Ok guys, I am retiring from the Army. Am burning up two months of transition leave. At present, I am typing this from my driveway as we are selling our house in two hours. Movers have come and gone. Cleaners have come and gone and the Chief Of Staff (she who must be obeyed ) has forbidden entering the house until the new owners finish their final walk thru.

It's been a hell of a ride, 36 years in total. I have two months before we close on our new house in Alabama and I start the new job. So.....taking the kids to see grandma up on cape cod for a week. Then have a business meeting in Tennessee for a couple of days mid june and then we are just "going".

Trucks loaded, towing a 25 foot airstream, got the dog (big dog), cat, hamster, (gave the fish away), all set. Kind of look like the Beverly hillbillies.

If you see a 25 foot airstream being dragged by a red F-250 super duty.....honk.


I'll keep y'all posted. Jim

 

Congratulations and good luck on the new job, location, life!

 

First and foremost, thank you for your service! Second, enjoy your time wandering, what an adventure. I am still a couple years away from retirement and have NO plans to seek employment once I retire. All my time will be spent seeking crab, fish, pheasant, deer, elk, or working with the dogs. The rest I will waist....

 

Thanks for your service. I know the look. With a former employer we used to say on the radio that the "Dowell Gypsy caravan is on the road" as we left the lot. Ten or 15 trucks with drums, tanks, pumps, hoses and iron headed down the highway. Painted Omaha Orange to boot.

 

Congrats on making to the other side. The grass is greener, come on over.

 

Welcome to Alabama, my adopted home.

If you're headed towards the Ft. Rucker area be sure and give me notice; I can help you unpack, or just be a new Ford friend who also has a camper.

USA, RET (1990).

 

Enjoy.......

Good Job......26 years Army .......Thanks for all you did and still do.

1992.......retired 21 years Navy. 10 June we are headed on a 6+ week trip to Alaska.....

 

Thanks guys. Last night we RON'd in Elkhardt, Indiana. Kids got to run around and play and we are getting our camping legs back.

Kind of like walking outside the wire at night....do a shakeout and security halt before you go into Indian country.

No problems yet but the big poosey dog tried (and succeeded) in getting all of his 220 pounds in bed with us. Hamster had free run on his wheel in the car as the temps were in the 50's. So far, all is well.

And....NO. I did not pack all my stuff and ready my position for "stand to" this morning. Felt weird....

Looking at pushing east another 7 or do hours today. Probably end up in upstate NY somewhere near Rochester.

Y'all stay safe.

 

Without pics none of this counts. Ford - Airstream - 220# puppy.

 

That is True........

"Pictures, or it didn't happen"
The Law of FTE...

 

Jim, thank you for your service from another retired Army guy and congratulations on your retirement. I wish you a safe, fun trip and success in your new job. Enjoy your new home.

 

Good grief Jim, 36 years and you are going to work almost the day after you retire.....I could not do it. My last 9 yrs on AD I worked harder than I ever did in my career as a Infantry soldier. I flew over 2 million air miles, was TDY 52 weeks a year. In those 9 years I took leave only 3 times and that was in conjunction with TDY. When I retired I took 6 mo off to recover mentally and physically from a grueling 9 years.

If you are getting down around Ft Rucker and Enterprise Al, you might run into a Doc, COL Jenkins(RET), he retired down there, he and I were running buddies, GREAT guy. You might also know COL Jim Mowery (RET) he is down there. Both are quite active folks. Jim was enlisted and went to West Point, as fine a man as you will ever meet...he could have made a great career as a stand up comedian (no, not kidding).

Enjoy your retirement and remember: 'life, no one gets out alive so make sure you die with a smile on your face'

 

I went to work while on terminal leave in May and didn't officially retire till August.


I had no downtime either.

 

I took a month down time before I went to work again - and I needed it.

 

Could not have done it, I was exhausted. I had a annual wrap up trip, where I left Ft Monroe Va on or about 1 Dec adn returned on or about 25 Dec or after: Europe, Asia, Alaska, Hawaii, Latin America, Pentagon, Orlando, Boston, Kansas city, Champaign Ill, Chicago, San Fran, Dallas and a few other stops as contractors and work being performed at various locations. 32,000 air miles in one trip, different time zone almost everyday. Come in, gather my folks for a annual update and status report, provide guidance and schedule next status meeting.

That was life for almost 9 years, yea I worked like a dog, but was single, no kids. That said I had an ulterior motive and that was to make sure this old Infantry soldier could find a job when he retired, that I had the skill sets I needed....It was a hellva of ride I will say that. Few folks in the military ever have the opportunity to really be their own boss, have their own travel account and be the top of the food chain. In all likelihood the highlight of my adult working career other than Vietnam.