Time Served

Time Served

Looking back I find the military wasn’t such a bad way of life.  I was pretty well taken care of, though mind you this was before the Department Of Defense decided to rape military personnel so they could pay for toys as well as adventurism in distant Arabian lands such as Buttslamastan.  We had great medical care and the Bx and Commissary privileges actually meant something.  It has gotten even worse after retirement, especially the medical.  Once retired the old soldier falls prey to a civilian bureaucracy that shunts him/her off to hospitals that look like refugee camps and doctors who apparently got their medical degree in Calcutta.  I think we have hit a point where the typical country doc has priced himself out of business.  Fortunately there are plenty of the rich and famous to be weaned off drugs and alcohol or need a new set of tits so they can fill out that designer gown for the Golden Globes (there were plenty of those golden beauties jouncing around the red carpet, too bad they’re store bought).  Actually I only surmised that as I didn’t watch the awards show, just caught the hooters on the news.  News shows love to show hooterage as it drives up the ratings.  I’d watch more often if there were more tatas and less Geraldo.  A lot less Geraldo.  In fact I wish he’d do an in depth investigation on Great White Sharks without the using a shark cage.  The poor shark would have the shits for a month, though.

Anyway, if you are military past or present at this juncture you are kind of fucked.  The base hospital is now the base clinic, meaning if there is anything seriously wrong you are heading downtown to visit Ahmed. Even in the past the military was famous for treating any ailment for the sniffles to a severed limb with Motrin (AKA Ranger Candy or TAC popcorn).  It is a wonder drug and that’s a fact.  You aren’t healed or cured but you feel lots better about the whole thing.  Now you have to find solace elsewhere, even if it is the military that caused the problem in the first place.  I had trouble with some chemical warfare medications and the anthrax shot and have been having problems ever since.  Ok, it could be something else, but the medics at the time told me not to worry, there would be no ill effects – the same thing authorities told the poor assholes that they had stand outside and watch atomic blasts in the desert.  

I can’t kick too much; at least I have some sort of health care, even though the benefits are rapidly dwindling.  I even heard a DOD schmuck talking about having to cut the benefits even further because the baby boomers where starting to rack up a tab.  Like being in line for social security I find myself on the backside of the baby boom wave and any benefits will be long gone.

Anyway I loved the camaraderie, the travel, the job (the real job not the shoe-clerk queef) and just the general mentality of the military. I would not have traded the experience for anything.  I got to see places and things I never would have as a civilian.  I even managed to have quite a bit of fun and I was never shot at or shot anyone, though I was hell on those paper targets.