Do you end up missing it? I got back from Iraq the day before Thanksgiving, absolutely HATING the middle east. Now I want to go back in the worst way. I was talking to a former Marine coworker who deployed to Afghanistan, and he said, in "military language" of course, that he didn't like it and never had the urge to go back. Then I talked to another guy I deployed with, and he admitted that sometimes he did wish he was back there.

 

So, I've been weighing my options. I could either go back as a contractor and make the money to make it even more worthwhile to be there, or I could volunteer for another deployment. I'm an air traffic controller by trade, so if I go back as a contractor, I would be making big money.

 

I've been thinking about this for a couple weeks, and am giving myself some more time to think before I make any decisions. I don't own a home or anything, and would break the lease on my apartment before I went so that I wouldn't have the bills...ugh, I just don't know.

 

My hope is hearing what those of you that are in my shoes have done. Does this feeling pass?

I've never been in the military before but I've heard stories like yours. What most miss about being there is the stronger bond to the people around you. When you get back you lose that bond and the only people you feel that close to are your family members.

 

I would say if you have nothing holding you down go back for a year and make the big money come home and work for contract towers or what not in the states and invest the extra money you make into retirement or a new venture.

I didn't serve in the Army, but am a Submariner who left Active Duty two years ago (once a Submariner, always a Submariner).

 

I miss the comraderie of my shipmates the most, and believe it or not I do miss the long, lonely, hellish underways without seeing daylight or feeling the wind (you'd be surprised how much you can miss it), and doing cool stuff that you can't talk about, for months at a time.

 

It's definitely not just you.

Well I'm not in the military, but maybe it would help if you can identify what exactly it is you're missing. Was it the country itself, or was it something more intangible (e.g. the comraderie with your fellow servicemen) that you could also maybe find somewhere else?

I didn't serve in the Army, but am a Submariner who left Active Duty two years ago (once a Submariner, always a Submariner).

 

I miss the comraderie of my shipmates the most, and believe it or not I do miss the long, lonely, hellish underways without seeing daylight or feeling the wind (you'd be surprised how much you can miss it), and doing cool stuff that you can't talk about, for months at a time.

 

It's definitely not just you.

 

I'm a Submariner also, back in the 70's, served on one of the "41 for Freedom". I haven't been on a submarine now in over 30 years and I still miss the comraderie I experienced. I'd go back in a minute if I was that age again and I think you know what I mean.

 

To the OP, I think it is normal to miss your comrades as you have experienced something very unique with them and the relationship and trust you share was that your very lives depended on each other and that trust. Finding that kind of trust after is very rare indeed. That's what I miss, not so much as being on patrol was all that glamorous although some very interesting times.

My two cents. I am a physician and the happiest time in my entire life was in residency working 120+ hours a week having no money, wearing scrubs all day, and hooking up with random nurses.

 

In retrospect, after typing this, I just realized: all my needs were met.

 

So take home message, if being deployed was meeting your needs, well then yeah it makes sense to miss it.

I echo the sentiments about missing the people. I worried endlessly about my friends, unit, and people I had never even met....if I'm not there to help them, who would be? That kind of stuff. I would say that the feeling never really fads but you do begin to understand it and move on with your life. I mean, at 40 I probably can't hump a ruck and a rifle over the mountains anymore but I think about it every day. Good luck in your decision. RLTW

[

Maybe that part of your life never leaves you....Here is a recent story a couple of days ago about a US Marine from Ohio:

 

Former Marine Richard Tracy, 93, returned to New Zealand last weekend to resume an engagement with Snells Beach resident Norma Milford, 89, that he broke off while fighting in the Pacific in 1943.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/weddings/7187493/Pair-engaged-again-after-70-years

 

Goes to show that it is never too late. I think that Mr Richard Tracey is a class act and wish him all the best.

 

 

I also have a friend that has expressed interest in returning to Afghanistan as a private citizen to start an adventure tourism company.

For those of you who have been deployed:

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY!

 

Stan