Time Flies...
 

Nothing crazy, just thinking back...About 10 years ago this month I was walking into a recruiters office in Medford, OR.

I remember my fun days as a care-free (ha-ha-ha) PFC. Learning how the fleet worked, and what pisses off NCOs. Pinned LCpl in July 2004 in the middle of the Meditteranean Sea.

Broke a few rules as a LCpl, mostly alcohol related stupidity (drinking while waxing the decks in the CP afterhours. Floor wax is better than a slip-n-slide. Participated in OIF II. Never thought I would see Corporal.

Pinned Corporal in October 2005 in South Carolina.

Got Married as a Corporal. Just moving along. Sergeant was for career people, I'll never see it.

Pinned Sgt in November 2006 at Osan Air Base, South Korea.

Sgt was a fun rank. Never dreamed of moving up the rank ladder. Went back to Iraq of OIF 07-09. Came back, once dwell was up, went to Japan on a UDP/WestPac.

Pinned Staff Sergeant in July 2009 in Kuantan, Malaysia.

Moved from 29 Palms, to Camp Pendleton. Went here and there, etc. Same thing. This will be as far as I advance. But hey im ok with it. SSgt aint a bad rank to be. Still in a little of both worlds. Draw-downs, cut-backs, etc. No room for an 0431 to become an 0491. Or so I thought.

Thusly, you are all cordially invited (in spirit) to my pinning of Gunnery Sergeant this Friday, March 1st. Holy hell. Hope I survive the wet down.

Semper Fi.

Yeah good luck with that wet down. I got selected to SSgt this past August so now it is a waiting game for me. I was surprised I even came up selected becasue I pinned on Sgt in 2009. Apparently someone up in HQMC thinks I'm doing good things. It was my first year in zone so I was definitely surprised.

I would be there if I was still out in Pendleton for sure. But I had to give up all the fun stuff and come out here to Florida and ride a desk for a little bit.

Congrats on the promotion and in your honor I'm going to go buy new gun. That's how I like to celebrate. Ill have a few for you though brother.

Semper Fi.

Just think how you will feel when MSgt comes your way. Unless you are looking at 1st Sgt and if that's the case I don't think we can talk anymore :lol: :lol: :lol:

THANKS FOR SERVING , CONGRADULATIONS

OH OH OH!!!!

I WANT AN INVITE!!!!!

Nuthin in this world is better than Pinning New Stripes! Especially on one of the Misguided Children!!!!

Send me an ADDRESS!!!!!~!:scared:

Congratulations.

Damn, doesn't anyone around here speak English? REAL men call themselves Petty Officers, CPOs and such.
Hunter

Just in case you guys don't know the Marine Corps Enlisted Rank Structure...

Really? I always understood 'petty' to mean "small and insignificant"

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Congrats,, I only made E-5, and ended up ETS-ing as a spec 4 due to a paperwork snafu, I never got travel orders to report to Texas to ETS, till 3 weeks after my report date. Then when I got there we bumbed around for 6 weeks waiting for more paperwork to arive. I had to call to find out what was up after my 30 day leave after Nam and still no orders. So when I did get there, to Texas, they busted me down a rank,,,,,Nice,,,,, that's the main reason I didn't re-up. It must have been my fault I guess??

None the less in < 3 years I got up to E-5 and came home with a bronze star,,, somehow no CIB or Purple Heart , but,,,, was just another typical Nam era ,,,snafu, typical, it happened to several other guys in our unit too.

But I digress,, Congrats again and we are all proud of you!!!! Semper Fi brother.