decade, we really are strangers to each other). We are about as opposite as 2 people can be and come from the same gene pool. He is, to use two of my favorite British terms - a git and a wanker. I'd much rather spend my valuable personal time discoursing with the likes of you all - and SO many others - than spend one minute with my "brother".
Oh my, and I prove our earlier points, don't I?!
Kris, I am so sorry that your brother does'nt get it.
I,on the other hand am blessed, all of my siblings GET IT, and while they are worried, they support me 100%.
My lack of comm's with most of my siblings, is due to everybody leading very busy lives.
That being said, strangly enough, since this info hit the grapevine, I have been in contact with all but one sister, Marie who lives in Oklahoma City.
I will see them all, Except for Marie and her family, at my going away party.
I am looking forward to meeting both you and your husband at the Milbloggy affair.
Michelle, please attend if you can.
It would be delightful to hang around with all of y'all!
Deborah, You are invited too!
Unkawill - it's not that my brother doesn't "get it". It's that he is completely disconnected in a religious-fervor kinda way. Said that 9/11 is part of God's plan for the world, so why worry about it? There is more that I won't bore anyone with, but those are the last words I ever heard him say.
I'm really hoping we'll make it to the MilBlog Conference next year. Aside from listening to everyone, the opportunity to meet SO many people I already feel I know so well would be - overwhelming.
Would have to lean towards no at the moment to the milblogs next year....
Although, hmmm.... just had a thought. Let me percolate on that one. That would be such a cool experience!
Post a Comment